College Football Odds: HAWAII WARRIORS at SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS
Hawaii looks to retain its dominance over San Jose State when it travels to the mainland for a Friday night tussle with the Spartans.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Hawaii -5 & 56
Opening Line & Total: Hawaii -6.5 & 55
Hawaii has won nine of the past 10 meetings, winning by at least a touchdown in eight of those matchups. San Jose State is not good enough on either side of the ball to hang with the Warriors. The Spartans rank 91st in total offense (348 YPG) and their top RB Brandon Rutley (104 rush YPG) is questionable with an ankle injury that kept him out of last week’s game. SJSU ranks 92nd in total defense (415 YPG), and no FBS team has fewer than its three total sacks. This will allow Hawaii star QB Bryant Moniz (560 pass yards in last year’s 41-7 win over SJSU) plenty of time to dissect the field.
Moniz has thrown for 834 yards, 11 TD and 0 INT in leading his team to 100 points during a two-game win streak over UC Davis and Louisiana Tech. Senior WR Royce Pollard has been the main beneficiary of Moniz’s hot streak, as Pollard has 19 catches for 361 yards and six touchdowns in these two contests. Although this is a pass-first offense, the Warriors still have eight rushing touchdowns, including four by Moniz. Freshman Joey Iosefa had a breakout game last week, rumbling for 99 yards on 16 carries (6.2 YPC). Hawaii isn’t known for its defense, but the stop unit has done some nice things this year, allowing just 327 yards per game (18th-fewest in nation) with 3.8 sacks per game (third-most in nation).
San Jose State is 3-10 SU in its past 13 WAC home games, but has won two of its past three games this year, scoring 29.3 PPG in this stretch. If it is to win again, somebody will need to run the football effectively with Rutley still on the mend. Last week at BYU, the Spartans gained only 70 yards on 26 carries (2.7 YPC) without their top rusher. QB Matt Faulkner has been middling this season with 4 TD and 4 INT in his five games. He threw two picks last week, and failed to score for the third time this season. In addition to their paltry sack total of three, the Spartans have a pathetic 3.3 Tackles for Loss per game. Only Navy (3.2) has a worse TFL average in the entire country.
