June Jones-coached teams are 4-1 in UH homecoming games, festive events during which the marching band turns to play to the student section for the only time each season. The Warriors also will face the music.

"This is a big game," safety Leonard Peters said. "I'm not concerned about our record or where we are in the standings or what we have to do to get into a bowl game. I just want to get the win. It's homecoming. Hopefully, we'll get a big crowd and pull out a win."

The Warriors are trying to rebound from last week's 51-20 road loss to Texas-El Paso. The Warriors dropped seven passes, including two in the end zone, blew two fake-punt plays, muffed two punts and missed 17 tackles for an additional 131 yards.

"Our focus is not on what everybody else thinks," slotback Chad Owens said. "We have to come together as a team and play the game and have fun."

Jones said quarterback Tim Chang, whose dislocated left shoulder was aggravated by a late UTEP tackle, is expected to start. Chang, who is third nationally in total offense (325.6 yards per game), needs 558 yards to tie Ty Detmer's NCAA record of 15,031 career passing yards. Chang's career best is 534 passing yards in a game.

Injuries on defense might force the Warriors to substitute at both corners. They already start reserves at right safety and middle linebacker.

"It's up to the player, but we expect everybody to play hurt," Jones said. "You can tell when you're hurt and when you're injured. There's a difference."

Jones also said he expects the substitutes to be ready.

"They practice every day," Jones said. "They sit in the meetings. You expect all of the guys to know what they're doing."

The Spartans also are seeking stability. They outscored Rice, 70-63, but lost to Southern Methodist, 36-13. The Mustangs entered that game with a school-record 15 consecutive losses.

Although poor attendance —SJSU averages a WAC-low 7,252 per home game — has spurred talk of dropping the football program, "we don't think too much about all of the rumors and stuff," quarterback Dale Rogers said. "First off, it's talk. We're so used to hearing it. Every year it always pops up, and we still have a program."

Fitz Hill, in his fourth season as head coach, has remained faithful to his five-year plan. In an attempt to recruit players to his system, Hill allowed the number of players on scholarship to dwindle last year. There are more than 60 players on scholarship this season and, by next fall, the Spartans will be at the NCAA limit of 85. Hill is hopeful the added depth will boost the Spartans' talent.

"It's kind of like building a business," Hill said, referring to his strategy of scaling down before building. "Sometimes your revenue is not as high as your expenses in the beginning."

Hill also is attracting non-scholarship players to a program in the Silicon Valley's high-rent district. Hill said SJSU offers a walk-on the "opportunity to play here with the high rent or sit on the bench with the low rent. It can be a challenge. We know when we get young men here, they really want to come. San Jose is not for everyone."