This Saturday, the pride of UD will take on its most despised enemy, the Xavier Musketeers, at UD Arena.

The players will tell you it is just another game. It's just another contest to get prepared for like any other. The head coach will tell you it is a big game, but just because both teams are so good.

Don't buy into that. The players can say what they want. Actions speak louder than words, and these guys screamed "We don't like you and we want to destroy you," in January at the Cintas Center when they didn't give a second thought to shaking hands with their opponents.

If this were just another game, it wouldn't be a sellout at UD Arena. The students wouldn't be marching to the arena instead of riding in buses. You wouldn't have to sit in traffic for half an hour just to get from campus to the arena if you are one of those unfortunate souls that decides to drive.

Let me give you a couple reasons why this is more than just another game if you aren't convinced already.

71-58. Last year, Dayton beat Xavier for the first time since 2006, and they did it in convincing fashion. The arena was going ballistic the entire game, as loud as you will ever hear it. The crowd was on its feet for most of the game. The atmosphere was electric, and Dayton came away with a win.

15-6 (4-3). Dayton's record overall and in the A-10 so far. Not quite as good as was expected at this point. The Flyers have put themselves in a position where they need to go on a run to finish the season. What better way to start it than by taking down Xavier? A win could symbolize the beginning of a furious fight to the finish.

78-74. I shouldn't need to explain this one, but I will anyway. Dayton lost at Xavier by that score last month. I was in attendance that day, and it was an incredible game. It was the best chance UD has had to beat Xavier during their 30-year drought at the Cintas Center I can remember. That only made it more devastating.

It was no secret the players felt the same way. After the loss I went to do interviews in a silent locker room. The players hit the showers as quickly as possible and did not want to talk, in stark contrast to the boisterous group I've become accustomed to after wins at UD Arena.

I was able to do an interview with Marcus Johnson, the senior who has played significant minutes in all four of his team's losses at the Cintas Center. After finishing our talk, Johnson stayed in his seat, head down, and stared at the floor for the next several minutes. It's only natural for a competitor to be taking a loss hard, but Johnson wouldn't have been like this if it were "just another game." That's not how anyone was after Rhode Island.

So Dayton has not quite lived up to expectations, and Xavier has probably exceeded theirs in the conference. Xavier has proven it still has plenty of talent (Jordan Crawford's ridiculous shots in their first meeting, anyone?), and Dayton's talent has largely under-achieved so far. Because of that, Dayton needs a big win, and Xavier has a chance to really bury the Flyers.

This game is bigger than all of that, though. Look no further than how a loss made Marcus Johnson feel. The Flyers want this one as badly as you can imagine. Despite what they might try to tell you, they want it just as sorely as the Red Scare and the rest of the Flyer Faithful.

As for the result, there's no way I'm buying that UD loses two in a row at home. Lower scoring than last time, Dayton takes it 67-60.