Three players to watch as Hawai’i heads to Northern Illinois for the first time

HONOLULU – It’s a rivalry as old as… well, this year.

The University of Hawai’i football team travels to face Northern Illinois for the first-ever meeting between the programs on Saturday as both squads look to secure their first Mountain West victory of the 2026 campaign.

It’s been a tough year for both squads, seeing the Rainbow Warriors drop six of their first seven games after entering the year as a potential conference favorite while the Huskies have stumbled to an 0-6 start overall and 0-2 mark in their first go-round in the Mountain West.

It’ll be Hall of Fame weekend in De Kalb, Ill, as NIU celebrates seven new members to the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame and retires former QB Jordan Lynch’s number. The Huskies will be looking at Saturday as their best opportunity so far to get off the snide while Hawai’i tries to keep longshot bowl hopes alive and spoil a special weekend for the hosts.

With both sides desperate for a win, here’s a look at three players who could play a big role in a potential road upset for the Rainbow Warriors.

RB DeVon Rice

Rice was the darling of an otherwise disastrous offense early in the year, scoring four touchdowns across the first three games for Hawai’i. The speedy sophomore snagged a receiving touchdown and ran another in during the season-opener at Stanford and had a pair of trips to the end zone in the team’s lone win of the year against New Mexico State on September 12.

DeVon Rice gets taken down by the San Jose State defense. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

His role has curiously dipped in October, getting no more than seven touches in a game through three games this month. Part of that is the return of senior RB Cam Barfield from an ankle injury suffered against Stanford, but another part has been a strange refusal to run the ball more from the Hawai’i offense.

The Huskies have shown an ability to slow down opposing passing attacks throughout the year, allowing under 200 yards passing in four of the team’s last five games. While the Rainbow Warriors will want to continue the aerial attack on the road, allowing Rice to return to his productive self with more touches on Saturday could go a long way towards snapping UH’s four-game losing streak.

WR Devin Alves

Alves has turned it on over the past month for Hawai’i, collecting three or more catches and 60 or more yards in all three games in October. The speedy 6-foot-3 senior has separated himself as QB Micah Alejado’s top downfield target in that time with an explosive catch of 20+ yards in each contest this month and had his first UH touchdown catch against San Jose State.

Against a team that’s done far better limiting opposing passing attacks, Alves could play a key role in stretching the defense and providing a lift on the road that the Rainbow Warriors could really need. With Pofele Ashlock and Carson Brown each trending towards being out another week, Alves’ role should only continue to grow for Hawai’i.

If the senior can find his way to paydirt from more than 20 yards out for the second time this season, it could also help alleviate some of the scoring woes that the Rainbow Warriors have faced in the red zone this season. Any help is appreciated for an otherwise helpless UH offense on the road.

DB Jeremiah Hughes

Hughes had a huge night against New Mexico, collecting his first two career interceptions while receiving his highest single-game PFF grade of the year. It was a nice bounce back outing for the junior corner after posting his worst grade of the season the week before at Arizona State.

Hawai’i DB Jeremiah Hughes celebrates after one of his two interceptions against New Mexico. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

With Mountain West receptions leader DeAree Rogers waiting across the way on Saturday, Hughes (and the rest of the Rainbow Warrior secondary) will have plenty to worry about in De Kalb. If Hawai’i’s defensive backs can handle Rogers with care, it should help the front of the defense slow down a rushing attack that has been finding its groove with three straight games tallying over 100 yards on the ground.

The UH defense has handled business for long stretches of action this year. They’ll have to do it again on Saturday to help secure the team’s first road win of the year and snap a four-game losing streak.

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