First look: Hawai’i at UCLA

Hawai’i running back Diocemy Saint Juste attempts to get past Nevada defensive end (90) in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, in Honolulu. (Eugene Tanner/AP)

UCLA (1-0) vs. Hawai‘i (2-0)
Saturday, Sept. 9 | 2 p.m. PT | Rose Bowl
TV: Pac-12 Networks (JB Long, Yogi Roth, Jill Savage)
Radio: AM 1150 (Josh Lewin, Matt Stevens, Wayne Cook)

Scouting report

Hawai‘i is in its second year under head coach Nick Rolovich, who has his alma mater off to its first 2-0 start since 2009. The Rainbow Warriors defeated Massachusetts on the road in the season opener and won their home opener against Western Carolina last weekend. The Rainbow Warriors blocked a school-record three field goal attempts last week during their 41-18 win. Defensive lineman Meffy Kolamatangi had two blocks, tying a school record.

Hawai‘i hasn’t beaten a Pac-12 team on the mainland since 2009, a 38-20 win over Washington State in Seattle. The team is coming off its first bowl win since 2006 and trying for its first winning season since 2010.

The Hawai‘i defense was one of the worst in the country last year, ranking 113th in points allowed per game with 37.3. New defensive coordinator Legi Suiaunoa, the team’s former defensive line coach, has the team surrendering 26.5 points per game in its first two weeks.

Series history

UCLA will face Hawai‘i for the first time in 79 years and only the third time in school history. The Bruins own a 2-0 record over the Rainbow Warriors, winning 19-6 at the L.A. Coliseum in 1935 and 32-7 in 1938 in Honolulu. This is the first time Hawai‘i will be playing in the Rose Bowl.

Players to watch

— RB Diocemy Saint Juste (280 rushing yards, 48 carries, 1 TD)

The senior is the only Rainbow Warrior with two 200-rushing yard games after he ran for 202 yards on 25 carries against Western Carolina. He had 100-yard games in his career, including four in 2016.

— QB Dru Brown (36-for-59, 545 yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs)

Brown threw for a career-high 391 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener against UMass. The junior claimed the starting quarterback job after the first month of last season and started the final 10 games of the year.

— LB Jahlani Tavai (23 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery)

The sophomore middle linebacker from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach leads the Rainbow Warriors in tackles and is tied for the team-lead in sacks. He ranked sixth in the country in solo tackles (86) last year.