The University of Hawaii football team has been picked to finish third in the Mountain West’s six-team West Division, according to a media poll announced by the league.
San Diego State was predicted to finish first in the West, receiving 19 of 22 first-place votes and 122 points. Nevada was picked second with two No. 1 votes and 100 points, followed by the Rainbow Warriors with 74 points.
“The last time I was picked third, we won it,” UH coach Todd Graham said in a video statement. “I don’t really worry about preseason picks or anything like that. The one thing about the season that’s awesome is you get to play the games. Hopefully, we’ll get to play the games. But in 2019, we were Western Division champions. You can’t take that away. I don’t know what the poll was at the beginning of the year last year, but it probably wasn’t that. The polls usually aren’t very accurate. It’s an educated guess. Don’t put much stock in that.”
Last year, the Warriors were picked to finish fourth in the West. Instead, UH and San Diego State tied at 5-3 in league play. The Warriors, who defeated the Aztecs in the regular-season finale, represented the West against Mountain champion Boise State in the league’s title game. Boise State is this year’s top choice for the Mountain Division.
The Warriors underwent a makeover in the offseason, with Graham hired as head coach in January to succeed Nick Rolovich. Rolovich resigned to accept the head-coaching job at Washington State. Quarterback Cole McDonald also relinquished his senior season to enter the 2020 NFL Draft. McDonald was the Tennessee Titans’ seventh-round draft choice.
But Chevan Cordeiro, who is 4-0 as a UH starter the past two seasons, takes over as the Warriors’ top signal-caller.
“We’re right where we need to be with a lot of work to do,” Graham said, “but I believe in our team, I believe in our players, and our focus to be competing for that championship and winning it.”
Graham is one of four new head coaches in the West. Nevada’s Jay Norvell, who was an assistant under Graham at Arizona State in 2016, and San Jose State’s Brent Brennan are the West’s only incumbent head coaches.
WEST DIVISION
Rank Team (first-place votes) – Points
1. San Diego State (19) – 122
2. Nevada (2) – 100
3. Hawai’i – 74
4. Fresno State – 73
5. San José State – 43
6. UNLV – 29
MOUNTAIN DIVISION
Rank Team (first-place votes) – Points
1. Boise State (20) – 125
2. Wyoming (1) – 90
3. Air Force – 86
4. Utah State – 60
5. Colorado State – 59
6. New Mexico – 21
