Last fall, the Penn State men's rugby team didn't lose. Amassing a perfect 9-0 record, the Ruggers never scored less than 24 points and allowed over 10 just once.

It was a much different story this weekend as the squad returned to action for the first time since November. Traveling west for the third annual Red Rock Tournament in St. George, Utah, Penn State put its winning streak on the line against Brigham Young University, Colorado State University and the University of Utah.

It wasn't the start the Ruggers envisioned, however, as they finished the weekend 1-2 after falling to BYU (42-10) and Utah (28-13), with a win over Colorado State (35-13) in between.

Before the tournament even started, it was clear that the Ruggers were at an obvious disadvantage. Not only were they without four starters, but also they were beginning their season against talented teams that have been competing for several weeks.

Travel arrangements also played a factor for the rusted Ruggers. Flying across the country left the squad with little rest and no time for team meetings.

"We got off the plane, and we still had our snow shoes on. We weren't ready to play," Ruggers assistant coach Terry Ryland said.

Regardless, Penn State, without fear, took the field on Friday for its first match against the highly touted and experienced Cougars of BYU.

In the 60-minute abbreviated format, the Cougars pounced early and often on the not-yet-game-tested Penn State. Anchored by Salesi Sika, team captain and member of the United States National Rugby Team, and several All-Americans, BYU jumped out to a 21-0 lead.

As the end of the first half loomed, the Cougars began to lose focus as the Ruggers pulled themselves out of the mud and took a bite into the deficit. Penn State centers split the BYU defense, beat a Cougar fullback to link up with a supporting wing and scored in the corner to cut the lead to 21-5. That would be the closest that the Ruggers would get.

The Cougars regained their intensity in the second half and buried Penn State under an insurmountable deficit, winning 42-10.

"They were better prepared than we were. We forgot how to win rugby matches without that physical presence," Ryland said. "It was certainly an eye opener for us, but [the coaching staff] should have done a better job at preparing them."

Later on Friday, the Ruggers exacted some revenge on the Colorado State Rams. Improving in all facets of the game, Penn State won 35-13 and recorded its first victory of the year.

"We came out and played well. I was glad to see that we improved on everything from the BYU game," captain Tim Ryland said.

On Saturday, hoping to build off of the momentum from its first victory, Penn State took on the Utes from the University of Utah. Again, the Ruggers played much better and kept the score close. Penn State missed several scoring opportunities in the waning minutes and the Utes managed to pull away for a 28-13 victory.

Starting the season 1-2 was not what Penn State had in mind, but neither the players nor the coaches are hitting the panic button just yet.

"We are breaking in the season right now," Ryland said. "I am pleased that we improved as the weekend went on. We will get better."