BYU is on the verge of reentering the top 25 rankings, but would a Friday night win over 4-4 San Jose State be enough to convince pollsters that the Cougars are worthy?
How to watch BYU vs. San Jose State on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
BYU is knocking on the door of the top 25, but San Jose State needs a big non-conference win to aid its bid for bowl eligibility.
The country’s second-favorite independent program stands at 6-2 after early-season losses to UCLA and Michigan, but their road back to a top 25 ranking has been paved with less-than-compelling opponents. BYU started the season with games against Nebraska, Boise State and the aforementioned teams that dealt them a loss. Since then, they’ve played Connecticut, East Carolina, Cincinnati and a Wagner team that that has yet to win a game despite playing in the FCS wasteland known as the Northeast Conference.
The Cougars won all of those games -- three by two touchdowns or more -- to climb back into the national consciousness, but they still lack a signature win to bring to the "who have they beat?" argument. San Jose State won't do much for BYU's resume, but these are not the pushover Spartans of years past. Head coach Ron Caragher has SJSU on track for another season of bowl eligibility. Beating their occasional non-conference rival would put his team in prime position for six or more wins in 2015. Senior tailback Tyler Ervin already has more than 1,100 rushing yards, and he's the kind of playmaker that can put any opponent on blast.
BYU needs a victory to rejoin the nation’s elite. San Jose State needs a win to trudge one step closer to a postseason bid. Who wins out on Friday night?
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 11:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network
Radio: BYU, San Jose State
Online streaming: CBSSN
Spread: BYU is favored by 12.5 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Vanquish the Foe (for BYU fans) and Mountain West Connection (for San Jose State fans).
Three big things to know
1. Ervin has been rolling up big numbers, but he has yet to be truly tested by a top 25 program. The closest we’ve seen this season came against Auburn, and Ervin still managed to gain 160 yards against Will Muschamp’s defense. BYU will be studying the tape from the SJSU/San Diego State game to prepare for Thursday’s matchup; the Aztecs limited Ervin to only 22 yards on 17 carries.
2. The BYU rushing attack may struggle to get off the ground against San Jose State. Though the Spartans have one of the worst rushing defenses in the country (ranked 115th out of 127 FBS teams), the Cougars will be dealing with injuries that could take three of their starting offensive linemen out of the trenches. Even worse, tailback Adam Hine, who had been projected to return after missing all of October with an injury, has been downgraded to doubtful for Thursday's game.
3. San Jose State didn’t make it to a bowl game the last time it was 6-6, but a dearth of eligible teams could mean a postseason bid for the Spartans if they win twice more this fall. However, they’ve only got one opponent left on the schedule with a sub-.500 record, so beating BYU this week may be paramount to the cause.
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