If ever a football game cried out for revenge, at least from a BYU perspective, it was last year's 32-7 loss at TCU.

While the Horned Frogs were embarrassing the BCS-hopeful and undefeated Cougars on the field at Amon G. Carter Stadium, their fans did their best to disrupt the visitors off the field.

Some held up signs degrading the founders of the school's sponsoring institution, including one sign that apparently angered a high-ranking BYU athletic department official so much that he went into the stands in an attempt to remove it.

But revenge is not the BYU way, several Cougars and their coach have said this week as they prepare for Saturday's 5:30 p.m. rematch with the No. 10-ranked Frogs at LaVell Edwards

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"I really don't think that we are the type of team that is a vengeful team," said BYU linebacker Terrance Hooks . "We don't lose a game and go stick TCU stickers everywhere and hit dummies and things like that. That's not what we really do."

Yeah, but wouldn't it be sweet to smash TCU's BCS hopes just as they smashed BYU's last year?

"I don't think we are going to play like we want to derail their season," Hooks said. "I think we are playing because we want to improve on our season. We are going to play for us, and not for the country. I think that kind of gets put out there like that's what we want to do. But we just want to get a 'W' for ourselves and just do what we can."

Asked if the

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Cougars are looking for a little payback, offensive tackle Matt Reynolds said, "I am not sure. I just think we are excited to play. It is an awesome team, it is a conference game, and this is really a huge game, not just for both teams, but for the conference."

Surely, senior defensive end Brett Denney wants a pound of flesh, after having to endure the taunting and public humiliation, right?

"There's naturally a rivalry that's born when two great teams play each other," Denney said, downplaying the revenge factor. "I'm not saying you have to put each others' jerseys up in the locker room and talk trash or anything. ... When you're competing against someone who's great like that, you just want to beat them.

"I think emotions will play [a role] for those guys who remember last year and what happened. You feel like, 'that wasn't us.' You want to come out this year and re-establish who you really are and show it."

 

Injury/illness update

Receiver O'Neill Chambers and linebacker Coleby Clawson , two of the 10 or so players who have been ill the past two weeks, returned to practice on Wednesday. BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said the only players missing due to illness were reserve offensive lineman Fono Vakalahi and reserve linebacker Jameson Frazier .

Receiver McKay Jacobson , who has been out with a hamstring injury, participated in some drills the first half of practice. Mendenhall said Jacobson is possible for TCU. "No more than that, no less than that."

drew@sltrib.com