The football dream in the distant future was for Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich to retire without being served a numerical doughnut.

But Rolovich suffered a rude awakening last year in a 55-0 loss to San Diego State. It was the first time Rolovich was blanked as a player or coach.

“It bothers the heck out of me,” Rolovich said of the shutout. “I guess we could have kicked a field goal at the end, but what does that do?”

Rolovich carried that disappointment for eight months before seeing SDSU coach Rocky Long at the Mountain West Conference’s Media Summit in Las Vegas this July.

“He brought everyone a six pack of beer,” Rolovich said, smiling. “We cleaned the slate.”

It is now the Aztecs who would like to take an eraser to the past two games — conference losses at home to Boise State and Fresno State. The Aztecs, who opened the season with six consecutive victories, are 6-2 overall and 2-2 in the MWC entering today’s nationally televised game against Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5:15 p.m.

“All we can do is go 1-0 week by week,” SDSU receiver/punt returner Quest Truxton said. “That’s something we’ve focused on this week. We turned it around. Forget the past. We’ll learn from (the back-to-back losses). Obviously, it’s easier to bounce back from a loss when it’s a battle and you gave it your all. I don’t think we’ve had that feeling. It’s definitely tougher, but we got past it, and now we’re on to Hawaii.”

It will be a homecoming for SDSU linebacker Ronley Lakalaka, a Punahou School alumnus. His older brother, Steven Lakalaka, was a UH running back through last season. Lakalaka, who sets the alignments for the 3-3-5 defense, had turned down a UH offer to sign with the Aztecs.

“San Diego State is a home away from home,” Lakalaka said. “I wanted to experience that. I wanted to experience being away from home and experience building myself as a man and my character.”

The game will match two of the league’s best running backs and most accurate passers. Despite being limited to 122 rushing yards the past two games, SDSU running back Rashaad Penny has gained 1,115 yards this season. UH’s Diocemy Saint Juste is averaging 156.3 rushing yards per game. In 183 carries, Saint Juste has had only 13 negative-yard rushes and one fumble.

Christian Chapman struggled against a siege of blitzes and stunts the past two games, going a combined 22-for-47 for 317 yards. But overall this season, he has completed 59 percent of his passes and been intercepted once in 173 throws. UH’s Dru Brown’s accuracy is at 63.7 percent. He has demonstrated feisty leadership in his second season after transferring from College of San Mateo 16 months ago.

“I’m very competitive,” Brown said. “If I throw a pick, I won’t be throwing a fit (or) throwing my helmet. But I do take it personal. And I do hate losing.”

Slotback Dylan Collie is expected to increase his workload with the absence of leading receiver John Ursua, who will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee. Collie is hopeful the Warriors will rebound from last year’s loss to the Aztecs.

“That was an awful experience,” Collie said. “When I think of all the games in the three years I’ve been here, that one’s up there with freshman year Boise State as two of the most detrimental, not only to the physical but the mental health, as well. Those ones are constantly on the mind. You look for opportunities like (today’s game) to bounce back … and seal up what we’re going to do for the rest of the season.”