One last road trip… for a few days

Sitting in the SLC Airport Friday morning, waiting for a Delta flight to haul me to Texas. It should have been a trip for packing cargo shorts and the golf clubs for a quick Saturday morning round before BYU plays TCU Saturday night in the MWC finale.

But six inches of snow in Dallas Thursday? I left the recreational items at home.

The Cougars should defeat TCU, they are a better team. But stranger things have happened on the road.

This one will be about focus for the Cougars.

After the Wyoming game, I asked Jonathan Tavernari if it would be a challenge to go on this road trip, the longest in the league, and play TCU in a game that had no bearing on a championship already in tow.

His response:

“I don’t’ think there is a challenge at all. I mean the success of this team has been the ability to focus in and out of situations. We had a huge win in the Pitt and then had no problem getting focused for a good Air Force team. We had a huge loss at UNLV and had no hard time adjusting to go play Utah.

“I think from the bottom of my heart, we will show up at the game at TCU. We’ll be as energetic as ever, we’re going to have fun, push the ball and play defense.”

Lee Cummard agreed.

“With the senior leaders on this team, we won’t have a let up.. I’ d be surprised if we did. We’re playing for a lot more than a game. We have a lot of season left in us.”

I asked Tavernari if anybody on the team is discussing the need to keep winning to enhance NCAA tournament seeding.

“What tournament? Is there a tournament? All we know is TCU. Since the UNLV game all we know or care about it the next game.”

If he says so.

One thing that will be different this trip is BYU’s travel arrangements. Because the charter aircraft they normally use for selected trips is in the shop, the Cougars will take off Friday afternoon on a commercial flight. This will cost them a few hours as they have to mingle with the regular masses like I always do.

Texas, in a few hours.

Sans summer shorts and the clubs.