Coming off a bye week, the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors football team is preparing for Mountain West foe Utah State, a team Hawai‘i hasn’t beaten since 2010.
Head coach Timmy Chang said the week off was beneficial in every way: spiritually, mentally, and physically. Now, the Warriors are rested, recharged, and ready for what the Aggies bring to the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex looking to snap a 15-year drought.
“Coach Bronco Mendenhall always gets his teams ready to go,” Chang said. “For us, it’s really about understanding what they’re trying to do and implementing what we want to do in all three phases.”
Senior offensive lineman Zhen Sotelo is locked in and fired up for the matchup, especially after last season’s 55-10 loss in Logan. Sotelo is focused on helping rewrite the narrative this time around.
“Last year, they embarrassed us,” Sotelo said. “We take this one personally. We’re gonna have to go and take it to them. We have to execute our plays and perform.”
The bye week also gave Hawai‘i (4-2, 1-1 Mountain West Conference) a chance to get healthier, welcoming back key players, including preseason All-Mountain West wide receiver Nick Cenacle. The senior hasn’t played since Week 1 against Arizona and is expected to be a major boost to the Warriors’ passing attack, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Micah Alejado.
Defensively, junior linebacker Jamih Otis said the Warriors are ready to leave the past in the past and prove that 2025 is a different story.
“It’s a new year, we’re a whole new defense,” Otis said. “We’re gonna bring our A game. Our guys come to play every time.”
On the other side, Utah State (3-2, 1-0 MWC) enters with the Mountain West’s top-rated offense. The Aggies have scored 25 touchdowns and are averaging 36.4 points per game, tied with Air Force for the most in the conference.
Graduate quarterback Bryson Barnes leads the Aggie offense, throwing for 1,143 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just one interception this season. He’s also second on the team in rushing with 245 yards and six scores. Senior running back Miles Davis leads the ground game with 314 yards and two touchdowns.
Utah State head coach Bronco Mendenhall praised Hawai‘i’s signature run-and-shoot offense and the growth the ‘Bows have shown under Chang.
“They’re dynamic, they’re wide open, they’re a challenge,” Mendenhall said. “The biggest improvement to Hawai‘i’s program over the past two years has been defensively. They’re playing complementary football at a high level.”
With both sides rested and ready, a shootout may be on the rise in Mānoa.
“If our defense can shut them out, and we can put 40 on their head, it’ll show that we have what it takes to win this conference,” Sotelo said.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. this Saturday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex in Mānoa.