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Nevada-Hawaii Preview

Oct 13, 2010 - 1:35 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Nevada (6-0) at Hawaii (4-2), 11:30 p.m. EDT

Nevada is off to its best start since becoming a Division 1-A program 18 years ago. It's been much longer since the Wolf Pack beat Hawaii on the road.

The 19th-ranked Wolf Pack look to remain perfect and snap a six-game road losing streak to the surging Warriors in a Western Athletic Conference matchup Saturday night.

Nevada (6-0, 1-0) has not won seven straight games to open a season since starting 12-0 in 1991 - the year before the program moved up from I-AA to I-A.

Earning that seventh victory is likely to be a difficult challenge.

Not only has WAC leader Hawaii (4-2, 2-0) won three in a row overall, but Nevada also has not defeated the Warriors in Honolulu since a 73-12 rout Dec. 17, 1948. The Wolf Pack snapped a three-game overall skid against Hawaii with a 31-21 home victory last season.

"A road win is a big deal no matter where it's at or who it's against," said Nevada coach Chris Ault, who did guide the school to a 2005 Hawaii Bowl victory over Central Florida at Aloha Stadium. "To beat Hawaii in Hawaii, we're going to have to play well."

Points are likely to be plentiful in this game. Nevada ranks second nationally in total offense (545.3 yards per game) and seventh in scoring (43.0 points per game) while Hawaii has the country's top passing offense, averaging 421.7 yards.

Since losing 31-13 at Colorado on Sept, 18, Hawaii has beaten Charleston Southern, Louisiana Tech and Fresno State by a combined 156-55.

"We're making a lot of plays," Warriors coach Greg McMackin said. "I really think that we're starting to believe now. We're starting to believe in one another. We're starting to believe we can play with anybody in the country."

The Warriors have a chance to prove that against Nevada, which amassed a season-high 640 yards in a 35-13 win over San Jose State last Saturday.

Hawaii - which allows 171.8 rushing yards per game - has not had much luck in the past containing Nevada senior running back Vai Taua, who ranks sixth in the country with an average of 139.5 yards on the ground. He's run for 287 yards in two games against the Warriors, including 160 on 16 carries in a 38-31 loss at Hawaii on Oct. 25, 2008.

The 5-foot-10, 220-pound Taua topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the fifth straight game with 196 against San Jose State, scoring three touchdowns. Taua, whose 22 career 100-yard games are the most of any active player, has 419 all-purpose yards and seven touchdowns in his last two games.

Senior Colin Kaepernick has thrown for 491 yards with five TDs and one interception while going 1-2 against Hawaii. Running the Wolf Pack's pistol offense, Kaepernick was 20 of 27 for 273 yards against the Spartans.

"We know what it takes to win," Ault said. "Yet, we realize we've got a lot of work ahead of us."

That means stopping Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz, who leads the nation in total offense (388.0 ypg) and passing yards (2,245). Moniz has thrown for 1,303 yards and 13 touchdowns with three interceptions during Hawaii's winning streak.

"He's just doing unbelievable things," McMackin said.

Moniz was 29 of 49 for 374 yards with three TDs and two interceptions last season in his only appearance against Nevada.

The talented junior hopes to help Hawaii snap a four-game skid against Top 25 opponents.

Hawaii has not started 3-0 in conference play since 2007, when it went 12-0 overall before losing to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.