Football dessert is on the way, as kickoff in Honolulu is scheduled for midnight ET when the Nevada Wolf Pack travel to face the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Kickoff is 6 p.m. local time, but needless to say, it will be the latest matchup of college football Saturday.
How to watch Nevada vs. Hawaii: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Both teams need a win on Saturday to stay in the Mountain West race and get a step closer to bowl eligibility.
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Traveling to face Hawaii is never easy, as the Rainbow Warriors have been much better at home than on the road. While winless on the road in 2014, Hawaii is 2-2 at home with narrow losses to a pair of Pac-12 teams: Oregon State and Washington.
Nevada has been a strong road team in 2014 though, as its only loss away from home was a 35-28 loss to the Arizona Wildcats. Still, the flight to play in Aloha Stadium is a little different and one that Nevada has struggled with, historically. While the Wolf Pack managed a big 69-24 victory over Hawaii in 2012, the team had lost in its seven prior trips to Honolulu.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: Midnight ET
TV: Hawaii PPV, Robert Kekaula, Rich Miano
Radio: ESPN1420AM (Hawaii), ESPN Radio 630 AM (Nevada)
Streaming: Mountain West Conference
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked or receiving votes in either major poll. Nevada enters with a 1-2 conference record and 4-3 overall record, while Hawaii is 1-1 in conference and 2-5 overall.
Vegas: Nevada opened as a 4-point favorite, but that line has slimmed to as small as 2.5 points in many sportsbooks. The over/under has remained steady at 51.5 points.
Weather forecast: 74 degrees and mostly clear.
Two things at stake
Every team in the West Division of the Mountain West has either one or two losses, so its feasible that either team could make a run at the divisional crown. A loss on Saturday would essentially eliminate that hope for one team, while a win will leave the team clinging for hope.
Also at stake could be bowl eligibility, as Nevada can’t afford to not pick up its fifth win of the year against Hawaii with a tough slate of conference games to end the year. Hawaii has an uphill climb to a bowl berth, but if it earns a third victory on Saturday, winning three of its last five isn’t outrageous by any stretch.
One big matchup
Nevada vs. three-and-outs: The Wolf Pack haven’t been great on offense, but the team hasn’t been bad either. It averages 22.4 first downs per game, and it can help its defense out a lot on Saturday by avoiding three-and-outs.
Hawaii ranks 59th in the FBS in both points allowed and yardage allowed, yet sits at 10th in three-and-outs forced. If Nevada can find success early in its drives, Cody Fajardo and company should have more success at being able to drive down the field.
Further reading
For more extensive coverage of Nevada, Hawaii and the Mountain West Conference, visit Mountain West Connection.
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