Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Hawaii Warriors Prediction, 9/3/2022 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Hawaii Warriors

Date: Saturday, September 3, 2022

Location: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, HI

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Warriors (+7)

Total/Over-Under: 61.5

Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex is the site where the Hawaii Warriors (6-7 last year) will take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (9-5 last season) on Saturday. Hawaii opens this game as 7-point underdogs from Vegas oddsmakers. The total is 61.5.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers ended the season with a 9-5 record. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Hilltoppers faced off with the Appalachian State Mountaineers and earned the victory with a final of 59-38. Noah Whittington was the rushing leader for the Hilltoppers with 7 attempts for 150 yds (21.4 yards per carry). Bailey Zappe finished 33/47 with 422 yds through the air and 6 touchdowns. He had a QB rating of 187.8 and ended the contest without throwing an interception. Against the run, the Hilltoppers conceded 251 yds on 43 tries, which averages out to 5.8 yds per rush allowed. Western Kentucky conceded 20 pass completions on 35 attempts for a total of 358 yds, and a completion rate of 57.1%. When the final whistle blew, they had 73 plays which converted into 641 yds. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers ended up running the ball 26 different times and accrued 219 yards, which had them averaging 8.4 yards per tote.

The Hilltoppers attained 7,510 total yards last season. Western Kentucky earned 63 touchdowns via the pass and 13 rushing touchdowns. They surrendered the football 21 different times. Western Kentucky accumulated 386 1st downs as an offense, and they were flagged for 95 penalties for 757 yds. As a team they had an average of 102.7 yds via the ground game, which had them sitting 120th in the country. When it comes to scoring points, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers averaged 44.2 points per game.

In terms of yards via the pass, the Hilltoppers allowed 3,742 yds which ranked them 128th in Division 1. Over the course of their 14 games, they allowed 267.3 yards per game through the air in addition to surrendering a completion percentage of 60.9%. They surrendered 435.8 yards per outing which put them 107th in Division 1. They allowed 22 passing touchdowns in addition to 28 touchdowns on the ground. The opposition ran for 4.2 yards per rush and 168.5 rushing yards per game throughout last season. In total, they conceded 2,359 running yards through 14 contests. The Hilltoppers were ranked 92nd in college football when it comes to team defense, conceding 29.4 points per game.

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The Warriors ended the year holding a 6-7 mark. The last time they took the gridiron, the Warriors walked away with a victory by a final of 38-14 when they faced the Wyoming Cowboys. Chevan Cordeiro (3 touchdowns) finished the game with 323 yds on 19/31 through the air while his QB rate was 174.3. He had 1 interception and his average yards per attempt was 10.4. Chevan Cordeiro carried the football 14 times for 86 yds, ending the game with 6.1 yds per attempt for Hawaii. Hawaii rushed the ball for 4.6 yds per attempt, finishing the game with 167 yds on 36 carries. The Warriors finished the contest with a total of 490 yds and they ran 67 plays (7.3 yards per play). The Warriors pass defense allowed a completion rate of 62.1%, relinquishing 186 yards on 18 out of 29 passing. Hawaii conceded 37 running attempts for 119 yards (3.2 yds per carry).

When it comes to their ability to score points, the Warriors earned a ranking of 64th in D-1 by scoring 28.8 points per game. Last season, the Warriors had a total of 3,409 passing yards as well as averaging 262.2 passing yards per game, which was ranked 36th in D-1. The Hawaii Warriors had an average of 405.0 yards per contest, which had them ranked 63rd in Division 1. The Hawaii offense totaled 586 penalty yds on 68 violations, which was good for 92nd in college football in terms of making mistakes.

The Warriors allowed 31.4 PPG, which put them in 100th in the country. Hawaii surrendered a total of 2,032 yards via the ground game (156.3 yards per contest) and 23 touchdowns on the ground last season. Last year, they conceded 408 total points. They allowed 23 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 289.7 yards/outing, which had them sitting 125th in the nation. The Warriors defense was on the field for 1,008 plays, which ranked them 126th in the nation.

Who will win tonight's Hilltoppers/Warriors college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Hilltoppers -7

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