College football Thursday

Big-5 futures

Up: Utah — A win could bring national title hopes.

Up: BYU — The second of four likely wins.

Up: Utah State — Expect the Northern Ags to cruise.

Stable: Weber State — Dr. Jekyll and coach McBride.

Up: Southern Utah — A very deserved invite to Big Sky.

Player to watch

TCU quarterback Andy Dalton

His 38 victories as a starter are more than any other quarterback in college football. He's thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game this season.

Game of the week

(4) TCU at (6) Utah

Saturday, 1:30 p.m., CBS C

Simply the biggest football game — on a national scale — to be played in the great state of Utah.

Quick read

Boise, say aloha to Hawaii

HONOLULU — While Boise State and Nevada have grabbed the spotlight this season, another Western Athletic Conference school is quietly racking up wins.

Hawaii (7-2, 5-0 WAC) has breezed through its competition in the past six weeks, with the closest game a six-point win against Nevada, and surprisingly given itself a shot at stealing the conference title from the No. 2 Broncos in a season where the Warriors were predicted to finish near the bottom of the league.

"I think we're peaking right now. I think it's a good time for us," Warriors coach Greg McMackin said.

The confident and Hawaii Bowl-bound Warriors will see exactly how far they've come when they face heavily favored Boise State on the road Saturday.

"There's a lot at stake on this game for both teams. That's the way you want it," McMackin said. "You want to get in a situation like this. That's what it's all about."

The matchup is the biggest in McMackin's three seasons at Hawaii. But he insists there's more pressure on the Broncos (7-0, 3-0), who are chasing another perfect season and a national title.

"They probably have more to lose than we have because they're looking at the national stage," McMackin said. "We've already got our bowl taken care of. We're looking for the WAC championship, and they are, too."

The Warriors, who have won six straight by an average margin of 30 points, are largely known for a high-octane offense that leads the nation in passing. But it's their aggressive defense that has given them new life and success this year.

Hawaii ranks second in the nation behind Oregon with 24 takeaways, including 21 in the past six games.

"It's us playing as a team — playing as one now," said safety Mana Silva, who has five interceptions, giving him 12 for his career, one shy of a school record.

—Associated Press

State of the state

BYU (3-5)

Opponent: UNLV

Location: Provo

Day: Saturday

Time: noon

TV: The mtn.

Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM