Bulldogs vs. Hawaii: Rainbow Warriors QB could be problem for untested Fresno State defense

Fresno State opens a coronavirus-condensed 2020 football season on Saturday against Hawaii at Bulldog Stadium, the first of an 8-game schedule that will be played against Mountain West Conference opponents.

Here is a first look at Hawaii, which last season won the West Division in the Mountain West then lost to Boise State in the conference title game.

Fresno State-Hawaii on TV

Where and when: Bulldog Stadium, 4:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: KSEE24/ESPN940AM

Fans: No fans are allowed to attend due to state coronavirus guidelines.

Records: Bulldogs 4-8 and 2-6 (tie, fourth) in MW in 2019, Rainbow Warriors 10-5 and 5-3 (first)

Series: Bulldogs lead 29-22-1, and 14-8-1 in Fresno

Last meeting: Fresno State won 41-38 at Aloha Stadium when Cesar Silva kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired.

Coaches: Kalen DeBoer (0-0, 67-3 in five seasons at NAIA Sioux Falls), Todd Graham (0-0, 95-61 in 12 seasons at four FBS programs)

Line: Bulldogs -3 1/2

Hawaii’s Chevan Cordeiro could be trouble

For a Bulldogs defense that just installed a new scheme and had limited practice time to rep it, Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro poses a difficult matchup.

A dual threat passer and runner, Cordeiro can make plays outside the Xs and Os and take advantage of any assignment busts in a Fresno State defense that might not be fully up to speed.

Cordeiro, who split time with Cole McDonald the past two seasons, is 4-0 as a starter and led the Rainbow Warriors in the fourth quarter of two other victories a year ago, coming off the bench to lead Hawaii to two scores and a 45-38 victory at Arizona and to a winning touchdown in a 14-11 victory over San Diego State.

The redshirt sophomore also led a comeback against Fresno State, bringing Hawaii back from a 14-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to tie the score before the Bulldogs won 41-38 on a field goal as time expired.

He entered that game for McDonald with about eight minutes to play, down 14 points and facing a third-and-10. On the first play he ran 26 yards for a first down, and on two subsequent drives led the Rainbow Warriors to touchdowns on drives that took just 1:31 and 1:04, completing 4 of 7 passes for 68 yards and rushing it twice for 15 yards and a score.

A wild card with Cordeiro will be the quarterback run game.

When Hawaii offensive coordinator G.J. Kinne was playing quarterback for Graham at Tulsa in 2010, the Golden Hurricane had an offense ranked No. 5 in the nation in total yards and sixth in scoring. It might just be history, but Kinne ran the ball on average 12 times a game while passing for 3,650 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Cordeiro would present a credible threat – last season he averaged 7.5 yards on 33 rushing plays (not counting seven sacks), gaining 10 or more yards 11 times.

Hawaii’s returning production

The Rainbow Warriors have 11 returning starters, six on offense and five on defense, and quite a bit of production to replace on both sides of the football.

• Points scored – 158 of 508, 31.1%
• Touchdowns – 26 of 68, 38.2%
• Passing yards – 951 of 5,056, 18.2%
• Rushing yards 1,254 of 2,009, 62.4%
• Receiving yards – 1,719 of 5,056, 34.0%
• Total offense – 2,175 of 7,065, 30.8%
• Tackles – 503 of 897, 56.1%
• Tackles For Loss – 38.5 of 61, 63.1%
• Sacks – 11 of 17, 64.7%
• Interceptions – 7 of 14, 50%

Not included in those numbers is linebacker/defensive end Penei Pavihi, who missed the 2019 season due to an injury. As a sophomore in 2018, Pavihi made 13 starts and was tied for second on the team with 87 total tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss. He also had two pass breakups, 1.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.

Hawaii player to watch

The Rainbow Warriors have Jonah Laulu on the depth chart as a defensive tackle, and at 6-6 and 280 pounds he fits the part. But when he started playing football at Centennial High in Las Vegas he was a wide out, then he was a tight end, and when he got to Hawaii he started out on the defensive side of the ball as a hybrid rush end.

On Saturday Hawaii could move him around up front, lining up in different spots.

Laulu last season played in a limited role for the Rainbow Warriors, but proved that he can be productive. Of his 11.0 total tackles, he had 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, ranking second and tied for second on the team.

Inside outside threats

The Rainbow Warriors lost three senior wide outs who a year ago accounted for 250 receptions, 3,144 receiving yards and 26 receiving touchdowns.

That’s Cedric Byrd II (98 for 1,097 and 10 TDs), Jason-Matthew Sharsh (87 for 913 and five) and JoJo Ward (65 for 1,134 and 11).

That’s also more receptions, more receiving yards and more receiving touchdowns than Fresno State had as a team last season. The Bulldogs completed 241 passes for 2,721 yards and had 17 touchdowns, and they were not the only team in the conference behind that Hawaii trio.

Hawaii does return a 1,000-yard receiver in Jared Smart, and some highly-productive receivers who will line up in the slot in the Rainbow Warriors’ run-and-gun offense.

Melquise Stovall is back after he was dismissed from the team after five games last season, and scored four touchdowns on just 18 receptions. Lincoln Victor scored at an even higher rate, with three TDs on 10 catches.

Hawaii also has a grad transfer who had a productive career in Conference USA – Rico Bussey from North Texas – who could pose matchup problems for the Bulldogs.

Well, that can’t be good

Fresno State’s defensive front will be up against a Hawaii offensive line that returns four starters and nine players who have started at least one game, with a combined 121 starts among the position group.

That is the third-most combined stats in the nation.

The Hawaii line is anchored by center Taaga Tuulima, who is on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, and left tackle Ilm Manning, who has started 29 games in a row, is a preseason all-conference selection and on the watch list for the Outland Trophy.

The Rainbow Warriors last season ranked second in the conference and fifth in the nation in tackles for loss allowed, just 3.9 per game.