Receivers Notebook: Freshman Uiliata makes Hawaii football travel team, veteran Panoke breaks out + more

Receivers Notebook: Freshman Uiliata makes Hawaii football travel team, veteran Panoke breaks out + more

Oct 4, 2024

 

Hawai’i freshman receiver Tama Uiliata catches a pass during fall training camp. | Michael Lasquero/HSRN

Receivers Notebook: Freshman Uiliata makes Hawaii football travel team, veteran Panoke breaks out + more

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 4, 2024

Tama Time is here.

Freshman Tama Uiliata is gaining some traction in the receiver room as he has worked himself into the rotation and is on Hawai’i football’s travel team when they open up Mountain West conference play against San Diego State at Snapdragon Stadium Saturday.

A 2023 graduate out of Waipahu, Uiliata was the story of year for the Marauders’ during his senior season in high school. He earned Offensive Player of the Year honors by multiple media outlets and helped Waipahu rally from a 24-7 deficit in the OIA championship game against ‘Aiea and a 35-13 deficit to Kapa’a in the opening round of the state tournament as the Marauders reached the Division I state final.

Uiliata greyshirted last fall before joining the Rainbow Warriors for spring practice in February. He is ready to make an impact and eager to represent his family and community.

Tama Uiliata (left) poses for a photo after practice with fellow local receivers Carlito “Babu” Capanang Jr. (left) out of Aiea and Blaze Kamoku (center) out of Kamehameha-Kapalama. | Michael Lasquero/HSRN

“It’s just one more step to my goal,” said the 5-foot-11, 190-pound receiver. “It feels good. A lot of emotions seeing that the coaches believe in me and just shows that we’re all here putting in that work and just getting better. I’m proud that they see that, my work ethic.”

The road wasn’t always clear however. A calf infection while Uiliata was in eighth grade nearly derailed his football career completely and a hamstring injury kept him out of the first week of spring camp.

Uiliata said keeping the end goal in mind has always pushed him forward over the hurdles on his journey.

Tama Uiliata watches from the sidelines during the Rainbow Warriors’ season-opener against Delaware State. | Michael Lasquero/HSRN

“In what you want in life, you’ll always going to have set backs, but just knowing your goal, being just goal driven will push you. Just doing the things you want to do for your future, for your family.”

After playing playing positions other than receiver at Waipahu such as quarterback, safety, cornerback and returner, Uiliata is settling in as a slotback for the Hawai’i offense.

Receivers coach Jared Ursua has been impressed with Uiliata’s development.

“He understands how to play the game,” Ursua said of Uiliata. “Obviously he was used just at every position while he was at Waipahu, so settling in at receiver took a little bit (of time), but he’s caught some steam and the two bye weeks for him have been tremendous.”

Tama Uiliata makes a catch in the end zone against Leilehua in 2022 as a member of the Waipahu Marauders. | Michael Lasquero for ScoringLive

Slot receivers run a lot of option routes where they need to adjust on the fly and tend to get majority of the targets in the run-and-shoot offense, so Uiliata will be backing up the likes of inside threats Pofele Ashlock, Nick Cenacle and Koali Nishigaya.

“It’s been great for him to kind of learn some of the nuisances and be around Pofele, Nick and Koali and understand some of that stuff, and then his playmaker just takes over,” Ursua said of Uiliata.

“That kid got a lot of special and we’re excited for that one.”

Tightening the receiver rotation?

From snap counts, to target share, to rotations, the number of receivers that see action for Hawai’i has been a discussion point for fans based on their experience watching previous run-and-shoot teams in the past.

In their 36-7 win over Northern Iowa, the rotation was a bit tighter with Nishigaya sitting after suffering a concussion against Sam Houston.

Ursua said injuries “kind of forced” the Rainbow Warriors to use a smaller rotation, but utilizing depth with football being more high-paced today is still important.

