HONOLULU — With more than usual riding on a meeting against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent, the Hawaii football team delivered the complete performance that had eluded it over the first month of the 2024 season.
A sharp and disciplined version of the Rainbow Warriors – unseen through three games – proved too much for Northern Iowa, 36-7, in front of a Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex crowd of 9.678 (11,402 tickets issued).
[Note: See below for more photos of UH-UNI.]
In a brisk 2 hours, 45 minutes, UH (2-2) earned its largest margin of victory in its four seasons at the Ching Complex, and most points scored in the three-year Timmy Chang era.
Chang thought the game was won in the trenches; he credited his interior players on both sides of the ball.
There was an intense energy coming off losses to UCLA and Sam Houston over the last three weeks.
“Feeling them out, it was quiet,” Chang said. “I didn’t know if it was them being nervous or just them being more focused. After watching them play, they had a sense of urgency to them that I enjoyed tonight.”
UH extended its winning streak over FCS teams to 22 games dating back to 2001, including all four meetings under Chang.
The Rainbow Warriors accomplished several statistical bests in years. They set season highs in points, yards (528), passing yards (379) and rushing yards (149). They did not allow a sack for the first time this season.
Running back Landon Sims punctuated the victory with a 6-yard carry through heavy contact against a larger-than-usual FCS foe.
It came as UH enters its second bye week of the season. On the other side, the Rainbow Warriors open Mountain West play at San Diego State – one of the four MWC schools that recently announced plans to bolt the conference for the ostensibly greener pastures of the depleted Pac-12.
“We’ve got a chance to be really tough to beat if we do the right things,” Chang said.
Senior quarterback Brayden Schager tied a career high with four touchdown passes and set a new personal best for completions by going 35-for-43.
Schager completed his first 12 passes and found Nick Cenacle for two scores, and Pofele Ashlock and Jonah Panoke for one. He spread around completions to nine different players in the run and shoot, including a 56-yard "Schager Bomb" to Dekel Crowdus.
Cenacle, of Montreal, Quebec, caught a career-best six balls. He went to greet the UH student section after one of his scores.
“Honestly, coming from Canada, we’re not allowed to celebrate (in football), so I don’t know how to celebrate,” Cenacle said with a laugh. “The first thing you’ll notice about me is that I smile a lot. They call me ‘Smile’ on the team. I just saw the crowd and everyone was hyped, so I just went, ‘hey, high-five, high-five.’”
Schager, who made his 26th straight start at quarterback – tying the program record set by Bryant Moniz – said his belief had not wavered.
“I think we always knew we had a good offseason, dating back to the summer,” Schager said. “In 7-on-7, we continued to have good offense and we carried that into fall camp. We always had faith. Those first three games didn’t really go like we wanted as an offense. I continued to tell the guys, as well as the coaches, that we are a good offense and we were finally able to get it rolling tonight.”
He accounted for all but 5 of the night’s passing yards. Freshman Micah Alejado saw his first action and completed his first pass to Spencer Curtis in garbage time; Schager’s listed backup John Keawe-Sagapolutele also got in for the first time.
“It’s two freshmen quarterbacks … it’s getting them game experience,” Chang said. “If we just went with one, maybe the other one doesn’t get to see it. It’s just getting them the feel of college football.”
UH gave up its fewest points since facing UNLV in 2019 and its fewest yards of offense (199) by an opponent since Duquesne in 2018.
Linebacker Jamih Otis helped set the tone on UNI’s opening drive by sacking Panthers quarterback Aidan Dunne, then, on the next play, recovering a fumble a moment before the ball carried out of bounds.
It made up for a personal foul on fellow linebacker Jalen Smith that extended the UNI drive after it appeared UH had forced a three-and-out.
The Panthers (2-2), who were competitive in a 34-3 loss at Nebraska last week, were held to 72 rushing yards, a fraction of their 245.3 yards-per-game average on the ground through their first three contests.
Dunne ran in a 3-yard keeper in the second quarter for the Panthers’ lone score. UNI intercepted Schager twice late in the second quarter but was unable to turn them into points.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.