Hawaii vs. UNLV: Keys to a Rebels Win, How to Watch, Livestream, Odds, Prediction
The Rebels host Hawaii in the Ninth Island Showdown. Here’s how to watch the livestream and what to watch for against the Warriors.
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Can the Rebels make it two wins in a row?
WEEK 11: Hawaii Warriors (4-6, 1-4 Mountain West) vs. UNLV Rebels (1-8, 1-4 Mountain West)
WHEN: Saturday, November 13 — 1:00 PM PT/11:00 AM HT
WHERE: Allegiant Stadium; Las Vegas, NV
TV: Spectrum Pay-Per-View
STREAMING: For fans on the mainland, the game can only be streamed using the Team1Sports application, which is available for download on Android and Apple devices and over-the-top platforms like Roku and Amazon Fire. Please note that the game will not be available on desktops or laptops.
You can also stream the UNLV radio broadcast on LVSportsNetwork.com.
RADIO: The UNLV broadcast can be found in and around Las Vegas on ESPN 1100 AM and 100.9 FM. The Hawaii broadcast can be found on ESPN Honolulu, 1420 AM and 92.7 FM.
SERIES RECORD: Hawaii leads the all-time series, 18-12. In the last meeting on December 12, 2020, the Warriors defeated the Rebels, 38-21, in Honolulu.
LAST WEEK: UNLV won on the road against New Mexico, 31-17, while Hawaii lost at home to San Diego State, 17-10.
WEBSITES: HawaiiAthletics.com, the official Hawaii athletics website | UNLVRebels.com, the official UNLV athletics website
GAME NOTES (PDF): Hawaii | UNLV
ODDS (as of 11/10, via Vegas Insider): Hawaii -3
SP+ PROJECTION: Hawaii by 9.4
FEI PROJECTION: UNLV by 0.8
PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: UNLV 56.86% win probability
The UNLV Rebels finally scored their first win of the year last weekend and now they’ll look to string together their first winning streak in nearly two calendar years while hosting the Hawaii Warriors.
Todd Graham’s Warriors haven’t always looked like the same team from week to week, which could explain why they have fallen into something of a slump in the past month, dropping three of the last four games. Whether this is good or bad news for UNLV head coach Marcus Arroyo and the Rebels, however, might depend on which Hawaii team decides to show up on Saturday afternoon.
Here’s how the Rebels can beat Hawaii.
Three Keys to a UNLV Victory
1. Keep Chevan Cordeiro on the ropes.
After missing three games with injury, the veteran Cordeiro returned to the starting lineup two weeks ago but played inconsistently against both Utah State and San Diego State. That’s been more or less the story of his entire year, however, since his season-long numbers are inflated by Hawaii’s games against Portland State and New Mexico State.
In those two games through which he played, Cordeiro completed 68% of his passes at 11.6 yards per attempt with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Against everyone else, he’s completed just 52.4% of his attempts, averaged only 6.2 YPA, and has thrown seven touchdowns and six interceptions. Combined with a 8% sack rate allowed, UNLV should have plenty of chances to prove last week’s defensive breakthroughs weren’t a fluke.
2. Don’t lose track of Calvin Turner Jr.
Hawaii’s do-it-all offensive weapon isn’t flying under the radar anymore, but that hasn’t stopped him from being every bit as prolific as he was when he burst onto the scene last season. Only Utah State’s Deven Thompkins is currently averaging more all-purpose yards per game than Turner’s 122.6 and he’s tied for the Mountain West lead with 11 total touchdowns, so knowing where he is at all times will be paramount.
It will make for an interesting chess match for defensive coordinator Peter Hansen, who will have to decide coverage responsibilities from play to play. Do you trust that a linebacker like Jacoby Windmon will handle Turner Jr. one-on-one or turn to nickelback Aaron Lewis? One way or another, you can expect that he’ll be a focal point of the passing game, at a minimum, since he has at least four catches in every game this year.
https://twitter.com/HawaiiFootball/status/1452159756836098049?s=20
3. Neutralize the Warriors secondary.
Hawaii has been tested through the air more often than anyone in the country except for Michigan State and they’ve mostly held their own, as evidenced by 44 pass breakups and ten interceptions. However, teams that have been able to avoid turning the ball over have had a tremendous amount of success against these Warriors: In their six losses, Hawaii has allowed 11 passing touchdowns and picked off just one of 205 pass attempts.
This means that the game could be a critical proving ground for Cameron Friel, who seems now to be the unquestioned starter now that Doug Brumfield is finished for the year with injury. There’s little doubt the true freshman has improved over the course of the season but he currently owns a 4.2% interception rate and has thrown at least one in five of seven games to date. If he takes a step or two backwards, Hawaii’s defensive backfield can get its hands on the football and change the tenor of the game in a hurry.
Prediction
Neither team in this matchup has really played up to its potential this year, which makes this a fascinating game that could unfold in any number of directions. Will the Warriors start flat after an early kickoff on the mainland, as they did against Utah State? Will the Rebels be able to create havoc again like they did against New Mexico? Which quarterback will avoid the big mistake?
If it gets weird, then it might just come down to quarterback play. In that case, I’d give Friel the upper hand to make just enough plays and send Hawaii back to the islands with a loss.
UNLV 38, Hawaii 34
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