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Maybe San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre should've taken another look at the 2010 schedule before taking the job.
The Spartans are spending three of the first four weeks on the road - all against ranked teams.
The next stop on San Jose State's Top 25 Tour is Salt Lake City, where 13th-ranked Utah awaits the travel-weary Spartans (1-2). San Jose State opened the season with a 48-3 loss at top-ranked Alabama, followed by a trip to Wisconsin where the 11th-ranked Badgers held on for a 27-14 win.
''We are the only school in America who plays three of the top 15 teams in the country in the first four weeks. Utah is a top 10 or 15 team for sure,'' said MacIntyre, who inherited the schedule when he was hired to replace Dick Tomey. ''That offense is able to put some points up very quickly on you.''
The Utes (3-0) have vaulted from unranked to just outside the Top 10 in just three weeks. The No. 13 ranking is Utah's highest since finishing the 2008 season unbeaten and No. 2 in the country.
Facing winless teams in UNLV and New Mexico the last two weeks didn't hurt the Utes, who have been without starting quarterback Jordan Wynn for the last two games because of a sprained right thumb. Wynn, who injured the thumb on his throwing hand in Utah's overtime win over Pittsburgh in the season opener, started throwing again this week and is expected to play again Saturday.
Coach Kyle Whittingham wouldn't say whether Wynn will return as the starter or if Terrance Cain will start for the third straight week.
''We'll know, but no sense tipping our hands,'' Whittingham said.
Whittingham is being cautious as ever, even with the Utes favored by 31 on Saturday against the Spartans, who got their first win under MacIntyre last week on a late touchdown to beat lower-division Southern Utah 16-11.
He's also been cautious with Wynn, the sophomore who took over the starting job from Cain midway through last season. Cain has been playing better than he did in his days as the starter and set a school record for completion percentage last week by hitting 20 of 23 passes - almost 87 percent - while leading the Utes to a 56-14 win at New Mexico.
Utah has next week off, then travels to Iowa State on Oct. 9.
Whittingham said he won't rush Wynn back into the lineup with two months still left in the season.
''It's just important that he's healthy and on the field,'' Whittingham said. ''Whether it's the off week is not as big a concern as just making sure he's right.''
Regardless of who is taking the snaps, Utah's offense is averaging 390 yards per game and the defense is holding opponents to about 272.
''No difference at all. Both of them get us the ball,'' receiver Shaky Smithson said. ''That's what we love about them.''
Smithson has returned punts for touchdowns in each of the last two games and is one shy of Steve Smith's school record of three in a season, set in 1999.
Saturday's game will complete a home-and-home series with the Spartans that started last season in San Jose. The Spartans were tied with the Utes at 7-all through three quarters before Cain rallied Utah to 17 points in the fourth quarter and a 24-14 win.
''I remember that we played them last year and the game was close throughout. They are a physical team and we were able to keep up with them,'' San Jose State linebacker Travis Johnson said. ''We're going in with a lot more confidence about ourselves. Utah is just as crazy about football as Alabama and Wisconsin and I'm sure it will be the same kind of atmosphere. We have to be able to feed off that and be ready to go.''
