No. 4, Elijah Cooks, jumps over two UTEP defenders to secure a catch. Cooks is wearing grey pants and a white jersey. The two UTEP defenders are both wearing all blue uniforms with accents of orange.
Kyle Pulek/Nevada Athletics. Nevada wide receiver Elijah Cooks leaps into the air for a catch against UTEP on Sept. 21, 2019. Cooks had four catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Bot

With UTEP in the books, the Wolf Pack now look to week 5, when they’ll host Hawai’i in Reno.

In its past games against the Hawai’i Warriors, the Nevada Wolf Pack has had more wins, longer winning streaks and higher margins of victory than their competition. However, going into their homecoming game this Friday, it’s up in the air as to whether or not head coach Jay Norvell will be able to hold on to that streak.

Currently, both teams are standing at 3-1 through their first four games of the season. Hawaii has an edge in points per game, averaging 32.8 compared to Nevada’s 24. It is also worth noting that Hawaii has been edging out opponents with better all-time records than Nevada’s competitors.

Nevada and Hawaii have a near-identical all-time win percentage, with Hawai’i standing at 58.4 percent, while Nevada holds at 54.4 percent.  Compared to Nevada, Hawai’i has thrown significantly more touchdown passes this season,14, compared to Nevada’s five. Hawai’i is also edging out the Pack in possession time, by two minutes. 

So far on paper, the matchup looks tight for Nevada, but the Wolf Pack has a few key advantages. First is their ability to hold onto the ball. The Wolf Pack turn the ball over far fewer times than their counterparts from Hawai’i. Nevada has forced 10 turnovers through three games, whereas Hawai’i has forced only two. 

Something that shouldn’t be overlooked in this match-up is elevation. Hawai’i is located in Honolulu, a city only situated just above 19 feet above sea level. Reno is a tad higher at 4,506 feet above sea level. Nevada athletes are used to the fatigue of high elevation play, the same cannot be said for Hawai’i.

Nevada isn’t without its flaws though. The Wolf Pack has lost 247 yards to penalties over the last four games, averaging a loss of 61.8 yards per game. Penalties have stunted Hawaii as well, but at a much lower rate. Hawai’i averages a loss of 48.5 yards per game to penalties. 

If Nevada is to build upon their best start since the 2014 season, they will have to cut down on costly penalties.

Nevada leads Hawai’i in the all-time series, 14-9, with Nevada winning seven of the last eight games since 2011. Nevada football hosts Hawai’i on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Mackay Stadium, kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The last time Hawai’i won in Reno, was on Nov. 16, 2007.

F. Evans can be reached at rfreeberg@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.