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Provo • If any BYU football players are tempted to look past the San Jose Spartans this week in anticipation of next week's showdown with the SEC's Missouri Tigers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, coaches can remind them what happened in 2012.
Three years ago, the Cougars traveled to Spartan Stadium for a mid-November game and were surprised 20-14 by San Jose State, which scored three quick touchdowns and then held on when BYU woke up in the second half.
Kickoff is at 9:30 p.m. MST on Friday and the game will be televised by the CBS Sports Network.
Both teams had byes last week. The 6-2 Cougars walloped Wagner 70-6 back on Oct. 24, the same day that the 4-4 Spartans were running past New Mexico, 31-21.
Oddly enough, San Jose State isn't just even in the win-loss columns. The Spartans have scored and given up 221 points, which ranks them 79th in the country in scoring offense and 70th in the country in scoring defense. They are 3-1 at home, with wins over New Hampshire, Fresno State and New Mexico and a loss to San Diego State.
The Spartans probably aren't as good as they were in 2012 when star quarterback David Fales threw for 305 yards and three TDs against the Cougars, but they are a decent rushing team with at least 200 yards on the ground three times this season.
Before they got the weekend off, the Cougars worked on their rushing defense, lineman Bronson Kaufusi said. They are No. 47 in the country in scoring defense, giving up 23.5 points per game, and No. 38 in scoring, averaging 34.3 ppg.
"I would love to continue to see us increase our physical play," coach Bronco Mendenhall said last week. "We are making progress in almost every statistical area, basically it is now about getting better, and [putting] more intense emphasis on everything. We are playing third down really well; we are creating a lot of turnovers. … The better we can play in early downs, the more we can get to third down, which is a strength."
One of the Cougars' goals is to get back into the national rankings after the 31-0 loss to Michigan in September left them on the outside looking in.
They received votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll released Sunday and would be No. 28 if it extended that far. However, the AP poll will lose some of its significance on Tuesday when the first College Football Playoff rankings are released.
Another goal is to get more players healthy for the home stretch. Mendenhall said running back Adam Hine (ankle) is hopeful for the San Jose State game, along with linemen Ryker Mathews and Kyle Johnson.
"Man, we are hopeful a lot of guys will be back for San Jose State," Mendenhall said. "To ask me now, and to say who is coming back, I don't know yet. In fact, next Monday, I might still not know. By next Thursday? Probably. We are hopeful we can take a healthy team there."
As for the Missouri game on Nov. 14, the Tigers announced Sunday that quarterback Maty Mauk, who had just been reinstated after a lengthy suspension, is now suspended for the rest of the season. That should add to Mizzou's profile as having one of the best defenses in the country but one of the worst offenses.
First, though, the Cougars have to contend with San Jose State, perhaps settle a little score with the Mountain West Conference team that is 10-6 all-time against them.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU at San Jose State
P Friday, 9:30 p.m. MST
TV • CBS Sports Network