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FACTS & STATS: Site: Mackay Stadium (29,993) -- Reno, Nevada. Television: ESPNU. Home Record: Hawaii 3-1, Nevada 3-0. Away Record: Hawaii 2-3, Nevada 2-3. Neutral Record: Hawaii 0-0, Nevada 0-0. Conference Record: Hawaii 3-2, Nevada 3-0. Series Record: Hawaii leads, 8-7.

GAME NOTES: The last of the unbeatens in Western Athletic Conference play, the Nevada Wolf Pack get back to playing football this weekend as they entertain the Hawaii Warriors at Mackay Stadium in Reno.

Nevada, which enjoyed a bye last week, has bounced back from a disappointing 1-3 start to the season by putting together a four-game win streak which has the team 3-0 versus the rest of the WAC. The last time the Pack was in action it was in Las Cruces where it dismissed New Mexico State by a score of 48-34 on October 29. During this four game run Nevada has scored at least 37 points in each outing, boosting the team's overall scoring average to 32.5 ppg which is third in the conference entering play this week.

As for the Warriors, they should have been well on their way to their third consecutive win last Saturday night, but the team allowed a 28-7 halftime lead to disappear and eventually turn into a 35-31 home loss versus Utah State. The setback was just the second in the last six games for the team, but dropped it to 3-2 in WAC play at the same time.

Nevada trails in the all-time series with Hawaii by a count of 8-7, but at the very least the Pack has taken four of the five meetings played in the Silver State over the years. However, last season the Warriors disrupted what could have been a monumental campaign for Nevada by registering a 27-21 win in Honolulu. That loss for the Wolf Pack snapped a six-game win streak to begin the 2010 campaign and ended up being the only thing standing between Nevada and a perfect season.

After giving up an early touchdown to the Aggies last Saturday night, Hawaii ripped off four straight TDs to go up 28-7 at the break, but still that wasn't good enough as the Warriors suffered the late four-point loss. Quarterback Bryant Moniz not only threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns, he also led the hosts on the ground with 75 yards and another two TDs but in the end his individual effort fell short. Moniz, who led the nation in total offense a year ago, has given the team some huge moments on the ground this season as the second-leading rusher with 33.2 ypg. Obviously his yardage total isn't that significant, but his eight rushing TDs certainly are, not to mention his 22 passing TDs and 301.1 ypg through the air. However, Moniz will have some trouble reaching his normal passing numbers for the immediate future seeing as how Royce Pollard, his top receiver with 56 catches for 834 yards and seven TDs, is listed as questionable with a leg injury. Fellow receivers Darius Bright (toe) and Justin Clapp (rib) are listed as questionable and doubtful, respectively, for the meeting against Nevada.

Not only did the Hawaii offense fail to perform in the second half last weekend, the defense also had issues trying to slow down a USU offense that had to move to its backup quarterback after Chuckie Keeton was knocked out and taken off the field. Even though Utah State controlled the ball for less than 11 minutes after the break, the Aggies still fought their way back to capture a thrilling road win, one that will stick in the minds of the Warriors for some time. Corey Parades delivered a team-high 10 solo tackles, while Aaron Brown was credited with three tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and an interception. Brown is clearly someone who can shake up the action for the Warriors, leading them with 68 tackles and 10 stops behind the line of scrimmage, but Parades is also a significant performer with 65 tackles and three forced fumbles. Thanks to Art Laurel, currently tied for second in the conference and eighth in the nation with 0.89 sacks per game, the team as a whole is ninth in the country with 3.1 sacks per outing.

Initially the job of starting quarterback was going to Tyler Lantrip, but living up to the legend of Colin Kaepernick wasn't the easiest thing for the youngster in Reno. More recently the Pack has been going with Cody Fajardo as the starter and the change has paid big dividends, particularly on the ground where the signal-caller is now second on the team with 444 yards and is tops with 10 rushing scores for a program that is seventh in the nation in rushing with 266.9 ypg. From a passing standpoint, Fajardo still has quite a bit to learn, having thrown just two touchdowns and four interceptions on 106 attempts, but his overall accuracy tends to be pretty strong at 70.8 percent, even though the end result isn't always the best. Regardless of who it is standing in the pocket for the Pack, Rishard Matthews continues to be the main target down the field with his 105.0 ypg which is tops in the conference and 14th in the nation this week. Averaging 16.5 yards per catch, you might be surprised to find that Matthews has just three TDs through the air this season.

Opponents have been slow to score against the Wolf Pack coming out of the locker room in both the first and second halves, combining for just 40 points in the first quarter and 45 in the third, so at least Nevada is playing well in those frames. More of a concern is the second stanza where those opponents have combined to generate 79 points, the sort of effort that means the Pack might be tiring out too quickly. From an individual standpoint, J.M. Johnson leads the team with 63 tackles and Brandon Marshall isn't that far behind with 61. Getting the most bang for his buck is Brett Roy who has turned in team highs of 13.5 TFL and seven sacks on 46 overall stops. Khalid Wooten (47 tackles) has been credited with three interceptions and two forced fumbles, so whenever he's around the ball Hawaii needs to be aware of what can potentially happen.

After being stunned by Utah State at home the Warriors have to be wondering what else can happen to them this season. Unfortunately, having so many questions on the depth chart cannot be a good sign and playing on the mainland will only add to their woes.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Nevada 41, Hawaii 28