Hawai'i (1-6, 0-4 Mountain West) at Northern Illinois (0-6, 0-2 Mountain West). Saturday, Oct. 24, 2:30 p.m. CT / 3:30 p.m. ET, Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Ill., MW+. It's the first meeting between these programs.
Your hosts are Kainoa Akana-Baird, an O'ahu big-wave surf instructor who does the time-zone math for the team that flies farther than anyone, and Nola Brandvik, a very calm DeKalb agricultural scientist who models the Huskies like a corn crop.
Kainoa: Aloha, cousin! I'll trade you a malasada for an ear of sweet corn.
Nola: Welcome to DeKalb. It's flat here. No waves. Lots of corn. You'll love it, usually around harvest.
Players to watch
Hawai'i quarterback Micah Alejado has 1,862 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions. The Rainbow Warriors throw on about 64% of their plays, for 268 yards per game, 32nd in FBS. Wide receiver Kainoa Carvalho has 32 catches for 384 yards. Running back DeVon Rice has 314 yards and three touchdowns.
Northern Illinois running back Telly Johnson Jr. has 439 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Taron Dickens has 1,193 yards and completes 65.8% of his passes. Wide receiver DeAree Rogers has 49 catches for 422 yards. The Huskies' pass defense ranks 33rd.
Kainoa: Carvalho. Excellent first name, by the way. Excellent taste.
What happened last week
Hawai'i lost 21-10 to New Mexico. Alejado threw for 250 yards and a touchdown, and Devin Alves caught five passes for 76 yards.
Northern Illinois lost 41-23 at Wyoming. Johnson ran 16 times for 139 yards and a touchdown, Dickens threw for 216 yards and a score, and Rogers caught 11 passes for 89 yards.
Nola: Strong stalk on Johnson. He's the best part of the crop right now.
Injuries and availability
No official conference availability report has been published for this game. No injury news has surfaced for either team, so check back closer to kickoff.
What the coaches are up to
Rob Harley was Northern Illinois's defensive coordinator. He was promoted to interim head coach when Thomas Hammock resigned on Feb. 18, 2026, to return to the NFL. The Huskies are still chasing their first win, and they've been close: a 28-24 loss to Illinois State.
Timmy Chang was named Hawai'i's 25th head coach on Jan. 22, 2022. As Hawai'i's quarterback from 2000 to 2004, he set NCAA career records for passing yards (17,072) and combined passing-and-rushing yardage. His 2025 team went 9-4 and rallied from 21 down to beat Cal in the Hawai'i Bowl.
Player storylines
Alejado against a sturdy Northern Illinois pass defense is the main event. The pass rush is a subplot: Hawai'i has allowed 20 sacks, and NIU has eight. On the other side, Johnson gets a Hawai'i run defense ranked 112th. Northern Illinois has to finish drives: it scores on only 46.7% of red-zone trips, 138th in FBS.
Kainoa: Kickoff is 9:30 a.m. Hawai'i time. Body clock says breakfast. Stay hydrated, boys.
What's happening on campus
It's Hall of Fame Weekend in DeKalb, and NIU will recognize its 2026 Athletics Hall of Fame class. NIU held its 119th Homecoming on Oct. 10 against Air Force. The game is at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium. Northern Illinois joined the Mountain West as a football-only member starting in 2026.
Anything else fun and true
This is a first-ever meeting. Northern Illinois's Mountain West schedule still includes a Nov. 21 trip to North Dakota State. Hawai'i's lone win this season came against New Mexico State, 29-19.
Nola: First meetings are like first plantings. You find out a lot.
Kainoa: Next wave, Nola. Aloha.
The Cover Window
My call: Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 23, Northern Illinois Huskies 21.