If some of the University of Hawaii’s football opponents these next two weeks seem a little older, perhaps a little more mature, it might be because they are.

Not only have they been “around the block,” as former UH coach Bob Wagner used to like to put it, in many cases they’ve been around the world.

Twenty-eight percent of the players on the roster of Utah State, UH’s Mountain West Conference opponent today in Logan, Utah, are returned missionaries.

And 64 percent of the players on the roster of next week’s foe, Brigham Young, have served church missions, the school said.

Of the more than 15 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision schools who have returned missionaries on their rosters, BYU (73) and Utah State (30) have the most by far.

UH has two playing currently, Noah Borden and Dylan Collie, while John Ursua is out with an injury and Hekili Keliiliki is redshirting.

BYU is, of course, is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for whom many members, mostly between the ages of 18 and 26, serve two-year missions proselytizing in this country and abroad. It said the LDS operates 150 missions speaking more than 160 languages.

BYU says the players on its current roster have served in several U.S. states and 28 countries on six of seven continents.

At Utah State, which competes annually with BYU on the field and in recruiting, “the missionary program is a vital part of our recruiting efforts,” said head coach Matt Wells.

Of the state of Utah’s three million residents, 62.8 percent are LDS, according to a Salt Lake Tribune study.

Wells said, “I think we are impacted by the returned missionaries in a big way.”

Eight players who have started for the Aggies this year, including three of the five offensive linemen scheduled to start today against UH — Roman Andrus, Quin Ficklin and Moroni Iniguez — are returned missionaries.

“I think, many times, it (the mission experience) teaches young men sacrifice, reliance on others and being a good teammate,” Wells said.” So many times those missionaries have come back and (helped) our program greatly.”

Wells said, many of those “have come back stronger and more physical.” But, Wells said, “I think you have to be talented football player, too, and then, when you come back, you can have a chance to be a better one.”