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Hawaii trip is no vacation for UNI football
Panthers’ 3rd consecutive road game will be challenging for pass defense
CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa’s game at Hawaii on Sept. 21 will be its third consecutive non-conference road game.
Timmy Chang enters his third season as Hawaii’s head coach with an 8-18 record. The Rainbow Warriors finished last season 5-8, but enter 2024 with optimism after winning three of their final four games. They were picked ninth in the Mountain West Conference’s preseason poll.
Chang — a former Hawaii quarterback who holds the program’s all-time passing and total offense records — deploys a ‘Run-and-Shoot’ scheme that’s set to again be led by all-conference quarterback Brayden Schager.
Schager enters his senior season as the program’s fifth all-time leading passer. All-MWC wide receivers Steven McBride and Pofele Ashlock return to an offense that ranked first in the MWC with 279.25 passing yards per game in 2023.
Defensive backs Peter Manuma and Cam Stone are Hawaii’s two All-MWC honorees from 2023 who return on defense. The duo helped the Rainbow Warriors finish fourth in the MWC in pass defense last season. However, improvement is needed defending the run, as Hawaii finished ninth by allowing 186.75 yards per game.
The Panthers and Rainbow Warriors faced off for the first time in 2014, a 27-24 Hawaii win.
UNI at Hawaii: 3 things to watch
1. Road Warriors > Rainbow Warriors?
UNI’s third consecutive road game will be a formidable one when considering the travel and a second consecutive FBS opponent.
It’s not as difficult to picture the Panthers pulling off an FBS upset at Hawaii, as opposed to Nebraska the week prior, but their ability to endure the physical and mental demands will be worth watching closely.
2. Run it to win it
The numbers speak for themselves. Hawaii’s strengths are its passing offense and passing defense. The Panthers return three running backs all capable of making a difference and four accomplished starters on the offensive line. UNI’s blueprint for an upset win is unambiguous on paper — prevent big plays from the Rainbow Warriors’ Run-and-Shoot offense and exploit their leaky run defense.
3. Worse for the wear?
UNI has taken on plenty of difficult non-conference schedules during Mark Farley’s 24-year tenure as head coach, but this season’s is shaping up to be the biggest test.
While the athletic department will bank a much-needed $750,000 between the two FBS games at Nebraska and Hawaii, it’s fair to wonder — even with a bye week after the trip to Honolulu — if this schedule asks too much of Farley’s team. The cumulative effect could be punitive in the games that follow.
Prediction for UNI at Hawaii
A productive UNI run game keeps the game close initially, but Hawaii’s home field advantage, passing offense and passing defense prove too much to overcome, giving the Panthers a 2-2 record headed into Missouri Valley Football Conference games.
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