April 7, 2007

Ryan Kaufman's St. Louis Journal: Entry #3 (Saturday Night, April 7)

Yesterday I said that to be successful against CSU we would have to play our best game of the year. Unfortunately this didn't happen. In reality, today was probably one of our worst performances of the entire season. We came out soft, dropped passes, threw balls away, missed assignments, and basically played like scrubs (myself included). Obviously, winning is tough when a team turns the ball over 32 times in a single game. Despite the fact that we fought back in the second half and made it relatively close, the hole we dug ourselves into was too deep and we eventually fell 17-10. While the outcome was atypical for any Michigan team, our game-day routine was relatively standard.

Again, we were woken up early for breakfast in the hotel lobby. Afterwards we returned to our rooms where we relaxed until the pre-game meal at noon. Unlike yesterday, today's meal was buffet style and included salad, breadsticks, abnormally yellow pasta, chicken, cookies, and Easter candy provided by the wonderful Boosters. As most of the team ate a decent amount, I wasn't too hungry and really didn’t eat much. Perhaps this was because I immediately went back to sleep after breakfast until the meal. When I woke up it honestly felt like I had just finished eating breakfast…but I digress.

After the meal we hung around the hotel until 2:30 when the bus left for the field. Once the team arrived we were surprised to see it was only halftime of the Missouri vs. Lindenwood women's game, and that our start time would be pushed back. Luckily for us we found seats in the overcrowded stadium and watched the conclusion of this nail-biting 19-1 LU victory. Even though this game was painful to watch, it gave the guys a little more time to relax and prepare for the upcoming battle. Sadly, considering the game's outcome, it is obvious that this extra preparation didn't make much of a difference.

It’s frustrating when I reflect on Michigan's record against other elite programs such as CSU. Our team is widely regarded to be in the same echelon, but rarely do we emerge victorious from these contests. For us to be regarded as a true Championship contender, this must change. For us seniors, this is our last opportunity to take the team to the Promised Land. With that in mind, next Saturday’s game versus BYU is essential. With a win we can re-establish our position as a premier MCLA program and put ourselves in great position heading into the latter part of the season. As we head home to Ann Arbor tomorrow morning with a full week of practice ahead of us, there is no doubt that we’ll be ready when the Cougars come to Oosterbaan.

Journal Entry #1 (April 6)
Journal Entry #2 (April 7)