SATURDAY NIGHT
MOMENTUM IS BUILDING AS THE AZTECS EXCITED TO TAKE ON THE WARRIORS OFFENSE
The Aztecs are a touchdown favorite against the high flying Rainbow Warriors. Expect more of the same with aggressive
defense. No reason to change what has been working.
GAME INFO:
Location: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa. Honolulu, Hawaii
Date/Time:
Saturday, November 8, 8:00 (Pacific Time)Television: Spectrum Sports
Streaming: MW Network
Radio: San Diego Sports 760Betting Line: The Aztecs (7-1, 4-0 MWC) surf into Hawaii as 6.5 point favorite. Over/Under is 49.5 with a score indicator of 28-22 in favor of the Aztecs. The Warriors average 35 points on offense in their five conference matchups. They give up nearly 30 per game. ESPN analytics are projecting a 63.4% outright win for San Diego State. The Aztecs defense is holding conference foes to 10 points per game while scoring 34 points in their four conference games. Expect to see the Aztec defense show up against the Warriors offense. No one has shown they are capable of moving the ball against the league’s best defense. Hawaii is led by super star quarterback Micah Alejado and his plethora of dynamic receivers. Hawaii played the Spartans on Saturday and were on the losing end of a 45-38 thriller. Alejado threw for 367 yards on 31/46 yards passing and three scores. He was only sacked one time by the Spartans. Alejado has a fantastic view of the field and can usually find an open receiver. His receiving corp includes Jackson Harris, Pofele Ashlock and Brandon White who very nearly beat the Spartans. Some say this was an upset, that Hawaii, 6-2 coming into the game, was the superior team. They ran into the conference’s top offense with the Spartans behind quarterback Walker Eget and the nation’s leading receiver Danny Scudero. After falling behind by 17, they nearly pulled even, but some time management issues late in the fourth period allowed the Spartans to hold onto the win. The Aztecs will take on San Jose later this month in San Diego. That will be a dynamite showdown. First, the Aztecs will need to find a way to first contain Alejado and second, provide tight coverage of his receivers. Alejado has thrown for 2,124 yards on the year including 15 touchdowns against only six interceptions. He is susceptible to pressure and has been injured in two previous games. Harris and Ashlock both have combined for 1,200 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns. The key to victory is to shut them down. The two teams have met 39 previous times with the Aztecs holding a 26-11-2 advantage. They first played in 1939 with Hawaii winning 13-0. They’ve met frequently through the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. The Aztecs hold a five game win streak including a close 27-24 game last season in San Diego. They have also won 20 of the last 24 contests. On paper, this looks like the Aztecs should pull out the win. Hawaii is a Mountain West member staying in the conference after this season. The teams have announced a home-and-home series in 2028 in San Diego and 2029 in Honolulu.
THE OPPOSITION: HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS
Fourth-year head coach Timmy Chang has finally delivered what he has been promising fans since his hiring. The Warriors are good, exciting and bowl eligible. While his 19-28 running record doesn’t turn too many heads, it is Coach Chang’s pedigree and fire that has made him the perfect Hawaii coach. After years of struggle and coaching issues, Chang stepped in, bringing his years of bleeding Hawaii football. He was a record setting quarterback for the Warriors and everything he does is centered around the Warriors success. Securing quarterback Micah Alejado as his team leader made all the difference for Hawaii. At 5’10” and 180 pounds, Alejado doesn’t turn too many heads. One merely needs to see his leadership and his ability to throw on the run and you’ve got a team leader that can eventually be the all-time Hawaii record holder, if he stays. His receiving group is one of the best in the conference. Pofele Ashlock, Nick Cenacle and Jackson Harrris all have been productive and give Alejado plenty of targets.
Aztec linebacker Owen Chambliss chimed in about his Aztec defense and how they handle passing teams.
“At some point you’ve got to realize, you know, maybe (a) passing attack isn’t the best strategy against this defense. I think you kind of get flustered back there as a quarterback not knowing what to do. We do so many different things with our back seven from disguises and I think it makes it really hard allowing 10 points a game.”
The Warriors feature a somewhat physical running game with Landon Sims, a 6’2” 220 pound running back who has 439 yards and three scores on the year. He averages about 10 carries a game with a 4.7 yard average. Hawaii also has Cam Barfield, a 5’7” junior from Las Vegas who can provide speed to the outside. Alejado can run also, but that’s not his forte. It’s preferred to sprint out and make a throw on the run. Alejado’s backup, Luke Weaver has been effective coming in for relief. He runs and throws, so if Hawaii is looking to change the pace, a few snaps by Weaver might be the thing. The kicking game has been an awesome story. Kansei Matsuzawa, a senior from Tokyo, is a perfect 28 of 28 for extra points and 21 of 21 on field goals. He is nicknamed the “Tokyo Toe”. He learned how to kick watching You-Tube videos and then apply to schools. This is his second season in Hawaii and one wonders if there might be a pipeline to the next kicker. The defense is anchored with Lesterlaisene Lagafuaina who has two sacks and 26 tackles, linebacker Jamih Otis who has 49 tackles and De’Jon Benton who has four sacks. The Warriors have intercepted five passes, spread out among five defenders. Of note is linebacker Giovanni Iovino who returned his interception 41 yards against Sam Houston State, in a 37-20 win.
What will be the outcome of the game?
Aztec defense against Warriors offense. Pretty much the script. Can Hawaii bounce back from a close loss last week? Will the Aztecs continue building on their momentum, on their way to being a team of destiny? Coach Sean Lewis started the season on the hot seat as some boo-birds were getting anxious after the early loss to Washington State. Since then he is a hot commodity with some speculation he might be lured away to a larger program. These distractions aside, the Aztecs will need to play their game. They unfortunately will have to do so without linebacker Tano Letuli who suffered a knee injury against Wyoming and will be out for the rest of the season. He will be replaced by Mister Williams. The Aztecs are excited to see Williams and what he can do in a longer outing. The game will be centered around Alejado and his receivers and the Aztecs three-headed monster of Jayden Denegal, Lucky Sutton and Jordan Napier. The Aztec defense will probably get a couple of takeaways and stops on downs. Hawaii scores 20 points against a tough Aztec defense while San Diego State will put up 31 in a thoroughly entertaining game.
Around the Mountain West Conference
The Aztecs are currently riding at the top of the Mountain West standings. As usual, the championship game will go through Boise and the game the following weekend against the Broncos is shaping up to be the conference game of the year. The Warriors, UNLV and Fresno State all have three conference wins while a handful are back at two. There are four games on the slate this weekend that could have some ramifications for the conference title. Beside the San Diego State and Hawaii game, UNLV travels to Colorado State in a must win for the Rebels. UNLV has slipped back with two conference losses and need to regain their winning form despite high early expectations. Utah State hosts Nevada and looks to improve to 5-4 on the season, oh so close to being bowl eligible. The final game is San Jose State hosting Air Force. The Spartans are needing to continue to win to become bowl eligible. Their offense has been dynamic with several national leaders, but their defense has been exploited several times late in the game resulting in losses. Boise State, Fresno State, New Mexico and Wyoming have bye weeks. How will the Aztecs respond to a team with a really good offense? If they play their brand of football, the defense will dominate. Expect the Aztecs to return home with another win under their belt.