“When you play that speed of football, we’re playing probably about 20 more snaps than the traditional run-and-shoot teams. When you look at what snap counts were of the 2007 team or SMU when (June Jones was) there, they were playing only 55 to 65 snaps (from scrimmage. In today’s game), we’re getting up north of 80 so we need those guys. We need that rotation because of the speed and tempo we’re playing with.”

Hawai’i wide receivers coach Jared Ursua coaches from the sidelines in a game against UCLA. | Michael Lasquero/HSRN

But when quarterback Brayden Schager and the offense gets in a groove like they did against the Panthers when Schager completed his first 12 passes and the Rainbow Warriors scored on their first three possessions, expect the same personnel to stay on the field.

“When you’re flowing, you’re going,” Ursua said.

“If we’re executing the ball and continuing to go, there is no subbing. There’s none of that and what that causes is you’re going to play more snaps and you got to have depth because at the end of the year, you’re going to play 150 more snaps.”

Senior receiver Jonah Panoke lines out wide in a non-conference game against UCLA. | Michael Lasquero/HSRN

Veteran captain breaks out

The Rainbow Warriors’ latest win was also a big game for senior Jonah Panoke, with four receptions for 60 yards touchdown after going without a reception through the first two games of the season.

Panoke, a 2018 graduate out of Saint Louis, is one of the longest tenured player on the Hawai’i roster having played for three different head coaches while batting through numerous injuries in his collegiate career.

He set the tone on the first play from scrimmage when he made himself available as a target for a scrambling Schager by traveling from three yards beyond the nearest defender to five yards in front of the same defender.

Panoke was later rewarded with a 24-yard TD pass to cap the opening possession, his third of his career. As the lone receiver on the left side of the offense in a trips-right formation, Panoke used an outside release to beat the flat defender and the deep half safety against UNI’s Cover 6 defense.

On the Rainbow Warriors’ second TD against the Panthers, the senior receiver took an inside release as the wideout in a trips-left formation and drew the attention of two defenders, which opened up Ashlock for a wide-open score in the flat.

“Jonah does an excellent job, he’s an unsung hero,” Ursua said of Panoke. “We’re so happy to have him. He’s battled through some health things over the last three years that we’ve been together here. This fall camp he’s been excellent, catching the football. His catch-to-target ratio is probably the best in the group and that’s what he brings.”

In addition, Panoke’s value off the field is immeasurable as a leader and mentor to his teammates.

“You watch him on the sideline, he’s got an excellent attitude. He’s always cheering on his teammates. I think that only builds everyone else around him that looks up to him,” Ursua said.

Roommate Chemistry

With 19 receptions and three TDs between the two of them against UNI, Ashlock and Cenacle are proving to be quite the tandem as starting slot receivers.

Ashlock confessed to the media after Tuesday’s practice that the rising duo are actually roommates.

“Me and Cenacle live together so it’s a lot more chemistry,” Ashlock said. “We see each other on a daily basis. I know what he eats, when he wakes up.”

Nick Cenacle (left) and Pofele Ashlock celebrate after Ashlock caught a TD pass against Northern Iowa. | Michael Lasquero/HSRN

The close proximity to each other off the field also allows the pair to bounce ideas off each other in between games and practices.

“We go back home and talk about some plays that we just know (we could have done better) and some things that we can do to get each other open,” Ashlock said.

Ashlock has been a consistent presence catching TD passes in three consecutive games while Cenacle has grown into his role after seeing an increase in targets throughout the first four contests in 2024 and hauled in nine passes for 63 yards and two scores against UNI.

Cracking a joke at first before giving Cenacle praise, Ashlock said it wasn’t a surprise when his roommate had a big game the last time the Rainbow Warriors were on the field.

“I said ‘boy, who you trying to beat, me?’ But nah we knew he could do that so it wasn’t surprising. That’s things we already seen and I knew from him and the confidence of going out there and doing it and he got it. Hopefully he keeps going and continues to build off this game.”

