When BYU football fans are suffering through the 2019 November football schedule — home games against Liberty and Idaho State and road games at Utah State, UMass and San Diego State — they can always look to the following season’s slate for some renewed hope that independence the final month of the season isn’t so bad.

The Cougars’ 2020 football schedule cleared up a bit Monday with the release of Missouri’s new football media guide showing the Tigers will visit BYU on Oct. 10, 2020. There was some fear in Provo that the SEC school would buy its way out of the game it agreed to when it signed BYU up to play at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City in 2015.

But the Tigers are still coming to Provo, apparently, for the first time ever.

There was a bit of hope that the game would be played in November of 2020, but it really isn’t needed (as much as usual) that month because the Cougars already have a decent last-month schedule: at Boise State on Nov. 7, San Diego State at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Nov. 14 and at Stanford on Nov. 28.

November 21 of that year is still open. So is Oct. 31, although that would seemingly be a good weekend for a bye because the Cougars will play eight straight weeks before that.

Besides, it’s Halloween.

As for finding an opponent on Nov. 21 to complete the 2020 schedule, that might be difficult because of the FCS playoffs.

This season’s November schedule is acceptable because it finishes with a game at Utah — just like old times. It also includes a game at Boise State on Nov. 3, a game at UMass (Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.) on Nov. 10 and Senior Day against New Mexico State on Nov. 17.

If the Cougars don’t make it to a bowl game this year, they’ll play the Utes twice in a row. BYU’s 2019 opener is at Utah on either Aug. 29, 30 or 31.