The Colorado State Rams play host to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Saturday afternoon in a crucial Mountain West showdown from Sonny Lubrick Field at Canvas Stadium. Both teams come into the weekend struggling this season, with Hawaii having two wins and Colorado State only having one. Last year saw Hawaii come out on top with a five-point win in an exciting showdown and fans can expect this one to be another close game. With both teams desperate for some success to get things going back in the right direction, this one could go either way.
After grabbing a win last weekend against Nevada, the Rainbow Warriors will be looking to make it back-to-back wins as they hit the road against a fellow bottom feeder in the Mountain West race. It's not likely to help matters that Hawaii is winless on the road this season and with the extended travel to one of the furthest opponents in the conference, Hawaii could be hard-pressed to spring the upset for the second-straight weekend. In three of the last four weeks, the Rainbow Warriors have at least found ways to remain competitive, which is the hope again as they hit the field on Saturday.
Hawaii only has one injury to worry about as they hit the road and the good news is that it doesn't appear to be game-changing either. Cammon Cooper (undisclosed) remains out but given that he hasn't taken a snap yet this season, doesn't expect to be missed.
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Offensively, the one high-flying Hawaii offense has taken a serious step backward in recent seasons. They rank 113th nationally in total offense and their inability to move the ball through the air and on the ground continues to plague them. The Colorado State defense doesn't seem likely to put up much of a fight but it remains to be seen if the Rainbow Warriors can take advantage. Brayden Schager (3 touchdowns, 5 interceptions) needs to find a way to be more dangerous, though it'll fall on the running back room to move the ball and control the clock in this one.
This has all the makings of a high-scoring game considering Hawaii's own struggle on the defensive side as well. They have been strong against the pass but without their ability to stop the run and get off the field, it could be a long day on the road on Saturday. Penei Pavihi (45 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception) has been one of the most explosive linebackers in the Mountain West but without much help, it remains to be seen how they can slow down the Rams on the road.