Hawaii football looking to “take care of business” in Mountain West opener at SDSU

Hawaii football looking to “take care of business” in Mountain West opener at SDSU

Oct 3, 2024

 

HAWAII FOOTBALL LOOKING TO “TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS” ON THE ROAD AT SDSU

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 3, 2024

Linebacker Logan Taylor said it best ahead of the Hawai’i football team’s trip to San Diego State to open up Mountain West conference play on Saturday.

“It’s a business trip,” the senior captain said. “We’re excited, we’re going to work.”

The Rainbow Warriors (2-2) are hoping to continue the momentum they gained after defeating Northern Iowa, 36-7, on Sept. 21. The 29-point win was the largest margin of victory was the largest under head coach Timmy Chang.

“Every game is an opportunity, but there’s a sense of urgency because it is conference (play),” Chang said. “We’re just going to take every game one game at a time and go out there and go hard.”

It will also be chance for Hawai’i to redeem itself from its woes on the road and following a bye week. Under Chang, the Rainbow Warriors are 1-12 when they travel and are 0-3 after a week off.

Taylor said associate head coach and linebackers coach Chris Brown showed a video clip of soldiers and troops going to war to help the team get their focus right when they do travel this week to face the Aztecs.

“Just emphasizing the maturity, when those guys go to war, they got one mind, one thing in goal,” Taylor said.

“We’ve put in work in the prior weeks and now we’re going to put it all together, knowing that really that’s our focus, that’s our emphasis this week, that it’s a mission just like the special forces. Nothing else matters but accomplishing this goal we have. That’s the mindset we’re having, man we’re excited to go 1-0 this week.”

Fortunately for Hawai’i, the team already has experience coming off a bye week and going on the road earlier this year when the Rainbow Warriors traveled to Sam Houston in Texas and lost, 31-13, on Sept. 14.

Sophomore receiver Pofele Ashlock admitted that the team wasn’t as cohesive in the previous road trip.

“I feel like we didn’t do too much, we weren’t all-in together in our away trip, especially leaving Hawai’i, five-hour flight, automatically it kicks in for a lot of people. I think with that experience, we can go into another travel game with a better mindset,” Ashlock said.

The Rainbow Warriors also approached the bye week differently. Linebacker Jamih Otis called it a “buy-in week” after a practice last week and Ashlock said the workload also increased.

“This bye week we did a lot more work and a lot more lifting and even got a beach workout (last) Saturday,” Ashlock said. “Even when we’re not playing, we’re still working. That was the biggest thing to keep the momentum, was to keep working.”

Hawai’i will travel to San Diego State (1-3) on Thursday following a walkthrough practice. The game will start Saturday at 2 p.m. and can be watched on the CBS Sports Network.

Five players to watch as Hawai’i hits the road to face San Diego State

Five players to watch as Hawai’i hits the road to face San Diego State

Oct 2, 2024

Hawai’i punter Lucas Borrow holds a claim to being one of the team’s MVPs through a third of the season. He’ll be important again when UH hits the road to face San Diego State. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Five players to watch as Hawai’i hits the road to face San Diego State 

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2, 2024

HONOLULU – Conference time! 

Following the second of three bye weeks on the 2024 schedule, Hawai’i football returns to action this weekend to begin Mountain West Conference play on the road. The Rainbow Warriors threw and ran all over FCS powerhouse Northern Iowa in Week 4 for an impressive 36-7 victory, setting a new season-high with over 500 yards of total offense in the win. 

Hawai’i (2-2) now heads to the continent for the second time this year, looking to put the Sam Houston struggle in the rearview mirror with a trip to Snapdragon Stadium and a face-off with San Diego State (1-3). The matchup marks the beginning of the conference schedule and will provide one of the teams with an FBS victory for the first time this year. 

The Aztecs, coming off a heart-breaking 22-21 road loss to Central Michigan, return home for the first time in four weeks to host the Rainbow Warriors. As Hawai’i looks to go above .500 for the first time since August and grab a crucial game for bowl hopes, here are five players to watch in Week 6 for Hawai’i. 

