GAME DAY BLOG: Hawaii football team vs. San Diego State
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Hawaii vs. San Diego St. – Curated tweets by StarAdvertiser
FINAL SCORE: San Diego State 16, Hawaii 14
SAN DIEGO >> Hawaii went 1-4 in Timmy Chang’s first five games as head coach, but the record is reset with the Rainbow Warriors’ Mountain West opener against San Diego State today at Snapdragon Stadium.
Fresh off last weekend’s bye, the Warriors have added speed to their new offense, which now incorporates more run-and-shoot concepts. Wideouts Zion Bowens and Chuuky Hines and slot receiver Koali Nishigaya have been cleared after recovering from leg injuries.
The Warriors defense will be challenged — again — against an Aztec team steeped in rushing tradition. Jordan Byrd is the breakaway threat out of the backfield. The Warriors are last among MW teams in defending the rush (260.8 yards per game) and the end zone (45.4 points per game).
The Aztecs, who average 65.6 passing yards per game, shook up the offense following last week’s loss to Boise State. Jeff Horton replaced Jeff Hecklinski as offensive coordinator, and Ryan Lindley was hired as quarterbacks coach. Quarterback Braxton Burmeister was under concussion observation after exiting last week’s game. Although Burmeister practiced on Monday and Tuesday, Jalen Mayden is expeted to get the start. Mayden, a Mississippi State transfer who moved to safety in the spring, has returned to quarterback to add depth.
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>> PHOTOS: Hawaii vs. San Diego State