SALT LAKE CITY — It’s been a consistent theme for the University of Utah this season: the road has been a cruel place to play. As a result, team efficiency has suffered.
On Saturday, Utah dropped its third game of the season, losing to in-state rival BYU 77-65, snapping a three-game winning streak over the Cougars and an important non-conference RPI-building game.
And while a rivalry game is generally a heated contest between two teams that refuse to back down, Utah lacked a sense of urgency and purpose in the loss.
“It’s been our MO in big games like this — coming into an environment like this against a quality team, you’ve got to be a lot more dialed in, got to make more plays,” Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak said following the loss.