QB Brayden Schager 

The senior quarterback has had an up-and-down start to his final season with the Rainbow Warriors, showing the flashes of greatness that placed him among the conference’s most productive players last season while trying to work through some timing problems with receivers and shaking off obvious pain through four games. He looked the most confident, comfortable and on-time against Northern Iowa, leading an efficient offensive attack that converted on third down 66 percent of the time and punted only once. 

Schager also tossed two interceptions on back-to-back drives to end the first half against the Panthers, leaving points on the board for Hawai’i in a game that already set a new high for scoring under Timmy Chang with 36. The senior cannot be as careless with the ball this week against a San Diego State team that historically is dominant when winning the turnover battle (SDSU has won 51 of last 55 games when holding an advantage in turnovers). 

The Aztecs boast the 2nd–best coverage grade in the Mountain West as a group (90.1) according to PFF, trailing only the Rainbow Warriors’ 92.2 grade through four games. If Schager and UH cannot solve the puzzle of SDSU’s passing defense, the likelihood of winning rapidly decreases – the Aztecs are 34-10 since 2011 when holding opponents under 150 passing yards. 

RB Tylan Hines 

The Tylan Hines-Wide Receiver experiment seems to be over for Hawai’i as the redshirt sophomore was listed as the second-string running back on the UH depth chart against Northern Iowa. This was a direct change from the previous three weeks when the Rainbow Warriors attempted to move the 5-foot-7 playmaker to wide out, a change that saw Hines get only five offensive touches through three games. 

Hines would touch the ball five times in total against UNI, racking up 22 yards on his first two carries of the season and getting three short receptions for good measure. That trend of touches needs to continue against a San Diego State team that has struggled against the run but is elite against the pass. 

Look for Hawai’i to use Hines’ dynamic playmaking ability by creating advantages in space against linebackers and try to use the running game as a whole to loosen up a strong defense that has a solid pass rush and quality coverage on the back end. Points will be important with a pair of good defenses on display and Hines has the ability to break off explosive plays on the regular. 

WR Dekel Crowdus 

One of the most fun transfer portal acquisitions of 2024 for Hawai’i, Crowdus has taken the mantle as the “Schager Bomb” threat after the offense’s loss of Steven McBride. Through his first four games for the Rainbow Warriors, the Kentucky transfer has totaled nine catches for 193 yards and a touchdown and has the three longest catches by yards (59, 52, 29) for UH this season. 

Hawai’i wide receiver Dekel Crowdus runs under a deep pass from Brayden Schager. Crowdus has been a dynamic addition and has seen chemistry with Schager improve as the season has progressed. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Crowdus is also the only receiver other than star sophomore Pofele Ashlock to lead Hawai’i in single-game receiving yards so far this season after his 83 yards against Northern Iowa paced all Rainbow Warriors. Along with the emergence of Nick Cenacle in the wide receiver room, Crowdus has given UH multiple options to hurt opposing defenses outside of spamming Ashlock with targets. 

Similar to Hines, Crowdus’ ability to make the “big play” could help lead to prime scoring opportunities for Hawai’i on Saturday. For the Rainbow Warriors to deliver Timmy Chang’s second career road victory, the offense will need to capitalize on those opportunities and finally score more than 13 points against an FBS opponent. 

CB Cam Stone 

The lone defensive back with an interception this season for Hawai’i, Cam Stone is one of the most talented players on the back end of UH’s defense. The Rainbow Warriors will need him to show that in full on Saturday against an efficient, low-turnover team in San Diego State that features a true freshman at quarterback. 

SDSU starter Danny O’Neil has not thrown an interception in 80 passing attempts to begin his career, showing the qualities that made him the first true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback for the Aztecs since SDSU became a Division I football program in 1969. O’Neil missed the September 14 matchup with the Cal Golden Bears with an injury but returned last week with a bang against Central Michigan, throwing for a season-high 243 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 43 yards rushing in the loss for the Aztecs. 

