San Diego State football opponent preview: Hawaii
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Football teams always consider it to be a business trip when they visit the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, and rightly so. They fly to Honolulu the day before the game and usually leave right after. There’s no beach time or sightseeing tours.
But let’s face it — playing in Honolulu in November certainly beats playing at a cold location in the Rocky Mountains.
Either way, the San Diego State Aztecs should enjoy it because this is the last time they’ll be playing at Hawaii before leaving for the new-look Pac-12 next season. Hawaii is one of the teams staying behind in the MW.
The Aztecs beat the Rainbow Warriors 27-24 in San Diego for their second win last season, when they finished 3-9 overall and 2-5 in the MW in Sean Lewis’ first season as head coach.
Hawaii finished 5-7 overall and was one of five teams going 3-4 in conference.
The Rainbow Warriors have been picked to finish seventh in the preseason media poll while the Aztecs were picked eighth.
Timmy Chang is 13-25 with no bowl appearances in three seasons at his alma mater, so having missed bowl eligibility by one win last year, the Rainbow Warriors will be looking to get their high-powered offense going to get over that hump.
Game 9: San Diego State at Hawaii
Date: Saturday, Nov. 8
Kickoff time: 8 p.m. PT
Location: Honolulu
TV/Streaming: TBA
Hawaii offense preview
There were losses to the transfer portal, as expected, but the Rainbow Warriors are capable of getting off to a fast start behind redshirt freshman quarterback Micah Alejado and receivers Nick Cenacle and Pofele Ashlock.
Alejado had a massive performance in his first career start in a season-ending, 38-30 win over New Mexico. He threw for 469 yards and five touchdowns, and ran for 54 yards, becoming the first UH quarterback to 450-plus yards and rush for 50-plus yards in a game, while tallying the 10th-best total offense performance (523 yards) in school history.
Cenacle and Ashlock were named to the preseason All-Mountain West Team. Cenacle led Hawaii with 63 catches for 721 yards and six touchdowns. Ashlock was second with 61 catches for 629 yards and six scores, a dropoff from 2023, when he led all FBS freshmen in receptions (83) and receiving yards (832), and was third in TD receptions (9) and receiving yards per game (64).
Center Ethan Spencer and right tackle James Miovale have experience on a line that will have to play much better to whittle down the 43 sacks it allowed last season.
Hawaii defense preview
The Rainbow Warriors return seven starters on defense.
The strength of the unit is the linebacking corps. The Rainbow Warriors return the two tacklers from last season, Jamih Otis (55) and Logan Taylor (52). Otis had two sacks and a fumble recovery, and Taylor had an interception. Jalen Smith was sixth with 41 tackles and had one sack, one interception and one fumble recovery.
The secondary is looking good, as well. Cornerback Virdel Edwards II returns after missing last season with an injury.
Safety Peter Manuma is looking to have a healthy season after being sidelined for the bulk of three games. He still finished fourth on the team with 43 tackles, including 31 solo, and had a forced fumble and three pass breakups. He was an All-Mountain West honorable mention pick.
The secondary will be in great shape if Manuma returns to his 2023 form, when he led the team with 87 tackles (60 solo) and three interceptions.
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-bd678ba4dbad4f453246f539ee56a3b4.jpg "Bernie Wilson")
Bernie Wilson recently retired from The Associated Press after nearly 41 years, including stops in Spokane, Los Angeles and, for the final 33 years, San Diego. He grew up in Coeur d'Alene and graduated from the University of Idaho.