The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the New Mexico Lobos meet Saturday in college football action from University Stadium. Hawaii took on San Diego State in their last outing. The Warriors would go on to lose by a touchdown, dropping to 2-5 on the season. As for New Mexico, they’re coming off a game versus San Jose State. In that one the Lobos moved to 2-4 overall following a blowout loss. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 

The Warriors have had a choppy year at best so far, but to be fair they’ve taken on some tough opponents along the way. Hawaii lost their first pair versus Vanderbilt 35-28 and Stanford 37-24, but then got a victory over Albany 31-20 in game three. The next trio were a loss to Oregon 55-10, a win over New Mexico State 20-17 and a loss to UNLV 44-20 to drop the team to 2-4 overall. 

Matched up against San Diego State at home on Saturday, the Warriors held a 24-20 advantage heading into the fourth quarter but lost 41-34 after surrendering 21 points from there. QB Brayden Schager led the way on 427 yards, three scores and a pick. Steven McBride added five catches for 157 yards, and Nick Cenacle had three grabs for 100 yards and a TD. 

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Team Facts

• Hawaii has lost each of its last nine road games.
• Hawaii has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four games.
• Hawaii has lost the first half in each of its last six games against conference opponents.
• Each of Hawaii’s last four games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.

New Mexico Lobos 

Over on the Lobos’ side, they went a sketchy 2-3 in their first five games before the bye week. The two wins came versus Tennessee Tech 56-10 and UMass 34-31 in overtime. Otherwise New Mexico lost to Texas A&M 52-10, New Mexico State 27-17 and Wyoming 35-26 during that stretch. The Lobos’ Jeremiah Hixon caught six balls for 49 yards and two scores in the loss to the Cowboys. 

In their game against San Jose State, New Mexico State held a slim 17-14 lead at the break. The Lobos game up 24 unanswered points in the third however, and lost 52-24. Dylan Hopkins posted 187 yards and a pick while Jacory Croskey-Merritt carried the run game on 68 yards and two scores. DJ Washington had three catches for 60 yards and a TD as well. 

New Mexico Lobos Team Facts

• New Mexico has lost each of its last 20 games against conference opponents at University Stadium.
• New Mexico has failed to cover the spread in each of its last 10 games against conference opponents at University Stadium.
• New Mexico has lost the first half in 13 of its last 15 games against conference opponents at University Stadium.
• Each of New Mexico’s last five October games as a home favorite against non-AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.

ANDREW’S FREE PICK 

I’ll probably stay with Hawaii. Granted, there’s not a ton of intrigue involved here but it should be a competitive game. The Warriors are coming off 480 total yards (427 passing) in the loss to San Diego State, adding 19 first downs and a decent 6-of-12 run on third downs. Hawaii coughed up four turnovers however, and gave up 378 yards (221 passing) on the other side. That makes a whopping 85 points allowed in the last two games combined, but this matchup should be more manageable in that regard. 

As for New Mexico, they gave up 531 yards (259 rushing) and 10.8 yards per play to San Jose State. The 15 penalties for 120 yards didn’t help matters, nor did the sketchy 5-of-15 success rate on third downs. The Lobos should be comfortable at home here against a more comparable team but I don’t think they’ll ultimately keep the cover pace the whole way.