Game preview: Aggies look to get bowl eligible against Hawaii
The Aggies are fresh off a convincing road win in Albuquerque and a late bye week, undoubtedly aware of Saturday afternoon’s postseason implications. Fortunately for head coach Matt Wells and the Aggie faithful, Hawaii has failed to mount much of a charge against USU in recent years — Utah State has taken each of the last three meetings s by an average of more than 20 points.
Hawaii’s offense relies heavily on junior quarterback Dru Brown and his ability to stretch the field vertically. Brown has thrown for 16 touchdowns this year with eight interceptions, and though partially a function of often playing from behind his 2,339 passing yards rank second in the conference behind only Colorado State’s Nick Stevens. Brown’s arm is complemented nicely by senior running back Diocemy Saint Juste’s 5.6 yards per carry and his nose for the end zone — Saint Juste has scored eight total touchdowns for the Warriors this season. The senior also ranks second in Mountain West Rushing yardage this season with 1,349 yards on 242 carries.
While Utah State may have dominated the recent history between these two squads, second-year head coach Nick Rolovich has yet to face the Aggies. Rolovich is 10-14 in his first two seasons with the Warriors and 5-10 against conference opponents.
Hawaii’s defense provides an opportunity for freshman quarterback Jordan Love to boost his touchdown numbers, as the Warriors allow nearly 34 points per game. Love’s proven the ability to connect with receivers on deep passes on multiple occasions, totalling 983 yards through the air in just three starts and limited action in early-season games. However, red zone work has largely gone to senior LaJuan Hunt, who’s totalled six touchdowns over the last three games. Love has just five touchdown passes on the year along with five interceptions, but Saturday’s matchup will be a good opportunity for the freshman to take some risks and improve his touchdown totals by year’s end.
Love has also managed not to take a sack in his past two games, a trend he’ll try to continue against an average Hawaii pass rush led by linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who has five sacks this season.
Not to be overshadowed, the Aggie defense continues to push its own key statistic into the national conversation — turnovers forced. Utah State’s 24 takeaways (14 fumbles, 10 interceptions) this year ranks tied for fourth in the nation, sparking multiple double-digit comebacks already this season. A combination of All-conference candidate Dallin Leavitt playing safety and All-American candidate Jalen Davis locking down opposing wideouts has made the Aggie secondary a formidable force in 2017, allowing an average of 200 passing yards a game.
The Aggies are one win away from bouncing back into bowl season for the sixth time in seven years, and all signs point to USU notching that win in front of the home crowd Saturday.