BOISE, Idaho – No. 14 Boise State looks to remain unbeaten when it hosts an improving Hawaii squad in Mountain West play on Saturday. The Broncos have recorded three straight double-digit victories while Hawaii is coming off a bye after posting a 54-3 win over Nevada the previous week - the 51-point margin being the third-largest road win in program history.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Boise State -11.5
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Boise State junior pass rusher Curtis Weaver has nine sacks this season to raise his career count to a new Mountain West record of 29.5, breaking the mark of 28.5 shared by BYU's Jan Jorgensen and TCU's Jerry Hughes, both of whom played in the conference from 2006-09. Weaver is just 2.5 sacks behind second-place Chris Wing (1994-96) on the Broncos' all-time list as he leads a unit allowing 16 points per game. Hawaii is averaging 37 points per game but is just 3-12 all-time against Boise State, including 0-6 on the blue turf with an average losing margin of 35 points. "Everybody needs to get over the fact that it is Boise State," Rainbow Warriors coach Nick Rolovich said. "This aura that they have earned is a weapon for them."
ABOUT HAWAII (4-1, 1-0 Mountain West)
Junior quarterback Cole McDonald is having a strong season by completing 68.9 percent of his throws for 1,629 yards and 17 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Seniors Cedric Byrd II and JoJo Ward lead an athletic group of wideouts as Byrd has 40 receptions for 498 yards and nine touchdowns and Ward has 28 catches for 418 yards and six scores. Redshirt freshman cornerback Kai Kaneshiro and senior safety Ikem Okeke share the team lead of two interceptions and senior safety Kalen Hicks has a team-best 36 tackles for a unit allowing 27.4 points per game.
ABOUT BOISE STATE (5-0, 2-0)
The Broncos are averaging 32.6 points and freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier has been solid while throwing for 1,489 yards and eight touchdowns and being intercepted three times. Boise State doesn't have a go-to wideout but has three with more than 300 yards in sophomore Khalil Shakir (26 catches, 357 yards), senior John Hightower (17 for 303) and junior CT Thomas (16 for 302). Junior linebacker Riley Whimpey has a team-high 30 tackles for Boise State, which limited UNLV to 69 yards rushing in last Saturday's 38-13 victory.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Boise State has won the past six meetings.
2. The Rainbow Warriors' 51-point win over Nevada was its largest as a member of the Mountain West.
3. The Broncos have allowed just 22 second-half points.
PREDICTION: Boise State 45, Hawaii 33