Road woes continue as Bruins rip awful Utes apart

by JazzyUte on Jan 26, 2012 10:25 PM MST in Basketball

No 1983 magic this year.

The Runnin' Utes failed to show up to take on a struggling UCLA team and dropped their seventh straight on the road in embarrassing fashion. It marks yet another blowout loss for the program that has yet to find any traction away from the Jon M. Huntsman Center and illustrates just how bad the bottom of the conference is compared to the murky-middle, where the Bruins have resided for most this season.

It also raises questions as to whether this team can even manage to win its first road game of the season. They're not good anyway and worse when not playing in front of a partisan crowd (however weak that crowd may be this season).

As much as the Arizona State win bolstered confidence in this team's ability, a lot of that was diminished tonight, even if not entirely deserving. We knew this team was bad. We knew UCLA, though struggling, was loaded with talent. No one should be surprised Utah lost this game. But in a season where all we want is a bit of consistency, the lack of total effort, the total collapse in the final three or so minutes of the first half and then the ultimate beatdown in the second, is a bit disheartening.

Yes, this team is better than they were in November. Yes, the talent on this team can't and won't win many games.

Still, it doesn't make the blowouts any easier to accept or enjoy. I might not have expected or believed in the potential of victory tonight, but I certainly felt the team would be competitive. They weren't and haven't been in all but one road game this season.

Because of that, the fact this team has yet to really build on any momentum (whether it was the Wazzu win a few weeks ago or the victory over ASU Saturday), it's hard for me to get on board with the idea they can beat USC. Yes, the Trojans are equally bad - but this team just doesn't get it on the road.

Now get through this tough stretch and come home, Utes, 'cause the road is one lonely place.

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Comments

The M.O. of the

Utah teams the last few years is huge inconsistency.

Encouraging wins followed by blow-out losses. Extremely disappointing.

by Utah-UCLA alum on Jan 27, 2012 11:20 AM MST reply actions

Really?

You’re surprised by a blowout loss @UCLA after a win at home vs ASU?

We just played one of the deepest teams on the road after playing the one team that’s arguably worse than us in the Hunty. Given all of that, things went exactly as I expected.

This team doesn’t have the talent to be consistent, unless it’s consistently bad. If they can rise up now and again and be merely not ugly I’ll take that in a heartbeat.

by fountainofute on Jan 27, 2012 11:44 AM MST up reply actions

Yeah, really...

I agree with Utah-UCLA here. The Bruins have been horribly inconsistent and while I didn’t expect to win the game, this was the 2nd worst loss of the season for the Utes – to a team that entered with only one more win than us in conference play.

I get that the Bruins are way better and underperforming. But a 30 point loss? That is disappointing. A blowout is one thing thing – getting absolutely destroyed is another.

by JazzyUte on Jan 27, 2012 12:19 PM MST up reply actions

To me a blowout and getting destroyed are the same thing

…But that’s just semantics.

On paper, this was a blowout in the making. I just don’t see how anyone could be surprised that @UCLA is the second worst loss of the year so far. Paint me not shocked at all.

(On the other hand, my jaw is still on the floor that our worst loss is at home to Fullerton.)

I know I’m just repeating myself at this point, but there’s probably not a guy on the Utes that would be on UCLA’s team. They out-sized us, out-talented us, and had us on the road. I’m just not sure what you expected. A mere 20-point loss instead of 30? Anything w/in 15 points to me would have been a miracle from heaven. But then, any loss of 15 or more is about the same to me. Whether it was the worst loss, 2nd-worst loss, or whatever is pretty meaningless. I expected a loss, and didn’t expect it to be competitive. I’m surprised anyone expected differently for this one.

by fountainofute on Jan 27, 2012 2:01 PM MST up reply actions

It's not semantics...

Losing by 30 points is completely different than losing by 15 points – which could still be considered a blowout.

I just wanted a bit more fight. I didn’t expect a terribly close game, but hell, we couldn’t even cover the spread. And let’s not pretend the Bruins are some deep, awesome team – they’re middle of the pack at best. Yeah, their talent is better than their record…but that doesn’t mean much to me because, ultimately, record is all that really matters.

UCLA kicked our butts. They destroyed us. I’m nervous USC will do the same.

by JazzyUte on Jan 27, 2012 2:06 PM MST up reply actions

Inconsistent

I watched the ASU vs UCLA played about 2 weeks ago. The same ASU team we clobbered at Huntsman. ASU played UCLA tight and let the game get away from them in the second half. The guys from Tempe were in their game with the Bruins.

From what I saw of the Utah vs UCLA game, we were never in that game.

I get the fact that UCLA is more ‘talented’ than we are. I get the fact that the transitive property of common opponents doesn’t always apply.

However, I don’t understand why if ASU could hang with UCLA, our team got KILLED. I didn’t expect a win, but I did expect a closer result.

Finally as far as talent goes, teams like North Carolina, Arizona and Kentucky have always had more talent than our team, much more. But we beat these teams in the past, (well except for Kentucky). in my opinion, these roller coaster results have more to do with the mental aspect of the game.

by Utah-UCLA alum on Jan 27, 2012 4:23 PM MST up reply actions

What is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women. Especially BYU. - Conan the Barbarian (ok, maybe he didn't say the BYU part)

by U of Uman on Jan 27, 2012 1:32 PM MST reply actions