Provo » If the Wyoming Cowboys didn't have BYU's attention prior to Saturday night's game against the University of Utah, they certainly have it now.

Wyoming plays host to BYU -- which has not played since falling 38-7 to No. 6 TCU on Oct. 24 -- at noon on Saturday in Laramie.

The Cowboys are 4-4, but their defense played well enough to win in the 22-10 loss to Utah.

Wyoming had a 10-9 lead going into the fourth quarter and was down just 16-10 and driving before a third-down pass skipped through the hands of Robert Benjamin and into the hands of Utah defensive back R.J. Stanford near midfield.

"We took the 16th-ranked team [in the nation] to the final minutes so I think that's progress," Wyoming coach Dave Christensen told the Laramie Boomerang. "In the last eight minutes we had a chance to win the football game, that's all you can ask for at this point and time. But it's not a moral victory. We got our tails kicked at the end."

After several days of introspection and practices with an eye on fundamentals, BYU (6-2) began preparations for Wyoming on Thursday. The Cougars, who are back in the rankings (No. 25 in the AP poll) after a week out of top 25, did that day what they usually do on Mondays, then took the weekend off as several coaches hit the recruiting trail.

The Cougars have battled illness and some nagging injuries the past few weeks. But they should be close to 100 percent for the Cowboys. That means they expect the return of sophomore receiver McKay Jacobson, who hasn't played since pulling a hamstring while warming up for the Utah State game.

BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall is 4-0 against Wyoming, and the Cougars haven't lost to the Cowboys since 2003, when Gary Crowton's team lost 13-10 at War Memorial Stadium. In the last three meetings, BYU has outscored Wyoming 134-17.

But the Cougars learned Saturday that this is a much different Wyoming team.

"Other then the second half of the Texas game, we have been in every game this season," Christensen said. "We're going to end up against one of these good teams with the victory going the Cowboys' way."

drew@sltrib.com