The University of Hawaii’s first four games of the 2020 season have gone like this: win, loss, win, loss. If the pattern continues, the Rainbow Warriors should beat Boise State tonight, right? Of course, the oddsmakers have no time for silly theories. They have the visiting Broncos as a 14-point favorite over UH. In any event, playing Boise – the consensus top team in the Mountain West Conference – is always a big deal for Hawaii players, coaches and fans. Be sure to listen to the game on ESPN Honolulu (92.7 FM/1420 AM). We’ll start things off with our “Countdown to Kickoff” pregame show live from Big City Diner at Windward Mall (4:00 p.m.). Then Bobby Curran and John Veneri will bring you the action from Aloha Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:00.

Here are some interesting tidbits about Saturday’s matchup:

♦ Boise State comes to Honolulu riding an eight-game winning streak against Hawaii. Overall, the Broncos lead the series, 14-3.

♦ Last season, the Rainbow Warriors and Broncos played each other twice. On Oct. 12, the Broncos defeated Hawaii, 59-37, in Boise. The two schools would meet again on Dec. 7 (again in Boise) for the MW Championship. That game was tied, 3-3, late in the first half, but the Broncos scored 28 unanswered points to pull away with a convincing 31-10 victory.

♦ Hawaii’s last victory over the Broncos occurred on Nov. 23, 2007, and it was a monumental one. At Aloha Stadium, the No. 13-ranked Rainbow Warriors outlasted the No. 17 Broncos, 39-27, to claim the school’s first outright WAC title. QB Colt Brennan passed for 495 yards and 5 TDs to lead Hawaii. The Heisman Trophy finalist also added a rushing TD.

♦ The first Hawaii-Boise State game took place on Sept. 21, 1996 at Aloha Stadium. QB Glenn Freitas threw 2 TD passes, K Carlton Oswalt booted 2 FGs, and DB Eddie Klaneski contributed 5 tackles and an INT as Hawaii rallied to beat the Broncos, 20-14. It would be Fred von Appen’s first victory as Hawaii’s head coach.

♦ The Broncos are 6-3 all-time versus Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. In fact, Boise has won the last three meetings in Honolulu (2009, 2012 and 2016) by an average margin of 38.7 points.

♦ Hawaii is currently 2-2 on the season. Boise is 3-1, with the lone blemish a crushing 51-17 loss to non-conference foe BYU.

♦ Fun Stat Fact: Hawaii is tied with Auburn University for the longest streak in the country (149 games) without allowing a punt block. The last time the Rainbow Warriors had a punt blocked was in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl game against Notre Dame.

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