With the young QB seeing his confidence grow, look for the veteran Stone to make a play or two on the ball to help spark Hawai’i on the road. The senior cornerback will also need to help limit explosive plays, tackling well against a San Diego State running attack that will find ways to the second level. 

P Lucas Borrow 

Special teams love for the MVP of the first third of the season for Hawai’i, Lucas Borrow basically got the night off against Northern Iowa with only one punt needed. While it was unfortunate for Borrow (his family had traveled from Australia for one of the few chances to see him play), it was nice for Hawai’i to not need the super services of the Ball State transfer for a change. 

Over the first three games, Borrow punted the ball 17 times and tallied seven punts over 50 yards to help flip the field and give the Hawai’i defense extra room for error. The Australian punter is a special teams weapon for UH, dropping six punts inside the 20 while still showing himself off as a threat to take off and run on a fake punt. 

Hawai’i will need to win on the margins on Saturday as the road team, meaning field position and special teams can play a key factor. While the Rainbow Warriors would prefer to be able to see Borrow’s workload remain like the Northern Iowa game, they are happy to have an elite punter who could be the defense’s best friend by the end of the weekend. 

3 takeaways after Hawai’i gets back on track with big win over Northern Iowa

3 takeaways after Hawai’i gets back on track with big win over Northern Iowa

Sep 22, 2024

Hawai’i head coach Timmy Chang picked up his first win before a bye week as the Rainbow Warriors enjoyed the best performance of the season so far in a 36-7 win in Week 4 over Northern Iowa. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

3 takeaways after Hawai’i gets back on track with big win over Northern Iowa 

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

HONOLULU – They answered the call. 

After a week of fans and media voicing worries around the team following an ugly Week 3 road loss, the University of Hawai’i (2-2) quieted many concerns with the best performance of the season in a 36-7 victory over the FCS’ 19th-ranked Northern Iowa Panthers. It marked the 22nd consecutive win over programs from the Football Championship Subdivision for UH and delivered the first win prior to a bye week in the Timmy Chang era. 

Parrying qualms about the physical, run-first style of UNI, Hawai’i posted a season-best 149 yards on the ground of their own while holding down the Panthers’ rushing attack to a season-low 72 yards. The Rainbow Warriors also held the edge in the time of possession battle, keeping the offense on the field for over 33 minutes of game action. 

Flying high on good vibes into the second of three bye weeks this year for Hawai’i, here are three takeaways following the Week 4 win for the Rainbow Warriors. 

The spring and summer camps were not mirages 

All offseason, excitement built around Hawai’i as over 80 percent of production from last year’s roster returned to the islands for another crack at getting the Rainbow Warriors back to a bowl together. During the spring, vibes around the program were different from the previous two seasons with an aura of confidence emanating from up and down the roster. 

The summer brought a little more of a business-like approach to training camp, preparing the team mentally and physically for the challenges lying ahead in 2024 with tactics like simulating game day for a 1:30 p.m. HT kickoff with a four-hour practice in the blazing sun. Confidence remained with Hawai’i as the Rainbow Warriors looked to build off a hot finish to the 2023 schedule. 

Things then got off to a bit of a shaky start in Week 0 when UH started slowly against Delaware State, entering halftime leading 14-7 after being favored by more than five touchdowns against the Hornets. While the 2nd half was better for Hawai’i in a 35-14 win, the offense left the weekend with more questions than answers after Brayden Schager completed just 50 percent of his attempts (17-of-34) and UH receivers struggled with drops. 

Despite the defense showing out in Week 1 against UCLA, Hawai’i posted just 13 points in a loss to the Bruins and mustered only a field goal after halftime as Schager and his receivers continued to be on different pages. Following the first bye of the year, things somehow looked worse for the Rainbow Warriors in a 31-13 smackdown on the road against Sam Houston. 

