GameDay: Hawaii at Utah State

Dave Reardon's gameday preview highlights this key matchup:

Hawaii vs. Mother Nature

As of last night it looked like the weather might not be too brutal for the visitors from the islands; a high of 55 degrees was expected for the 1 p.m. Mountain time kickoff, with a chance of rain in the morning and a slight possibility in the afternoon, adding up to a 40 percent likelihood of precipitation for the day.

But the skies can change quickly here, and the Warriors don't have the best history in inclement weather, losing at Boise and Reno in recent years in cold and wet conditions.

UH quarterback Colt Brennan -- who went to prep school in Boston and had a year at Colorado -- doesn't see a problem.

"I'm very acclimated to playing in cold weather. It has more of a football feeling in cold weather. But I've never played a game in the snow, so I'm hoping for cold but fair."

Davone Bess gets existential about it in this Stephen Tsai article:

Slotback Davone Bess said: "We tend to get spoiled sometimes playing out in the Islands. This is a reality check. The world can be a cold place."

Oh indeed good sir, such is the world... and such is life. Okay, so maybe I took that quote out of context, but I use it to underscore my somewhat melancholy mood this morning. The fools!

Punt returner Chad Owens, a former University of Hawai'i standout, was waived Friday by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who replaced him on the roster by signing running back Rich Alexis from the practice squad.

Owens, also a receiver, played in four games and returned nine punts for 56 yards, a 6.2-yard average. Coach Jack Del Rio called him "indecisive" after he returned two punts for 5 yards against Houston two weeks ago.

So quick with the hook! And they didn't even give him a chance to be a receiver. Let's hope some team who recognizes his value picks him up. Good luck to Chad.

Back to today's game, the Salt Lake Tribune has a game preview that spends most of its time marveling at Colt Brennan.

"It's amazing that they've thrown the ball 353 times and only had five interceptions," Guy said. "That's one 'interception" every 70 passes, and that's just an unbelievable number."

Idaho coach Dennis Erickson witnessed Hawaii's precision on offense last week, when the Warriors crushed the Vandals, 68-10.

"Hawaii is an awfully good football team," Erickson said. "Against us, they didn't punt until the fourth quarter. Talk about shell-shocked."

What makes Hawaii so difficult to stop?

"I think you can put it all on Brennan," Erickson said. "He's throwing the ball so accurately. He just sees things."

Just so it doesn't turn into another Colt lovefest, Stephen Tsai's gameday preview has an interesting mini-profile on freshman Utah State QB Riley Nelson.

After averaging 179.5 yards in the first four games, the Aggies are averaging 311.5 since Nelson became the starter. Nelson, a graduate of Logan High School, was a Parade high school All-America quarterback last year, when he accounted for a national-record 84 touchdowns (53 passing, 31 rushing). USU was the only school to offer him a scholarship before the start of his high school senior year. He remembered that faith when he received an offer from Utah and a conditional one from Brigham Young. "It came down to Utah and Utah State," Nelson said. But, really, it was no decision at all. Two of his great grandfathers played at USU. His grandfather was a USU player, coach and athletic director. His father played at USU. "I grew up an Aggie fan," Nelson said. "My blood is navy blue."

Interim offensive coordinator Greg Stevens customized the schemes to match Nelson's quick release and nimble footwork. Nelson has completed 60 percent of his passes, and already is the team's second-leading rusher with 169 yards. "Everyone who plays football wants the chance to start," Nelson said. "I was given that chance. I didn't want to blow it."

Hopefully Nelson will be one of the building blocks to lead Utah State back to being a winning program. Today's blowout loss to Hawaii should be a great learning experience.

And this being the final road game of the year, Ferd Lewis talks about the Warriors' performance on the road this year.

To date, this has been a team with a sharp road focus and determination rarely seen in UH squads of recent vintage. Indeed, there is a certain confidence if not swagger with this team. Not a foolish bravado but a sense of mission and attention to business that few recent Warrior teams have taken on the road with them. The kind that has carried them to a 2-2 record away from home so far this season and suggests that playing at 4,500 feet or in temperatures in the high 40s and low 50s will not render them beaten before kickoff.

A lot of it, you suspect, is senior leadership. With so many fifth- and sixth-year seniors, they have seen it all and learned from it. Guys like Leonard Peters, Nate Ilaoa, Samson Satele, Tala Esera, Ikaika Alama-Francis and Melila Purcell, who experienced the disappointments of last year's 5-7 season and have bigger things in mind for this one. Indeed, there is a lot invested in this season and, after a 6-2 (4-1 Western Athletic Conference) start, the Warriors are beginning to see what the payoff could look like and how huge it could be.

I hope future UH teams can keep this Road Warrior mentality. It's been great to see. But first, let's hope they continue it today, because if they win they'll get an invite from the Hawaii Bowl!

GO WARRIORS!!!!