Utah State vs. Hawaii: By the Numbers
43 – Rushing yards by the Hawaii offense
Now, Hawaii isn’t a prolific rushing offense by any means, but the way Utah State made their run game nearly non-existent was very impressive. They do average 120 rushing yards per game, however, and the Aggies held them to their second-fewest rushing yards of the season. The only team to hold them to less was Army, which boasts the ninth-ranked rush defense in the nation. Hawaii’s leading rusher was Cole McDonald, who had 17 yards on nine runs. As a team, the Rainbow Warriors averaged a season-low 2.2 yards per rush in this contest. I don’t know what Keith Patterson’s secret is, but this defense has made dramatic improvements from last year in almost every department. Last season, they finished ranked 77th in the nation in opponent yards per carry with a 4.49 average. This season, they’re 20th allowing 3.37 yards per carry.
7.9 – Yards per rush by Utah State
When Jordan Love went out at the end of the first half with a 28-3 lead, I think there was still at least a little bit of nervousness among Aggie fans knowing that they would be relying on a backup quarterback against a Hawaii team which can put up points quickly. The Aggie run game carried the team in the second half with 271 yards. Darwin Thompson, who is fourth in the nation in yards per carry (7.5) continued to be elite as he ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries. Gerold Bright had a ridiculous night as well going for 121 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. For as much attention as the Aggie pass game has received, and rightfully so, their rushing attack ranks 15th in the nation in yards per carry (5.52). Let’s give some love to those big guys up front who make that happen.
79 – USU’s pass completion percentage in the game
Even while using two different quarterbacks and focusing much of their offensive effort on the rushing attack, Utah State’s pass game was on point. The Aggies went 19-of-24 through the air for 175 yards and a touchdown. Not crazy numbers by any means, but this is just another example of the continued consistency the Aggie faithful have grown accustomed to seeing. After Love was forced to leave due to injury, freshman Henry Colombi did a fantastic job keeping the offense afloat as he came in and completed 9-of-11 passes. Oh, by the way, he’s 24-of-29 for 83% this season. And he’s averaging 7.4 yards per rush. To me, the most impressive part of this offense is how many weapons there are and how many ways they can hurt a team. Last week against New Mexico, they went for 516 passing yards. This week, 426 rush yards. That’s versatility.
14.3 – Hawaii’s third down conversion percentage
The Rainbow Warriors and the Aggies each faced 14 third downs in this game, but Utah State converted on eight of them while Hawaii converted on just two. This played a pretty significant factor in this game, and it says a lot about USU’s defense being able to lock it up, take care of business, and get off the field on third down. Utah State has proven itself as one of the better third down defenses in the nation this season (33rd) allowing just a 34% conversion rate. The Aggies forced just two three-and-outs in this game, but held eight of Hawaii’s 13 possessions to just five plays or less. Perhaps more impressive, the ‘Bows averaged just 1.8 yards per pass on third down and one yard per rush. On the flip side, USU ranks 14th in the nation converting 48% of their third downs.