ASSOCIATED PRESS Hawaii's Gerard Lewis brought down New Mexico State's Nick Cleaver after a catch during Saturday's game.

Table set for Warriors to run

But QB Colt Brennan says Hawaii, at 5-2, can't afford to look past anyone on its schedule

Supposedly, everything is set up for Hawaii -- riding a four-game winning streak -- to win the rest of its football games this year.

But four of the 5-2 Warriors' final six scheduled opponents have at least as many wins as losses.

After Saturday's 49-30 victory at New Mexico State, there's just one road game left for Hawaii, in two weeks at Utah State (1-7).

The other opponents are Idaho (4-4) on Saturday, then Louisiana Tech (2-5), San Jose State (4-2), Purdue (5-3) and Oregon State (4-3). Then -- unless the Warriors somehow collapse and don't win two more games -- the Hawaii Bowl.

All at home, even the bowl game.

At first glance, it looks relatively easy for the team with the nation's most productive offense, including an O-line that one NFL scout called the best in the nation. We're looking at 12-2 and the best record in school history, right?

Not so fast, says the most efficient quarterback in the country.

"One thing I learned from this week is that anyone you play has a chance to step up and have a great game and give you a run," said Colt Brennan, after passing for five touchdowns for the fourth time this season. "On our schedule right now, it may look like we have a great chance to run the table, but we can't expect anything.

"We gotta work hard and go get it. Next week we have Idaho at home and they've actually been doing real well. I think they played Boise pretty tough. We've got another turnaround, another big game."

And UH is a big favorite -- 24 points according to the Glantz-Culver line. The Warriors were 20-point favorites against the Aggies, and NMSU stuck around until the fourth quarter.

Veterans on this senior-laden team said they don't pay attention to who is supposed to win and by how much, and that's why the Warriors were able to win two in a row on the road.

"Our maturity right now is at a high level," said senior receiver Ross Dickerson, who scored two touchdowns Saturday. "Our team has a better attitude toward road games. We'll play anybody and we'll think that we can win."

Dickerson and others who were there say this is a different team than three years ago, when they went to USC and UNLV on back-to-back weekends, staying on the mainland between games. On paper that Hawaii team looked like it might be able to give the Trojans a game and should have beaten the Rebels. But the Warriors were overwhelmed at the Coliseum and fell victim to their own mistakes at Vegas.

"Everybody's grown up," said senior defensive end Mel Purcell, who also played on the 2003 team. "And we've got young guys stepping up. That's big for us."

It was huge when Purcell combined with sophomore linebacker Adam Leonard on the play of the game in the fourth quarter Saturday. Purcell separated Aggies quarterback Chase Holbrook from his senses and the football. Leonard recovered the fumble and ran it back 20 yards for a touchdown to all but ice the game. Backup nose tackle Kahai LaCount did that a few plays later with a fumble recovery.

LaCount is another senior who notices a different atmosphere.

"It's a different team. The whole team plays a lot better together. Everybody's hungry this year," he said. "Everybody wants it more and is working harder to get it."

Warriors get votes: UH, which got three points in the USA Today Top 25 coaches' poll last week, got seven this week.

Hawaii also received two points in the Associated Press media poll and three points in the Harris Interactive poll.

Brennan tops charts: After Saturday's 22-for-31, 330-yard, five-touchdown performance, Brennan moved up to No. 1 nationally in passing efficiency with a 183.1 mark.

He continues to lead the nation in touchdown passes, with 28. Graham Harrell of Texas Tech is second with 25.

Brennan's 72.89 completion percentage is also best nationwide, and he has an ongoing streak of 120 passes without an interception.

"He's just getting better every week and getting a better grasp of what we're doing and he's got it all," UH coach June Jones said.

Chasing Chase: UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville left Las Cruces, N.M., with a lot of respect for Aggies quarterback Chase Holbrook, who continues to lead the nation in total offense and passing yards (Brennan is second and third).

"The way he fires it so quick, sometimes you don't even pressure him. You contain him and cover everybody. We tried to mix it on him," said Glanville, after Holbrook completed 31 of 45 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted by UH's Gerard Lewis (another pick, by Myron Newberry, was called back).

NMSU coach Hal Mumme said UH is the hardest-hitting defensive team the Aggies have faced this year. Glanville said it is becoming a team trademark.

"It's the hitting, it's the intensity. It's the striking of the opponent that wins for us. Every coach we talk to after the game says 'man, you guys hit.' And that's how we win. If we don't hit like that, we're not gonna win that game. We just kept hittin' and hittin' and hittin' and eventually we got some breaks, we got a couple of balls."