Utah State Football: Aggies seek to maintain elite MWC status vs Hawaii

Utah State football is a heavy favorite on the island when they face Hawaii on Saturday night. Can the MWC Mountain frontrunners stay head of Boise State?

Utah State continues to win in 2018, and as a result, they currently enjoy sole possession of the lead in the MWC Mountain race. After losing their season opener on the road against Michigan State in a 38-31 letdown, the Aggies have rebounded with seven straight wins. Aside from the Spartans loss and a 24-16 win over Wyoming, Utah State has scored at least 42 points in every other game to date.

Three times they have posted 60 or more points, and a fourth game saw the Aggies hit 59 points in a win over UNLV. Jordan Love has been the catalyst for that offensive success, as the quarterback boasts four 300-yard games so far this season. With 18 touchdowns and only four interceptions so far this year, Love makes everyone around him better.

The Aggies will be tested on their trip to Honolulu to face Hawaii in interdivisional play. Hawaii started the season 6-1, but they have since crashed back down to earth with three straight losses. Down two games in the MWC West standings behind a Fresno State against whom they’ve already lost, a division title is pretty much out of reach for the Rainbow Warriors at this point.

But they do have the pride of improving their potential bowl invitation in the last month of the regular season. Cole McDonald is back after sitting out the Wyoming win with an injury, but since his return the quarterback has struggled to get back to his winning ways. No team racks up more first downs in the Mountain West than the Rainbow Warriors, making this game a pivotal test for the Aggies defense.

Can the Rainbow Warriors seal up the cracks in their game to get back to winning ways, or will Utah State keep their momentum and remain perfect in Mountain West play? Here’s how you can watch the Saturday game between No. 18 Utah State and Hawaii:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 3
Time: 11:59 p.m. ET
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Venue: Aloha Stadium
TV: Stadium
Live Stream: Stadium Live | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

To win on the road as a heavy favorite, Utah State needs to cut down on their issues with fumbling away the ball. The Aggies rank among the worst teams in the country in fumbles lost, with nine giveaways in eight games. While Love has thrown only four interceptions, the butterfingers of the Utah State stars have proven costly.

Hawaii is playing with house money at home. They need to play loose and rediscover their offensive prowess. After Cole McDonald started dealing with nagging injuries, the offense fell apart. In October, the Rainbow Warriors averaged only 21 points per game after posting 42 or more in five of their first six games in August and September. They need McDonald to lead a much stronger offensive effort on Saturday night.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Utah State -18
Over/Under: 70.5

Prediction

Utah State is a huge favorite, and that point spread is taunting bettors to go for the under. They would be smart to do so, because this is the week Hawaii will get back on track offensively. This game is likely to end up a shootout, with the Aggies holding on for the key road win.

Final Score: Utah State 48, Hawaii 44