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Looking back on a 102-72 win over Idaho State, there's not a lot to dissect for fans.
But for Larry Krystkowiak, there was the opening stretch that stuck a bit in his mind: The Bengals hit five of their first seven shots, including two 3-pointers and a lay-up off an inbounds pass. The first media timeout was a little tense.
"We just weren't as dialed in as we needed to be," he said. "They hit some big shots, challenged our guys to play defense. It was pretty simple."
The Utes ended up figuring things out, mixing in pressure and guarding well off the dribble to hold Idaho State to only 31 percent shooting inside the arc.
But Krystkowiak is also aware that more stretches of nonchalant defense can be lethal against Utah's upcoming opponent: BYU.
"They're quite good, got a lot of firepower," Krystkowiak said on his weekly radio show on ESPN700 Monday night. "We've got to be really dialed in defensively. It's a laundry list, to be honest with you."
When the Cougars come to Huntsman Center on Wednesday night, they'll bring five scorers averaging double figures. BYU's offense is led by Kyle Collinsworth, who set the NCAA career record for triple-doubles in his performance against Belmont on Saturday.
It's especially a challenge for Utah, which isn't what it used to be defensively.
After boasting a top-drawer defense last year, the Utes are allowing opponents to shoot 43.4 percent, which is No. 171 nationally. What really is rankling the team is the perimeter, where it allows opponents to shoot 41.7 percent - No. 329 in the country.
It's been a disconcerting problem for the Utah coaching staff all year. Krystkowiak said Monday that it's been difficult at times getting newer players adjusted to how the program plays defense.
"If you have one person breaking down, the whole machine breaks down," he said. "Right now we're a little sporadic in our defensive rotations and responsibilities."
Utah's last match-up with BYU was a defensive triumph in Provo: The Utes held the Cougars to 36.9 percent shooting in a 65-61 victory last December. While Collinsworth managed 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists - then-star Tyler Haws had 23 points - most other BYU role players had trouble finding scoring opportunities.
The Utes also kept BYU off the foul line for only 10 free throw attempts, which has actually been a strength of this year's team.
The Cougars' tempo is the team's defining trait, averaging more than 80 possessions per game. While Utah itself has played faster this season on offense, the Utes will look to defend transition better than they did against Miami and force BYU to work for its shots.
"They can get up and down the floor as well as anybody in the country," Kyle Kuzma said. "That's their rep. So, we really gotta dial back in and get our focus back to BYU come practice."
Twitter: @kylegoon Utes looking for more lockdown D Utah's vaunted defense of last year has yet to manifest this season: Points allowed per possession • 0.89 in 2014-15; 1.018 in 2015-16 3-point percentage defense • 31.2 percent in 2014-15; 41.7 percent in 2015-16 2-point percentage defense • 41.4 percent in 2014-15; 44.3 percent in 2015-16