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FACTS & STATS: Site: Joe Aillet Stadium (30,600) -- Ruston, Louisiana. Television: Local. Home Record: SJSU 2-1, LaTech 1-2. Away Record: SJSU 1-3, LaTech 2-2. Neutral Record: SJSU 0-0, LaTech 0-0. Conference Record: SJSU 2-1, LaTech 2-1. Series Record: Louisiana Tech leads, 6-4.

GAME NOTES: Back in action for the first time since the middle of October, the San Jose State Spartans try to record their second two-game win streak of the season as they challenge the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in Western Athletic Conference play in Ruston this weekend.

The Spartans, who won back-to-back games against New Mexico State and Colorado State earlier in the season, last took the field on October 14 versus Hawaii at home, a meeting that resulted in a 28-27 victory. Since beginning this season with three straight setbacks the Spartans have now won three of their last four games and are 2-1 in Western Athletic Conference action, which means they are tied for second place in the standings with three other programs heading to play this week.

As for the Bulldogs, they're shooting for their third consecutive win this weekend, a feat that would have been unthinkable after the first five games of 2011 when the team had won only once and that came against Central Arkansas in overtime. Last weekend, LaTech scored 24 points for the second straight game and used that effort to deliver a seven-point win over Utah State in Logan. Louisiana Tech has now won four consecutive road conference games, a first for the program since joining the WAC a decade ago.

LaTech owns a slight 6-4 edge in the all-time series, the Bulldogs taking four in a row to this point thanks to a 45-38 triumph last year in California.

Last season San Jose State was a mere 1-12, lost all eight conference games and closed the campaign on a 10-game slide, which means having three wins already this season is a huge step in the right direction. Running back Brandon Rutley has been a big reason for the turnaround as he generated a combined 340 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in the wins over NMSU and CSU. Rutley, who missed the meeting against BYU earlier this month, is one of the WAC's top ball carriers with 589 yards and six touchdowns, giving quarterback Matt Faulkner some relief from the pressure that comes down from opposing defenses. Faulkner has managed to complete 63.5 percent of his pass attempts in the six games in which he has appeared, but his passing TDs (five) still fall short of the number of interceptions (seven) he's tossed thus far. Favorite target Noel Grigsby is averaging better than seven receptions per game, but he has yet to find the end zone.

Even though the Spartans have come up with three wins in the last four games, the team hasn't exactly blown opponents out of the water. The defense has still surrendered at least 24 points in each of those conquests and that means the group is now sixth in the conference and tied for 83rd nationally with 30.3 ppg permitted, not the sort of number that indicates more wins are on the horizon. The biggest issue for San Jose State is generating pressure at the line of scrimmage and further up the field, the team averaging a mere 3.7 tackles for loss per outing (117th in the country) and 0.86 sacks per game (113th). Of the unit's six sacks thus far, half have come from Travis Johnson, with Johnson also leading the group with five TFL as well. In addition, Johnson has also notched a pair of blocked kicks, so a team like Louisiana Tech would be smart to scheme its offense away from him as much as possible.

Against Utah State on the road last weekend, the Bulldogs came up with the seven-point win despite posting a mere 86 yards on 40 rushing attempts and only 232 yards of total offense in a hostile environment. The so-called passing attack was brutal as quarterbacks Nick Isham and Colby Cameron combined to hit 14-of-28 passes for 101 yards, while being sacked three times. Wideout Richie Casey out-did them both as his one pass attempt of the game stretched for 45 yards. Lennon Creer, scored once on 17 carries and Hunter Lee also reached the end zone as the duo accounted for 90 net rushing yards. For Creer, who has seven TDs on the ground so far in 2011, it was his first in nearly a month. The running back was a staple in the LaTech offense last year when at one point he delivered five 100-yard games in six outings, but this year he has just one such game and that was against Central Arkansas, so take that for what its worth. Last year against SJSU, Creer rolled up 252 yards and three TDs.

Trailing by three points in the second half, the Bulldogs got a huge lift from their defense when Terry Carter returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown, a score that was much needed by LaTech in such a close game. The pick for Carter was his first since 2008 when he returned one 50 yards for a touchdown against San Jose State ironically enough. Adrien Cole, who led the Bulldogs in tackles with 14, almost twice as many as his closest teammate, produced two behind the line of scrimmage. Cole, who leads the Bulldogs with 69 tackles, also paces the program with seven TFL and has accounted for all three of the team's blocked kicks in 2011, so there's not much that he can't do when the team calls on him. As a linebacker Cole also gets involved in the pass defense, but still the group is giving up a hefty 270.7 ypg in that area, so maybe there is something he can worker on more.

The Spartans have already gone above and beyond this season, compared to the 2010 campaign, so seeing the team lose out on another conference win on the road might not be such a bad thing.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Louisiana Tech 23, San Jose State 17