Hawaii (7-3) @ UNLV (8-2)
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Date/Time: Friday, Nov. 21, 7:30 PM PST
Broadcast: FS1
Lines: UNLV -2.5, O/U 64.5
The Mountain West conference is ever so tight in the standings,
with five teams having conference records of 5-2; every game matters. Hawaii and UNLV are two of those 4-2 teams that are going head-to-head on Friday night to compete for the Golden Pineapple trophy. This game has significant implications for the Mountain West Conference Championship Game. After miraculously defeating Utah State, 29-26, last week, UNLV takes on a tough competitor for its final home game of the season. The team will need to be on its A-game if it wants a shot at the conference championship.
UNLV
Quarterback Anthony Colandrea has been nothing short of remarkable for the Rebels. Last week against Utah State, he completed 24-of-43 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown while rushing for a touchdown as well. He now has over 2500 yards through the air, as well as 513 yards on the ground, which is the most in his career for both. Colandrea has stepped up and played a key role in the success of UNLV.
Running back Jai’den Thomas was absent last week due to a hamstring injury and is questionable coming into this week. He still has 780 yards on the ground and 173 yards on receptions. Thomas has been incredible for UNLV, and his presence is needed in this tough matchup. Running backs Jaylon Glover and Keyvone Lee will take on most of the load if Thomas is unable to go.
For the receiving game, wide receiver Jaden Bradley is still Colandrea’s favorite target. Bradley caught six passes for 62 yards in the victory against Utah State last week. He has 712 receiving yards, which puts him fifth in the Mountain West. Wide receiver Troy Omeire has 386 receiving yards, and wide receiver DaeDae Reynolds has 343 receiving yards on the season. The underrated wide receiver last week, who didn’t catch a ball, was Kayden McGee, who ran in for the game-winning touchdown in overtime from 25 yards against Utah State. The receiving game is very well-rounded and needs to be sharp against the Rainbow Warriors.
The defense has stepped up in the past couple of weeks. The unit has only given up an average of 18 points in the last two weeks, compared to the rest of the season’s average of 34 points. The defensive line has been wreaking terror against the opposing offensive line lately. UNLV had seven sacks last week against Utah State, which was a huge contributing factor to the Rebels’ win.
HAWAII
Coming into this game, Hawaii has won four of its last five, including a surprise upset victory against San Diego State, where they dominated 38-6. The Rainbow Warriors are coming off a bye and are well rested and ready to take on another test and force an upset. The offense has been rolling, scoring 30+ points in five straight games, which is the program’s longest streak since 2011.
Quarterback Micah Alejado leads the offense. He is third in the Mountain West in passing yards with 2380, just behind Colandrea. He has been spectacular, leading Hawaii to the ninth-best passing offense in the country, averaging just over 300 passing yards per game.
His top two targets were wide receivers Jackson Harris and Pofele Ashlock. Harris has been one of the nation’s best receivers over the last month, putting up over five consecutive 100+ receiving yard performances. He has ten touchdowns, nine of which came in that five-game span, and has been unstoppable. Harris is third in the Mountain West in receiving yards. Ashlock is eighth in the Mountain West in receiving yards with 633 and has been great as well, including his 113-yard, three-touchdown performance against Utah State.
Running back Landon Sims leads the way on the ground with 720 scrimmage yards. He’s averaging 5.33 per touch and has five touchdowns on the season.
The defense for Hawaii has been great, too. Hawaii has at least one takeaway in eight of its ten games this season. The defense also limited San Diego State to only 12 first downs. Linebacker Jamih Otis is the star of the defense with an interception and two forced fumbles this season.
Hawaii has huge connections to the city of Las Vegas, with six alumni from Bishop Gorman High School. This includes starters Alejado, Otis, defensive back Elijah Palmer, and running back Cam Barfield.
Hawaii also has an outstanding kicker in Kansei Matsuzawa. He has been perfect on field goal attempts this season, going 22-for-22 and only needs three more makes without a miss to tie Chuck Nelson’s FBS record of 25 consecutive field goals to start a season, which has stood since 1982. What makes Matsuzawa’s achievement even more impressive is that he began kicking at age 20, after attending an NFL game between the Rams and Raiders, and taught himself how to kick using YouTube.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Make Alejado Uncomfortable
After racking up seven sacks against Utah State, the UNLV defensive line needs to keep that up. Alejado thrives in the pocket, and if the defensive unit is to slow down the explosive passing attack of the Rainbow Warriors, they need to break down the pocket and make Alejado uncomfortable. This will prevent big-time performances from Harris and Ashlock as well.
2. Find Balance on the Ground
If Thomas is unable to go, Glover and Lee need to give UNLV some balance on the ground. They were pretty inefficient last week. Lee averaged just 3.9 yards per carry, and Glover averaged three yards per carry. They need to perform better if Thomas is unable to go. If Thomas can go, he needs to fly so UNLV can run some play action and run the offense effectively.
3. Protect the Football
Hawaii forces turnovers like crazy, and it’s a big reason for the success. Colandrea needs to make nicely timed throws and not force anything. If UNLV can stay clean and avoid turnovers, it takes a huge advantage.
PREDICTIONS
This should be an exciting and intriguing matchup, with all eyes in the Mountain West on this game. The loser will effectively be eliminated from the Mountain West championship game, while the winner still stands a chance to live another day. This game will be a shootout, and I believe that UNLV will hang out, winning 34-30.
