44 and counting?

After dismantling UNLV 74-48, and finding themselves all alone at the top of the Mountain West Conference race, BYU is rolling high. They have won 44 consecutive games in the Marriott center, and haven't lost a conference game there under Dave Rose. In fact, they have tied a school record for the most consecutive wins on their home floor. The last time that happened was back in 1993. Now all they have to do is win one more and they'll have the record. It seems pretty simple, right? Well, the way they have been taking care of teams at home, yes! But think again, Utah comes rolling into town. If anybody is going to spoil a record, or any type of success, it is going to be a rival. I am sure the cougar faithful wouldn't mind seeing them do it, but a couple years down the road.

Utah is 6-4 in league play, and on a three game winning streak. They beat SDSU by the count of 72-66, but SDSU was without their second leading scorer. Utah may have lost 4 conference games, but they have all been close. They lost in San Diego and New Mexico in overtime, and lost a close one to the cougars earlier this year, at the Huntsman Center. It was a game that was hard fought and low scoring, a game that may have been a huge turning point in BYU's season. Had the cougars lost that game they may have been doomed to lose a couple more, but they gained the confidence they needed to regroup and collect W's in their next 7 contests.

BYU will be favored going into the game this Wednesday, but Boylen's crew will not surrender without a fight. He preaches toughness in its very form, and has his boys diving and scrapping for each loose ball and rebound. It will be important for them to keep things close early, or the boys in blue may be ringing the victory bell soon. If Utah allows BYU to come out with an 11-0 run in the opening of the game like they did to SDSU, then BYU may never look back.

This game will be close and low scoring. Both teams may play tight and physical, but in the end the cougars will take home the W. BYU will come out hot early but Utah will stick around. Utah will make runs in the middle of the halfs, but BYU will retake control and win in the end. BYU 66 - Utah 58