While Northern Iowa is not Boise State or UNLV, the Panthers entered Week 4 as the 19th-ranked team in the FCS and dominated the time of possession battle in a loss at Nebraska the week prior. Far from a pushover, UNI struggled from the jump as Hawai’i forced an early turnover and quickly jumped up by two scores, 15-0, behind an efficient passing attack and timely, productive runs.  

By the night’s end, Hawai’i had pulverized the Panthers with over 500 yards of total offense and two turnovers forced by the defense while allowing less than 200 yards total. All units clicked for the Rainbow Warriors, winning the time of possession battle and showing improved discipline defensively. 

The Hawai’i team that showed up to T.C. Ching Complex in Week 4 was the team that toiled through the spring and summer practices and gave fans heightened expectations in Timmy Chang’s third season. While the throttling of Northern Iowa was an excellent step forward, consistency becomes the bigger question for Hawai’i as the season progresses. 

This defense might end up as the top group in the Mountain West 

The Hawai’i defense has been as legit as it gets through four outings in 2024, using veteran leadership both on the field and in the coaching staff to take a group that was graded among the 15 worst defenses in the country last year and flip it into a top 15 unit in a single calendar year. The Rainbow Warriors’ defensive grade from Pro Football Focus was tied for 119th out of 134 programs in 2023 as the team struggled to tackle and tended to allow explosive plays. 

Enter veteran coaches Dennis Thurman and Jeff Reinebold, a duo that has made as significant an impact on the program’s defense as any player that joined Hawai’i in the offseason. Running a simpler, more aggressive scheme that allows players to show off talent, UH has PFF’s best score among Mountain West defenses with an 88.5 overall grade, more than 12 points higher than the next closest program (San Jose State, 75.8). 

Of course, the quality of opponents holds some weight in the conversation as Hawai’i has faced off against a pair of FCS opponents in four games to begin the season. Both of those contests have seen Hawai’i score highly, but the drop off against UCLA and Sam Houston both were not as significant as one may assume. 

Hawai’i’s defense gets a stop during a game against Northern Iowa on September 21. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

The coverage scored above 70.0 in all four weeks while the pass rush had only one poor outing in Week 1 against UCLA. Even in a game that saw 31 points allowed against Sam Houston, the defense performed admirably while getting no support from the offense. 

The test is to continue the dominance into Mountain West play, but as Hawai’i’s tackling continues to improve and players like Jackie Johnson III and Jamih Otis continue breaking out and developing, it is hard to imagine the group taking a massive step backwards. For Hawai’i to make a bowl game, it is imperative that the unit does not. 

Hawai’i might have figured out the running back mystery 

The Rainbow Warriors ran all over the Northern Iowa defense on Saturday night, posting a season-high 149 yards on the ground as four different backs had an average of 5.0 yards or more per carry. It was the second time already this season that Hawai’i has posted more than 100 yards rushing, accomplishing the feat six games quicker than last year’s team. 

Landon Sims led the way with 35 yards on seven carries while Christian Vaughn saw late success in the 4th quarter, rumbling for 34 yards on only four touches. David Cordero added another 28 yards on four rushes and Tylan Hines made a return to the backfield, seeing a pair of carries go for 22 yards. 

It was not just the running success that was encouraging for Hawai’i, though. Sims recorded three receptions for a career-best 41 yards as UH leaked the back out after blocking initially, providing a check-down option for Brayden Schager. 

While it is unlikely the team becomes a juggernaut on the ground while dialing up the Run-N-Shoot offense, success in the running game will allow Schager to work against defenses that cannot key in on the passing attack as much. On top of running the ball, short passes out of the backfield can be used as an extension of the running game. 

Saturday against Northern Iowa was the best and most comfortable that Hawai’i’s offense looked since the regular season opened. Plenty of that has to do with Schager looking like one of the Mountain West’s best QBs once again while the success on the ground adds a heightened ceiling to the attack. 

Much like the defense, the conversation throughout the bye week for the Rainbow Warriors will be centered around maintaining that standard and creating the consistency of a winning program like the team set out to do back in the spring. The first chance at showing that change comes on October 5 when Hawai’i visits San Diego State to open conference play. 

