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Provo • September was crazy and unexpected for the BYU football team, a month full of twists and turns, last-second wins over Nebraska and Boise State, a one-point loss to mercurial UCLA and an embarrassing shutout loss to Michigan in the Big House. October featured four home games and a pair of easy opponents sandwiched around a couple fairly difficult ones.
What will November bring for coach Bronco Mendenhall's 6-2 Cougars?
The answer should be a decent amount of intrigue, thanks to games against an SEC foe (Missouri) and an in-state foe (Utah State) that Mendenhall said Monday during his weekly news briefing should keep his club interested although it already knows it will go to either the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 19 or the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24.
The Cougars also play at 4-4 San Jose State and play host to 2-6 Fresno State next month.
"With the University of Utah, that game taking a break, I like the idea of Utah State to finish [the season]," Mendenhall said. "So, I think [the November schedule] is right on."
First, though, the Cougars get a break. They have a bye this week after playing eight-straight games and are looking to get healthy for the stretch run, do some self-scouting to analyze the team's strengths and weaknesses, and give the players more time to catch up on their schoolwork.
"The main thing is to just get healthy," defensive end Bronson Kaufusi said. "Everyone is a little banged up. So to be able to use every day to our advantage will be a big key for us."
Teams BYU will face in November have a combined 14-17 record. The home stretch begins Nov. 6 when the Cougars travel to Northern California to face the Mountain West Conference's Spartans, who also have a bye this week after knocking off New Mexico 31-21 last week.
"I like the matchup regionally with San Jose State," Mendenhall said. "I think it is nice to have some of the Mountain West's teams to compete against still. … I really like the Missouri matchup at Arrowhead Stadium. I think that is right on with what we are doing — especially the time that we are doing it. And Fresno State, that is an intriguing matchup, too. Based on the year and how the teams are doing, you never know when you schedule it, but there was the thought when it was scheduled that that could be a premier, or featured, game."
There is still a glimmer of hope around Provo that BYU could be invited to a New Year's Six bowl game if it goes 10-2, but such an invitation would have to be an at-large bid because the highest-ranked champion from a Group of 5 conference gets one of those invites and the independent Cougars obviously don't belong to a G5 conference.
Still, Mendenhall believes motivating his team, which doesn't have a conference championship for which to play, won't be difficult, based on its chemistry and closeness.
"They have been through a lot of things, and they are having success, and they have a chance to have a special season," Mendenhall said. "So there is a lot to play for, and they are handling it really, really well. I don't think it is just talk. A lot of times when you are visiting with the media, or our players are, they want to give the answers that are expected, or sound good. In this particular case, we have a team that is close, and it is a fun team to coach, a fun team to be around."
BYU at San Jose State
O Friday, Nov. 6 9:30 p.m. MT
TV • CBS Sports Network BYU's Last Four Games, Last Four Seasons
2014: at Middle Tennessee, UNLV, Savannah State, at California
2013: at Wisconsin, Idaho State, at Notre Dame, at Nevada
2012: at Georgia Tech, Idaho, at San Jose State, at New Mexico State
2011: at TCU, Idaho, New Mexico State, at Hawaii BYU's November Schedule, 2015
Date Opponent Record
Nov. 6 at San Jose State 4-4
Nov. 14 vs. Missouri at Kansas City 4-4
Nov. 21 Fresno State 2-6
Nov. 28 at Utah State 4-3