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According to Larry Krystkowiak, Colorado coach Tad Boyle called him on Friday, offering condolences.

Boyle's Buffaloes had just been blitzed, 80-61, by Oregon on the previous night — the same night the Utes fell 71-69 at Oregon State. Said Boyle: "I don't know what's worse: Losing by 20 or losing like that."

Utah's loss probably stings more. The Utes were national news after blowing a 10-point lead to the Beavers, then losing by breaking a cardinal rule of basketball: Don't foul a shooter trying to make a long, last-second shot.

The offender was Brandon Taylor, a senior guard who should've known better. The mistake — which allowed Stephen Thompson Jr. to sink three free throws with one-tenth of a second left — cost Utah an almost surefire win in Corvallis and a chance to tie for first place in the Pac-12 this weekend. He was featured on ESPN's Not Top 10, as well as a variety of other sports shows using his gaffe as lampoon material.

In his first meeting with media since Thursday night, he said he's ready to put it behind him.

"Last game was last game, and we're lucky that it wasn't our [final] game," he said. "I took one hell of a hit, and I'm willing to take that hit. That last game, it's out of our minds."

The challenge for Taylor, and the rest of the Utes, is to drop the disappointment ahead of Sunday's meeting with conference top dog Oregon (19-4, 8-2), winner of five straight and now the projected favorite to win the league.

The Ducks are stocked with weapons, the leading one of which is sophomore forward Dillon Brooks who scored 21 points to lead Oregon's 77-59 win over Utah last month. But even if Brooks is off his game, Oregon can lean on Elgin Cook, Tyler Dorsey and Chris Boucher — all double-digit scorers — to pull out wins like they did against Colorado on Thursday night.

Krystkowiak said the Utes gave the ball away too many times (15 turnovers) in their previous meeting to keep the Ducks from rolling over them. The coaching staff saw on film clips that Utah often looked flat-footed or slump-shouldered rolling back on defense after a bad possession.

"If you bring that baggage back with you to guard them, they're gonna get ya," Krystkowiak said. "They're really opportunistic. Whoever's got the ball is looking to drive to the rim. If there's any pity party at all going on offensively, and you bring that baggage back, it's over."

Of course, after such an ugly finish Thursday, the Utes are at risk of carrying a lot more baggage than sloppy defense.

Krystkowiak dealt with it with a two-pronged attack. The coaching staff showed the team 44 clips of varying mistakes throughout the Beavers game — turnovers, missed shots, blown coverages — to illustrate that the loss hinged on more than one play.

He also had a "heart-to-heart" discussion with Taylor that touched upon their Christian faiths — "don't think God puts anything in front of you that you can't handle," Krystkowiak said — paired with the notion that Taylor can grow from his elementary error.

"You don't really expect that from a head coach to kind of step down, and really talk the spiritual side of things," Taylor said. "Some coaches may think that's a little bit too personal. I think Coach K believes in me a lot. Him speaking to me really made me feel a kind of way that I really haven't felt in a long time. It made me feel really supported."

Similarly, the reception from teammates has been supportive, Taylor said. Everyone wants to get over it. Everyone wants to beat Oregon, whom Utah is 1-8 against in the Pac-12 era.

The baggage has to be left in Corvallis. There's too much at stake.

"Get that out of your mind and get stronger from it," Taylor said about his mindset. "The only thing you can do is get stronger, be smarter, and apply it to the next game."

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Utah at No. 16 Oregon

P At Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Ore.

Tipoff • Sunday, 2 p.m. MST

TV • ESPN2

Radio • 700 AM

Records • Utah 17-6, 6-4; Oregon 19-4, 8-2

Series history • Oregon leads 15-9

Last meeting • Oregon 77, Utah 59 (Jan. 14, 2016)

About the Ducks • Oregon is currently in sole possession of first place in the Pac-12, leading the chase for its first regular season conference title since 2002. … Senior forward Chris Boucher leads the nation with 3.39 blocked shots per game. … Coach Dana Altman is in the hunt for his 10th win over Utah at Oregon, and his ninth against Larry Krystkowiak.

About the Utes • Jakob Poeltl was named a midseason semifinalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award for the nation's top center on Friday, along with Colorado's Josh Scott and Washington State's Josh Hawkinson. … Utah's last win over Oregon came at home in 2013. … Poeltl and sophomore forward Kyle Kuzma have each scored in double figures in the last four games, with Utah going 3-1 in that stretch.