Hawai’i gets back in win column with Week 4 beatdown of Northern Iowa

Hawai’i gets back in win column with Week 4 beatdown of Northern Iowa

Sep 21, 2024

Brayden Schager (left) prepares to take a snap against Northern Iowa during a 36-7 victory for Hawai’i. Schager completed 35 passes for 374 yards and tied a career-high with 4 TDs in the victory for UH. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i gets back in win column with Week 4 beatdown of Northern Iowa 

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 21, 2024

HONOLULU – Needed that one. 

Hawai’i (2-2) got back on track in a big way against Northern Iowa (2-2) on Saturday night, pounding the Panthers in Mānoa, 36-7, for the 22nd consecutive win against an FCS opponent for the program. UH quarterback Brayden Schager had his best game of the season, completing his first 12 passes and going 35-of-43 overall for 374 yards while tying a career-high with four touchdown passes in the win. 

The offense was firing on all cylinders for UH as the Rainbow Warriors out-gained the FCS-representative Panthers in yards, 528 to 199, while controlling the time of possession battle by spending 33:02 of game clock with the ball. The running attack finally found legs for Hawai’i, breaking loose for a season-best 149 yards on the ground over 23 carries to deliver the biggest margin of victory in head coach Timmy Chang’s three-year stint. 

The 199 total yards given up by Hawai’i is the best defensive performance in more than half-a-decade as the least amount of offense allowed by a UH defense since the Rainbow Warriors held Duquesne to 166 total yards in 2018. The victory also marked the first time that UH will enter a bye week coming off a win under Chang, losing their previous three games ahead of bye weeks since the 3rd-year head coach took over. 

The Rainbow Warriors started hot as sophomore LB Jamih Otis recovered a fumble that CB Caleb Brown popped free from Amauri Pesek-Hickson at Hawai’i’s own 30-yard line to halt the game’s opening drive. The offense returned the favor with points, marching 70 yards down the field in six plays for a score as Brayden Schager connected with Jonah Panoke for a 24-yard touchdown. 

The good vibes on “Disco Night” continued as the defense forced a punt by the Panthers on the next drive with the help of an offensive pass interference call on UNI. The offense continued to provide the “compliment” in complimentary football as Schager, who started his program record-tying 26th straight game at QB (T-1st, Bryant Moniz), connected with WR Dekel Crowdus on the longest offensive play of the season for Hawai’i, a 59-yard reception to set up the Rainbow Warriors on the UNI 2-yard line. 

After a pre-snap penalty backed up UH on 2nd-and-goal, Schager stepped back and swung it over to Pofele Ashlock for a 6-yard touchdown and Landon Sims tossed the ball to long snapper Hunter Higham for a successful 2-point conversion right after to make it 15-0 with 40 seconds left in the opening quarter. It was the third straight game that Ashlock has scored a touchdown, the first such streak of his career. 

Northern Iowa failed to answer back again on the next drive, seeing an offensive pass interference call push the team back before a nice pass breakup by Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen forced another punt from the Panthers. 

Again, the Hawai’i offense began to move down the field with ease as Schager continued to dice up the UNI defense before he finally threw his first incompletion of the night with 11:27 remaining in the first half. The senior gunslinger quickly returned to form as he found Nick Cenacle for his 48th career TD pass, a 20-yard score, to move past Garrett Gabriel (‘87-’90) for sole possession of 5th place all-time among Hawai’i quarterbacks and push the lead to 22-0 with 9:10 left in the 2nd quarter. 

Northern Iowa finally got on the board with 4:02 left in the opening half of play, seeing starting QB Aidan Dunne sneak his way into the end zone from three yards out to make it a 22-7 game. The Panthers converted an early 3rd-and-5 inside UNI territory to keep the drive alive and got into the red zone following a nice play action pass to tight end Derek Anderson for 26 yards and a defensive pass interference penalty on Hawai’i safety Peter Manuma.  

