Utah State football: Aggies face another hungry football team

With a 2-6 record and a big goose-egg on the road-win column, Utah State is hungry.

The Aggies, who visit Hawaii tonight, would like nothing more than to return to Logan with a win.

Utah State's empty feeling, however, is nothing compared to the pangs felt in Aloha Stadium where the Warriors — a program which had grown accustomed to winning — have lost six straight.

"This is foreign territory for them," USU coach Gary Andersen said. "They are used to going to bowl games and competing for championships."

Hawaii's free-fall from WAC power coincided with the injury to its quarterback, Greg Alexander, and a stretch of games away from the islands where they typically have so much success.

This season, the Warriors don't seem to have the homefield dominance they used to and have lost their previous two home games by a combined score of 96-26. Their only other home game was a narrow 25-20 season-opening win over Central Arkansas.

If there is a time perfect for Utah State — a team which has had fourth-quarter leads in four straight games but won just one — to be victorious at Hawaii, this might be it.

"We are looking forward to it. It is going to be strictly a business trip," Andersen said. "We are not going a day early. We are going to fly out and get ready to play the game and come back after. We are not doing any of the tourist stuff there; we are there to win a football game."

Utah State's offense has been powerful recently, averaging 436.6 yards per game, but lost a little of its pop in the fourth quarter.

That's a situation Andersen hopes to rectify.

"It is difficult right now at certain times. You have to be able to knock them off the ball and get six inches. You are going to have to be pretty dynamic to get it in the end zone when you can't do that," Andersen said.

"That is one of the problems we have week in and week out. I think offensively and defensively we have to settle in and say this is what we do. Go ahead and scheme us, but we are still going to do it effectively. We don't have that ability right now and I think that hurts you."

And, after three gut-emptying losses in the last four games, the Aggies hope to take away that hurt with a satisfying win.

Aggies on the air

Utah State (2-6, 1-3 WAC) at

Hawaii (3-6, 0-5)

Tonight, 8 p.m.

Aloha Stadium, Honolulu

TV: CW30 Radio: 610 AM, 1230

AM, 95.9 FM

e-mail: jeborn@desnews.com