Saturday, Brigham Young University football hosts Hawaii for Homecoming in an old-school Western Athletic Conference rivalry.
The Cougars and Rainbow Warriors first met on the gridiron in 1930 with BYU leading the all-time series 22-8.
This is the Rainbow Warriors’ first visit to Provo since 2012, when the Cougars routed them 47-0.
Hawaii is seeking its first all-time win at Provo Saturday as they are 0-9 at BYU.
Per the latest rankings from USA Today statistician Jeff Sagarin, the Cougars, who come in with a record of 3-3, have played the 10th toughest schedule in college football this season.
Things don’t get any easier as the Rainbow Warriors, with their high-octane run and shoot offense, come in with a record of 6-1.
This game represents a chance for BYU receiver Dylan Collie to play against many of his former teammates.
Last season, in BYU’s 30-20 win at Honolulu, Collie netted six receptions for 103 yards against the Cougars before transferring to Provo in the off-season.
The Rainbow Warriors come into Saturday’s game with the 11th best passing offense in FBS (322.3 yards per game) while they are 27th in the FBS in scoring offense (38.4 points per game).
Hawaii’s star signal-caller Cole McDonald (2nd in FBS with 2,100 passing yards and third in the FBS with 350 passing yards per game) was a surprise scratch for the Rainbow Warriors against Wyoming in a 17-13 win last Saturday, as his injury was kept secret until kickoff.
In his stead, freshman Chevan Cordeiro adeptly filled in, throwing the game-winning touchdown pass to JoJo Ward in the closing moments against the Cowboys.
The favorite target for Hawaii quarterbacks is receiver John Ursua, who is first in the country with 12 touchdown grabs and fifth in the FBS in receiving yards per game at 114.4 yards.