The Hawai’i offense had the shakiest showing all night over the final four minutes of the first half as Schager was intercepted twice over the next two drives, but the Rainbow Warrior defense held strong both times to send the teams into the locker rooms with UH leading by 15. 

After seeing the opening drive of the 2nd half stall after a tough Alex Perry drop on 3rd-and-10 from midfield, the defense once again shut down Northern Iowa by forcing a three-and-out to give the offense the ball right back on their own 22. 

Hawai’i had a brief injury scare with Schager about midway through the 3rd quarter after the senior took a hard hit when scrambling out near midfield for a first down, though it did not hold the quarterback out of any snaps from the drive. The offense marched down the field in 11 plays and was capped off by the second scoring connection between Cenacle and Schager, a 2-yard pass to push the UH lead to 29-7 with 3:21 remaining in the frame. 

The catch gave Cenacle his first career multi-score game in his junior season. For the Canadian-born wide out, it was a breakout performance with a career-best nine receptions on 10 targets for 63 yards and the two TDs. 

The Panthers made a QB switch on the following drive as backup Matthew Schecklman took over for the visitors, helping move UNI into Hawai’i territory to begin the 4th quarter before Peter Manuma punched a ball free from Layne Pryor and Deliyon Freeman recovered it for the Rainbow Warriors to end the threat. 

UH added the cherry on top on the next drive as Ashlock, Panoke and Crowdus each had catches to bring Hawai’i into the red zone and give Landon Sims an opportunity for his first touchdown of the year, a 6-yard run to paydirt to give the Rainbow Warriors a 36-7 lead. 

Backup quarterbacks John-Keawe Sagapolutele and Micah Alejado rotated snaps on the final possession for Hawai’i as head coach Timmy Chang attempted to get both of his freshmen quarterbacks game reps in the final non-conference game of the season for Hawai’i. Alejado, a true freshman out of Bishop Gorman, completed his lone pass attempt for five yards to Spencer Curtis while Sagapolutele, a redshirt freshman out of Punahou, did not attempt a throw. 

Hawai’i sophomore Pofele Ashlock led the Rainbow Warriors with 10 receptions, going for 74 yards and a touchdown in the win. Dekel Crowdus added 83 yards receiving on three catches on a night that nine different players recorded a catch for the Rainbow Warriors. 

Four different running backs averaged of five or more yards per carry as Landon Sims (7 rush, 35 yards & 1 TD), Christian Vaughn (4 rush, 34 yards), David Cordero (4 rush, 28 yards) and Tylan Hines (2 rush, 22 yards) all provided productive touches out of the backfield for the Rainbow Warriors. 

The two-headed beast of a backfield for UNI, Amauri Pesek-Hickson and Tye Edwards, combined for only 60 yards on 14 carries throughout the evening as the Hawai’i defense keyed in on the backs and UNI went to the air more frequently after falling behind early. Quarterback Aidan Dunne finished his night completing 13-of-20 passes for 104 yards while accounting for the lone UNI touchdown of the night.

The defense for UH locked in and dominated from start to finish as UNI was held to a season-low 72 rushing yards. Hawai’i also recorded a pair of sacks, one by Jamih Otis and one by Jackie Johnson III, who has been the best pass rusher in the early going this season for the Rainbow Warriors. 

Hawai’i safety Peter Manuma tied for the team lead with five tackles while also forcing a fumble for the Rainbow Warriors. Linebacker Jamih Otis looked to be closer to full health again as well, registering a fumble recovery to go along with a sack in the win for UH. 

The Rainbow Warriors now enter the second of three bye weeks on the 2024 schedule before starting Mountain West play on the road, visiting San Diego State on October 5 for an interesting conference matchup in Week 6. 

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

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

Sep 20, 2024

Linebacker Jamih Otis (54) and the Hawai’i defense will need to set a physical tone early against a power-running Northern Iowa squad. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

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

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

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.