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No. 18 Utah State looking for 1st 8-1 start since 1963
No. 18 Utah State (7-1, 4-0 Mountain West) at Hawaii (6-4, 3-2), 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Line: Utah State by 18.
Series record: Utah State leads 9-6.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
The Aggies try to stay on top in the Mountain Division of the conference. They own a one-game lead over Boise State and face the Broncos in Boise, Idaho on Nov. 24. Utah State hasn't started 8-1 since 1963. After a torrid beginning, Hawaii has dropped three straight by an average of 24.7 points. A victory by the Rainbow Warriors would secure a winning regular season mark for the first time since 2010.
KEY MATCHUP
Hawaii's defensive backs vs. Utah State QB Jordan Love. The sophomore Love has 18 TD passes this season and is in line to challenge for the school mark of 27 set by Chuckie Keeton in 2012. The Rainbow Warriors have surrendered 22 passing touchdowns.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Utah State: WR/KR Savon Scarver. He's taken two kickoffs back for scores — a 100-yard return against New Mexico State and a 99-yarder at Wyoming. He's averaging 35.1 yards per return, which is on pace to break the single-season school mark of 31.9 set by Altie Taylor in 1967.
Hawaii: QB Cole McDonald. He's thrown for 2,832 yards this season and 30 touchdowns. He has gone over the 300-yard mark five times.
FACTS & FIGURES
During their seven-game winning streak, the Aggies are averaging 52 points a game. ... Utah State has 50 touchdowns this season. The school record for a season is 60 in 2011. ... The Aggies are third in the nation in scoring (49.4), behind Alabama (54.1) and Houston (49.8). ... Utah State LB David Woodward leads the Mountain West with 11.3 tackles per game. ... Under coach Nick Rolovich, the Rainbow Warriors are 0-2 against ranked teams. ... Each time Hawaii RB Dayton Furuta carries the ball, the home crowd chants "fruuuit." He has 83 carries for 436 yards. ... With one catch, Hawaii WR John Ursua will move into a tie for 10th place on the school's career receptions list. Ursua has 176 grabs. The record is 293 by Davone Bess (2005-07). ... McDonald's 30 TDs are the seventh-most for a single season in school history. The next person on the list is Rolovich, his coach, who had 34 TD passes in 2001.
