Hawaii starts season with tough Pac-12 foes

Stephens Media

For the second time in three years, Hawaii’s football team will open the season with a measuring-stick opponent: USC.

The Warriors will play the Trojans on Aug. 29 before traveling to face another quality Pac-12 opponent in Oregon State on Sept. 7.

“I don’t know of too many teams that open the season with two quality Pac-12 opponents, then have to start the league with some of the top teams in the conference,” Hawaii coach Norm Chow said in a statement after the Mountain West Conference released its season schedule on Thursday. “But our guys will be ready, and they understand what it means to get off to a strong start.”

Game times have not been announced.

Chow started his first season as Warriors coach last fall, and Hawaii fell to USC 49-10 in Los Angeles. The teams last played in Honolulu in 2010, when the Trojans’ Matt Barkley threw for 257 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-36 USC win.

In the Beavers, Hawaii will face a team that ended the season ranked 19th in USA Today’s top 25 poll. In other nonconference games, the Warriors will travel to face Navy on Nov. 9 and host Army on Nov. 30.

Hawaii will begin Mountain West play at Nevada on Sept. 21, and it also has MWC road games against UNLV, Utah State and Wyoming. The Warriors will host Fresno State, San Jose State, Colorado State and San Diego State.