Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs. Utah State Aggies Preview

HAWAII @ UTAH STATE

Location: Logan, Utah (Maverik Stadium)

Date/Time: Saturday, November 18th at 10:00 a.m. (Hawaii Time)

Television: Spectrum Sports PPV on Oahu.

Streaming: WatchStadium app

Radio: ESPN 1420

Head-to-head: Utah State leads the series 8-6. The Aggies have won the last three games in the series, winning the most recent contest 35-14 in Halawa back in 2014.

Summary: On a stormy Saturday evening in Halawa, one that included a very rare lightening delay at Aloha Stadium, the losing skid continued for Hawaii. Dropping the rivalry game 21-31 to the Bulldogs, Hawaii has now lost seven of their last eight games after starting the season 2-0. The loss also puts them out of contention for bowl eligibility. With two Utah schools in the coming weeks remaining on the schedule, it's play for pride time for the Rainbow Warriors.

Next up: one more trip to the mainland. This time it's to Logan, Utah, where the weather forecast is predicting snow showers the day before the game. Fun! The Aggies sit at 5-5 on the season, and with a trip to Air Force in the season finale, you can bet the Aggies will want to secure bowl eligibility on Senior Day at home.

The weird two-QB system trend in the Mountain West made its way to Logan this fall, seeing two-year starter Kent Myers benched in favor of redshirt freshman Jordan Love, who has played decently in his debut season, but Myers is still the team's statistical leader in passing. The run game has struggled overall, but running back LaJuan Hunt played well vs. New Mexico before the bye week. Rested for Senior Day, the Aggies figured to have readjusted offensively and attempted to correct issues from previous games during the bye.

The Aggie defense ranks 79th nationally in total defense, but early beat downs vs. Wisconsin and Wake Forest probably influence that ranking. The Aggies are strong against the pass, but rank 110th vs. the run. Hawaii will welcome those numbers. Running back Diocemy Saint Juste running behind the offensive line is Hawaii's best chance every week. If the conditions play a role in the game, creating a nasty environment that forces both teams to condense their attack, that could play into Hawaii's favor.

Prediction: It's been a rough season for Hawaii, reminiscent of the 2000 season that followed the unexpected bowl run of 1999. There is still time to end the season on a positive note, but it's difficult to be confident considering this 1-7 run since starting 2-0 for the first time in what felt like forever.

There are some stats in favor of Hawaii for this game, but the only stat that matters is all the losing they've done lately. A cold and cagey game could play into UH's favor, but a win would certainly be an unexpected result. I'm going with Hawaii 13, Utah State 30.