The University of Hawai'i football team kicks off Mountain West play at Wyoming Saturday, Sept. 23 in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPN2. Game time is 8:15 p.m. MT (4:15 p.m. HT) at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyo.
 
The Rainbow Warriors (2-1, 0-0 MW) are 15-23 all-time in conference openers, which includes a 3-5 mark against Wyoming. In fact, UH opened league play against the Cowboys the last time the teams met in 2014 in Honolulu, which resulted in a 38-28 Hawai'i victory. In that win, the Warriors reclaimed the Paniolo Trophy, which the Cowboys had maintained since 1993, when both teams were members of the Western Athletic Conference.
 
The trophy was established in 1979. UW leads the all-time series 13-9.
 
UH is coming off a bye week while Wyoming (1-2, 0-0 MW) suffered a 49-13 home loss to Oregon. The Cowboys are in the midst of a four-game homestand, which began with a 27-0 shutout win over Gardner-Webb. The Warriors dropped a 56-23 decision to UCLA, Sept. 9 at the Rose Bowl.
 
Game #4
Who: Hawai'i (2-1, 0-0 MW) vs. Wyoming (1-2, 0-0 MW)
When: Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017
Time: 8:15 p.m. MT / 4:15 p.m. HT
Where: Laramie, Wyo.
Stadium: War Memorial Stadium (29.181)
Television: ESPN2 with Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Tom Ramsey (analyst).
Radio: ESPN 1420 AM will carry the game live with Bobby Curran (play-by-play) and John Veneri (analyst). Chris Hart and Gary Dickman host the "Countdown To Kickoff" beginning at 2:15 p.m. HT, and also the halftime show. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KPUA on the Big Island, KTOH on Kaua'i, and KNWJ in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
Video Streaming: WatchESPN.com/WatchESPN app
Audio Streaming: ESPN1420am.com/Sideline Hawaii app
Live Stats: gowyo.com
Series Information: Wyoming leads, 13-9.
 
Game Storylines
At stake is the Paniolo Trophy, which is currently in UH's possession by virtue of a 2014 win in Honolulu, which snapped a six-game losing streak in the series. The teams began playing for the rivalry trophy in 1979…UH is 15-23 in conference-opening games which includes a 3-5 mark against Wyoming. UH has opened conference play on the road 27 times with a 10-17 record…UH seeks its first win in Laramie since the 1991 season opener and looks to snap a four-game losing streak at War Memorial Stadium. The Warriors beat the Cowboys 32-17 on Aug. 31, 1991 when both schools were members of the Western Athletic Conference…Under Nick Rolovich, UH is 4-5 overall on the road (includes neutral site games). From 2012-15, the Warriors were a combined 1-23 on the road…Hawai'i and Wyoming met every year from 1978 through '97 -- 20 straight sea­sons. However, due to conference affiliation changes and the teams being in opposite divisions of the MW, they've only met twice over the last 20 seasons…UH seeks its first 3-1 (or better) start since 2007…UH's win at San Jose State last year was its first in a MW-road opener since joining the conference in 2012…Last year's win at Air Force was UH's only win in the Mountain Time Zone since joining the MW in 2012.
 
What's At Stake
The teams will play for the Paniolo Trophy. The word paniolo is Hawaiian for cowboy. The trophy was originally donated by the Wyoming Paniolo Society, a group of Hawai'i residents with roots in Wyoming. The trophy debuted in 1979, the year UH joined the Western Athletic Conference, and the series continued until 1997. The original trophy was lost and the teams played for the newly designed trophy for the first time in 2013. Wyoming won that game 59-56 in overtime in Laramie. UH currently owns possession of the tro­phy after a 38-28 victory in Honolulu in 2014.
 
Hawai'i In Conference Openers
Since making its first appearance as a member of the Western Athletic Conference in 1979, and including its inclusion in the Mountain West in 2012, the Rainbow Warriors have accrued a 15-23 record in conference openers, including a 2-3 mark in Mountain West openers. This season marks the ninth time that Wyoming is Hawai'i's conference-opening opponent, most of any school in UH history. Seven of the eight previ­ous meetings were held in Laramie, Wyo., with the Cowboys holding a 5-2 advantage.