Ault, No. 19 Wolf Pack seek rare win at Hawaii

HONOLULU -- Winning in paradise hasn't been easy for UNR coach Chris Ault.

His 19th-ranked Wolf Pack need a victory tonight at Hawaii to stay perfect on the season and keep pace with powerhouse Boise State in the Western Athletic Conference.

The problem is they've gone 0-5 against Hawaii at Aloha Stadium and haven't beaten the Warriors on the road since 1948 -- 11 years before Hawaii became a state.

"Nobody goes into Hawaii as favorites," said Ault, whose team is favored by a touchdown.

UNR (6-0, 1-0 WAC) is off to its best start since 1991, though, when the then-Division I-AA Wolf Pack went 12-0 before losing in the playoffs.

With UNR comfortably handling all challengers (it has yet to trail in a game) and its plans to join the Mountain West Conference next year, this might be Ault's best and final chance at leaving Hawaii with more than a nice tan.

"Whether it's Hawaii, Nevada or any place else, a road win is a big deal," Ault said. "It doesn't matter what their team's record is or how the team is doing. To win on the road is really a challenge for anybody in any sport."

The WAC showdown pits two of the nation's top offenses, with UNR's pistol taking on Hawaii's run-and-shoot. UNR ranks second in total offense (545.3 yards) and fifth in rushing (314.3), and Hawaii is sixth in total offense (496.7) and leads the nation in passing (421.7).

The Wolf Pack are led by quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running back Vai Taua, each with 11 rushing touchdowns and averaging 7 yards per carry. Last week against San Jose State, Kaepernick passed for 273 yards and Taua ran for 196 and three scores as UNR racked up a season-high 640 yards of offense.

"A lot of people run the pistol, but they don't have Kaepernick and they don't have Taua. Those two guys are really special players," Hawaii coach Greg McMackin said.

Ault is pleased with how physical Taua has been. He's averaging 139.5 yards rushing.

Hawaii defensive coordinator Dave Aranda called trying to stop UNR's attack "a pain." Taua is tough to tackle, and Kaepernick has improved throwing the ball and reading defenses.

"He's making checks, audiblizing and taking advantage of weaknesses. All of that is advance stuff," Aranda said. "That's stuff he wasn't doing back then that he's doing now."

While UNR's success was expected, Hawaii (4-2, 2-0) is somewhat of a surprise. The Warriors, picked to finish seventh in the conference, are seeking their fourth straight win and trying to stay in the hunt for their second WAC title in four years.