RMLC Week 5(3/8-3/14) Discuss/report scores here

[bullhighutewoozgriffclam]

That's nice of you to say ktrost58. Yeah that BYU thing. Uuuhhh...yeah.[/u]

[DG]

Utah 16
Florida 2

Box score
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Utah 4 6 3 3 16
UofF 1 0 1 0 2

this team is not at all the team that lost in cali. after watching yesterdays game, it's safe to say they are finally firing on all cylinders. the attack is reading each other, the mids have legs and depth, and the "d", is just awesome. i am excited to see the way the rest of the season plays out. look out byu, this is not the utes that went to california.

Big...just to play devil's advocate...is it the same team that played BYU on February 11th?

I want the U to do well, and wish that they had played better in CA. Then again, I wish that BYU had played better in CA...

DG

[AflacLax]

With that 16 - 2 win over Florida, someone that knows the Utes better should nominate the them for the Riddell Team of the Week. Look under the General Forum for more info on this. Keep it up Utes.

[x1dschm]

DG - you can't tell me that the Y is the same team that played on February 11th. I'm not advocating one way or the other but I think both teams are very different from when they last played.

[DG]

DG - you can't tell me that the Y is the same team that played on February 11th. I'm not advocating one way or the other but I think both teams are very different from when they last played.

What has changed for BYU since 2/11? Chucky is out, but Glenn is very good. Other than that, I believe that they have lost concentration and confidence. Those 2 things can be regained...

We're going to know a lot more about BYU before they ever play Utah. If they beat SSU or CSU, will you change your mind about them not being the same team that played on 2/11?

I will also agree that Utah is playing at a higer level than they did in California earlier in the season. I'm glad that's the case as I'd like to see the RMLC get 4 teams in the tournament.

DG

[CATLAX MAN]

I'm glad that's the case as I'd like to see the RMLC get 4 teams in the tournament.

Highly unlikely that happens.

[DG]

I'm glad that's the case as I'd like to see the RMLC get 4 teams in the tournament.

Highly unlikely that happens.

Because there are going to be 5?

[CATLAX MAN]

Now, DG, you know better than I that the RMLC will be fortunate to get 3 in this year. That will require BYU not to lose any games on their Florida trip or to any lower ranked teams.

[bullhighutewoozgriffclam]

As long as BYU stays in the top 12, which they can do if they pull it together, and Utah bumps up a few rankings (which they will be able to do with quality games against quality opponents in, argueably, the roughest second half of the season scheduled in the nation) there's your four teams. Our four teams.

[CATLAX MAN]

Still don't think that Utah will make it. They will probably have at least 4 more losses in the regular season and another in the RMLC playoffs. That's 7 losses in total. I don't think that makes it to #13. Their next game against Poly is very important. In order to have any shot at the top 13, they must win that game.

[x1dschm]

DG, first of all, I was the first person to tell everyone to relax when BYU started dropping games early on, because they are a very talented team and we all know Jason will bring the team together to make a run at the playoffs.

That being said, if the Y beats FSU, CSU and/or SSU they still won’t be the same team that beat the U on February 11th they will be a much better team. When they played the U, they didn’t win because they were the better team, they won because they were better individuals. They will have to be a very disciplined and a very focused “TEAM” to beat the top two teams in the USLIA (not to mention FSU, Oregon, CU, and GT) and up to date have they shown that ability? Their 3 losses to USLIA teams were only because they relied solely on athletic ability. What team have they beaten this year with execution, determination, and a “TEAM” mentality like the BYU of last year and the years before? Right now they are playing like a bunch of individuals on offense and their athletic ability and defense is carrying them to victories over lesser teams. I said this a while back, but I think the Y is missing Pete and Mark much more than they really know. They were leaders.

True, the Y has great potential, but the road a head is not easy and athletic talent can only carry them so far. They have a chance to refocus and center themselves and I hope that they beat FSU, CSU, SSU and everyone else on their schedule. This weekend will determine a lot of things in the RMLC.

[DG]

DG, first of all, I was the first person to tell everyone to relax when BYU started dropping games early on, because they are a very talented team and we all know Jason will bring the team together to make a run at the playoffs.

That being said, if the Y beats FSU, CSU and/or SSU they still won’t be the same team that beat the U on February 11th they will be a much better team. When they played the U, they didn’t win because they were the better team, they won because they were better individuals. They will have to be a very disciplined and a very focused “TEAM” to beat the top two teams in the USLIA (not to mention FSU, Oregon, CU, and GT) and up to date have they shown that ability? Their 3 losses to USLIA teams were only because they relied solely on athletic ability. What team have they beaten this year with execution, determination, and a “TEAM” mentality like the BYU of last year and the years before? Right now they are playing like a bunch of individuals on offense and their athletic ability and defense is carrying them to victories over lesser teams. I said this a while back, but I think the Y is missing Pete and Mark much more than they really know. They were leaders.

True, the Y has great potential, but the road a head is not easy and athletic talent can only carry them so far. They have a chance to refocus and center themselves and I hope that they beat FSU, CSU, SSU and everyone else on their schedule. This weekend will determine a lot of things in the RMLC.

I'm not calling you out X1, so don't sweat me at all. My initial comment was to someone else, who said that BYU should watch out for the Utes because the Utes are getting better. From my posts, you should know that I'm not a blind BYU apologist...I'm just a fan who spends way too much time thinking about this level of lacrosse.

I agree with almost all of your assessment. This BYU team is so young, that I believe confidence and momentum play a huge role in how they perform. I watched them play at a pretty high level at UCSB, only to lose late. If Cole had stuck that shot with 8 seconds left in regulation, I honestly believe that we'd be having a different discussion here. The bad news was that they didn't play well at Poly...the good news was that they played well against a very good Michigan team. That is a team that they beat with "execution, determination, and a 'TEAM' mentality."

They do miss Tschags and Pete, as any team would. They also miss Mark Davis. No one has really talked about the fact that he's not playing this year...but it has hurt them on offense.

The FSU game last year is a clear case of what happens when a team loses focus. The Cougs played well in the first half of that game, but couldn't stick shots when they had them. As a reminder, 10 days before that game, BYU beat CSU to hand the Rams their only loss of the season. That was the first BYU win vs. CSU in a long time (maybe 3 years). What happened in those 10 days? Who can say? The only thing you can say for sure is that FSU was the better team that day.

With the state of the league as it is, I don't "know" anything. There are too many variables here. What I do know is that I have never seen a BYU team drop as many balls as this team. They are capable of playing so much better than they have. The good thing is that they have the meat of their schedule still left to play in CSU/CU and SSU. That's the benefit of playing in a tough conference, and with a tough OOC schedule...you get more than one chance to prove yourself.

I applaud what you guys are doing up there. The U is going to beat the Y. It will happen. I just hope (and believe) that it isn't this year.

DG

p.s. Good luck vs. Poly

[byualum]

Per byulacrosse.com:

Wesleyan - 8
BYU - 7

Box score not yet posted.