On a vog-choked night in Halawa one thing was crystal clear: The University of Hawaii football team has a long way to go to even draw consideration for its avowed goal of being a contender in the Mountain West Conference.

A 51-21 thumping by Colorado State underlined just how wide the separation is between the Rainbow Warriors and the upper tier of the conference.

The Rams (3-2, 1-0), who might be the second- or third-best team in the MWC, were too much — too strong, too fast, too talented and too disciplined — on all fronts in a 3 hour and 6 minute game that couldn’t end fast enough.

“We’re at a crossroads with our team,” coach Nick Rolovich acknowledged, and an Aloha Stadium assembly of 23,386 (the upper deck was closed in both end zones) would have to agree.

For the moment the ’Bows, who are 2-3 overall and 0-2 in conference, have their hands full just in the pursuit of bowl eligibility. With seven games remaining, UH needs to win a minimum of four to achieve bowl eligibility.

Hardly a Herculean task with the conference’s two worst teams, Nevada (0-5) and San Jose State (1-5), next up on the schedule as they return to divisional play in the mild, mild West.

Thankfully, they have seen the last of the more rigorous Mountain Division, where they are 2-15 in six years, until Nov. 18, when they play Utah State.

But any cross-your-fingers hopes of being able to press three-time division titlist and two-time overall champion San Diego State for the division flag have been exposed these past two weeks in the opening of conference play. What last week’s loss to Wyoming only hinted at Saturday night’s by-the-numbers dissection by the Rams highlighted.

With the exception of time running out at the end of the first half, CSU scored on its first seven possessions with precision execution UH could only envy. Not until 1 minute, 44 seconds were left in the third quarter was CSU forced to punt, painfully reminiscent of the UCLA game.

Meanwhile UH went three-and-out on its first three possessions, also disturbingly familiar. “Three three-and-outs to start the game does nobody any good, especially our defense,” Rolovich said.

The difference between the UCLA game and Saturday night was that this time it was the Rams’ quarterback, Nick Stevens, doing the Josh Rosen Heisman Trophy candidate imitation.

Stevens completed 18 of 22 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns and was not sacked.

His receivers, most notably Michael Gallup, who caught eight passes for 212 yards and a touchdown, ran remarkably meadow-free.

“We’ve been slow starters,” Rolovich acknowledged. “We tried to address it this week and whatever we did it got worse. So we need to take a look at what we’re calling.”

To be sure the ’Bows were hampered by the loss of starting offensive linemen Dejon Allen and Fred Ulu-Perry and tight ends Tui Unga and Dakota Torres to injury, but there was little semblance of an offensive rhythm until they were down 37-7.

Afterward Rolovich said, “That (Colorado State) is a good football team and I knew that’s a good football team (going in).”

What we also know now is the ’Bows have a long ways to go to be a contender themselves.

“We’re 0-2 in conference and that has to change pretty quick,” Rolovich said.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.