Five players to watch for as Hawai’i returns home to host Northern Iowa

HONOLULU – Burn the tape and do not look back. 

Coming off a rough 31-13 loss to Sam Houston in the first road game of the 2024 season for Hawai’i, the Rainbow Warriors return to the islands for the final non-conference game on the slate as one of the top 25 FCS programs in the country visits Mānoa for the first time since 2014. 

Hawai’i (1-2) will host Northern Iowa on Saturday, just the second-ever meeting between the FCS program and the Rainbow Warriors. While a second win against an FCS opponent would not technically help UH’s pursuit of a bowl game berth, the matchup provides a high-quality opponent in the 19th-ranked Panthers that will test the hosts in the trenches after a brutal showing in Texas. 

UNI (2-1) is coming off the program’s first loss of the year, falling on the road to Nebraska 34-3 in the first of two FBS matchups on the schedule. As the Rainbow Warriors look to keep a streak of 21 wins straight over FCS programs and avoid a third consecutive loss in 2024, here are five players to keep an eye on when Hawai’i hosts Northern Iowa in Week 4. 

RB Cam Barfield 

Continuing from Sunday’s takeaways following Sam Houston, Cam Barfield briefly flashed what attracted Hawai’i to the 5-foot-7 speed back in the transfer portal with a couple of productive runs and a nice 16-yard reception on a day that not much of anything went right for the offense. While he graded poorly as a pass-blocker against the Bearkats, Barfield had two games prior that he graded 60.0 or above as an additional blocker when UH went to the air. 

It is unlikely that Hawai’i will dominate in the trenches or win the time-of-possession battle against Northern Iowa, who out-possessed the FBS’ 22nd–ranked team in Nebraska, 38:07 to 21:53, so points will be a premium and moving the ball will be vital for the Rainbow Warriors. Barfield’s explosiveness has yet to be fully unlocked through three games but would be useful in producing big plays against an overall stout Panthers’ defense. 

Barfield also leads UH rushers (min. 5 carries) in yards per carry with a 4.0 yard per touch average. Look for the former Bishop Gorman product to build from last week as Hawai’i continues to try and get the offense moving and grooving after two straight duds. 

WR Pofele Ashlock 

Speaking of explosive playmakers, Pofele Ashlock has continued to impress with production into his sophomore season with a team-best 277 yards receiving on 22 receptions and two scores. On the Biletnikoff Award watch list after a Freshman All-America selection (via the Athletic), the Euless, Texas native is clearly a problem for opponents regardless of level before and after the catch (104 yards have come after the catch for Ashlock according to PFF). 

Ashlock caught nine touchdowns last season, tied for the team lead with Steven McBride, but never had a score in three consecutive games. The 6-foot-2 receiver had three back-to-back outings last year with a score but seemed to get keyed in on by the third game of the stretch. 

Once again, Ashlock has back-to-back games with a touchdown after finding the endzone in losses against both UCLA and Sam Houston. Can the sophomore finally get the hat trick of consecutive games with a score and help break the Hawai’i’s two-game losing streak in the process? 

LB Jamih Otis 

Returning from an injury suffered against UCLA, Jamih Otis played 40 snaps for the Rainbow Warriors against Sam Houston and recorded three tackles (1 TFL) in the loss. One of the breakout defensive stars of training camp, the sophomore linebacker looked to still be getting back up to full strength against the Bearkats as he had a missed tackle and allowed a pair of receptions according to PFF. 

Three weeks removed from that injury against the Bruins, Hawai’i needs Otis to be back to full form against a physical, tough UNI team that likes to run the ball. The Bishop Gorman product has been Hawai’i’s third-highest graded defender against the run by PFF and showed in Week 0 that he can have a hand in nearly every play. 

For Hawai’i to get back in the win column, Otis needs to continue the early-season trajectory he had and be a tackling machine once again for Dennis Thurman’s defense. Any help Otis can bring to the pass rush would be appreciated as well against a Northern Iowa offensive line that has allowed only 0.33 sacks per game so far. 

LB Jalen Smith 

Staying in the Lion’s Den, Jalen Smith has been a consistent standout for the Hawai’i defense since the closing of last season and through the start of 2024. The junior is the 4th-highest graded defender for Hawai’i through three games and has been outstanding in 35 snaps against the run with an 82.0 grade from PFF and only one missed tackle. 

Smith had an impressive interception in Week 1 against UCLA, traveling all over the field to finally snap up an Ethan Garbers pass in the end zone for a big stop. While his playing time has been split more than it was to end last year when captain Logan Taylor was out with an injury and Otis was a true freshman, Smith’s production garners more attention during his time on the field. 

Hawai’i LB Jalen Smith celebrates with his teammates following a tackle against Delaware State. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

He is another key piece in the front seven for a Hawai’i defense that, through three games, has played like a top 25 squad in the country by PFF grade. That group has their work cut out for them with perhaps the most physical team on the schedule yet. 

K Kansei Matsuzawa 

Kicker alert! Hawai’i kicker Kansei Matsuzawa just beat out freshman Kai Kluth during the preseason kicking competition after the Rainbow Warriors lost starter Matthew Shipley to Arkansas in the transfer portal and the junior from Japan started the year beautifully with 11-out-of-12 kicks made (7 PATs, 5 FGA) through three games (the lone miss was a 41-yard try against Sam Houston). 

Against a defense for Northern Iowa that allows less than 300 yards per game on average, even after allowing over 400 to the Cornhuskers in Week 3, points of all kinds will be at a premium. With a physical running attack, the Panthers offense does not often put up gaudy scoring numbers but prefers to control time of possession to win ball games. 

Matsuzawa can be a player to watch in multiple ways: it’s vital for him to hit the field goal attempts that do come his way when the Hawai’i offense stalls in the red zone, but can the Rainbow Warriors’ offense provide an assist, put up points with fast strikes and let the junior attempt one PAT after another instead of trying to win a kicking battle?