Hoping to get back on track, Hawai’i set to host Northern Iowa in Week 4

HONOLULU – Home, hopefully sweet home. 

Hawai’i (1-2) returns to the islands this Saturday, looking to snap a two-game losing streak as Northern Iowa (2-1) comes to visit for the second-ever meeting between the programs. The Panthers out of the FCS were ranked 19th in the latest coaches’ poll after falling on the road to nationally ranked Nebraska in Week 3. 

Despite a 34-3 drubbing from the Cornhuskers, UNI showed off traits of a team that has traditionally given Hawai’i trouble over the past few seasons as a hard-nosed, power running attack that tries to dominate the time of possession battle. Even in the only other meeting between the Rainbow Warriors and Panthers in 2014, the win for UH was decided by a field goal, 27-24. 

Northern Iowa ran for 139 yards against Nebraska, who moved up to the 22nd spot in the AP poll for FBS teams this week, a season-worst showing by the Cornhuskers’ defense. With some success running the ball, UNI dominated the possession battle by controlling the ball for over 38 minutes of game clock. 

The running game has given issues to Hawai’i this season as Delaware State found the most success with a dual-threat QB and Sam Houston gashed the Rainbow Warriors for 257 yards on the ground. While UNI QB Aidan Dunne is not the same athlete running as DSU QB Marqui Adams, the redshirt junior can extend plays with his legs when the Panthers choose to try to go to the air. 

That choice is not a common one as long as a two-headed backfield led by 6-foot-4, 230-pound graduate student Tye Edwards and 6-foot-0, 225-pound senior Amauri Pesek-Hickson continues taking tolls on opponents with a physical ground game. Edwards has tormented defenses through three weeks, rushing for 347 yards on 39 carries (8.9 YPC) and two TDs while Pesek-Hickson chipped in 230 yards and two scores on 42 rushes. 

The running game is, of course, built in the trenches where Northern Iowa returned all five starters from last year’s offensive line. The starting big boys up front for the Panthers average out at 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, helping lead to the dominant start of one allowed sack and a top 10 rushing attack in the FCS with 245.3 yards per game through three outings. 

Under longtime head coach Mark Farley, it has always been the defense for Northern Iowa that is the stabilizing force of the Panthers. In 21 of his 23 seasons, the team has finished with a positive scoring margin and boasts a quality pass rush in his most successful years. 

The Panthers have struggled with getting consistent pressure on opposing QBs through three weeks to begin 2024, totaling only four sacks in those games. Luckily, the coverage for Northern Iowa has been solid with less than 200 passing yards per game given up on average, nine PBUs and an interception of Dylan Raiola last week, his first career college turnover. 

That lone interception was by defensive back Fletcher Marshall Jr., who is tied for the team lead with a pair of passes broken up and leads the Panthers with a 77.4 coverage grade from PFF. The senior transferred to Northern Iowa last year for a bigger opportunity after spending the 2022 season with East Carolina on the same defense as current Hawai’i starting defensive lineman Elijah Robinson. 

The rushing defense for the Panthers has been good, not great, allowing an average of 100 yards per game. Northern Iowa has allowed 129 and 142 yards on the ground in the last two games but started the year showing capability of more by dominating Valparaiso, giving up just 29 rushing yards over 17 carries. 

Leading UNI in the trenches will be redshirt junior Cannon Butler, a 6-foot-6 captain on the defensive line that was selected as a preseason All-MVFC second team honoree. He is the highest-graded run defender by a healthy margin on the entire defense by PFF and has been active in the backfield with a 2.5 TFLs (T-2nd-most) and 0.5 sacks through three outings. 

Along with Butler will be Carter Hewitt, a 6-foot-6 disruptor on the defensive line that has a sack and 2.5 TFLs of his own for the Panthers. The defensive line duo will need to be kept in check by Hawai’i’s offensive line on Saturday. 

Week 4 presents an early-season “must-win” for Hawai’i after an ugly road loss the weekend prior. Despite a “step down” from FBS to FCS, make no mistake that Northern Iowa will force the Rainbow Warriors to prove their quality this weekend to get back to winning. 

Facing off against the 19th-best team in the Football Championship Subdivision, this game will look less like the season-opening 35-14 victory over Delaware State and more like the 31-20 battle against UAlbany in 2023 that had the Rainbow Warriors come out on top.

It’s a prime chance for Hawai’i to deliver head coach Timmy Chang his first win prior to a bye week (Chang is 0-3 in his career before byes) while helping the vibes around the program recover with two weeks to enjoy a win. A loss would be, in no uncertain terms, catastrophically bad and snap a 21-game winning streak for Hawai’i against FCS programs dating back to 2001.

Game Day Theme: Disco Night

Like Earth, Wind, and Fire, Hawai’i Athletics is looking to make you remember the 21st night of September. With plans on a night with plenty of nostalgia, UH will hand out 5,000 groovy cooling towels courtesy of game sponsor Hawaiian Telcom. Listen closely throughout the night for countless tunes from the Disco era from the sound system and the legendary UH Marching Band.