DEKALB, Ill. — The University of Hawaii football team broke out of an offensive slump to break away to a 56-21 victory over winless Northern Illinois.
By compiling their most productive game of the season, the Rainbow Warriors ended a four-game losing streak to improve to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in the Mountain West. With five regular-season games remaining, the Warriors remain in the hunt to qualify for a bowl. (A .500 record or better is the minimum.) It was the highest-scoring output for the Warriors in a MW game.
The Huskies fell to 0-7 and 0-3 in their inaugural Mountain West season after moving from the MAC.
The Warriors entered averaging 15.71 points per game while amassing 11 touchdowns, including four on the ground. But DeVon Rice ran for touchdowns of 2, 33 and 5 yards, and co-captain Cam Barfield added his first touchdown of the season. Frank Abreu contributed two touchdowns on passes from Micah Alejado.
Alejado finished 22-for-32 for 323 yards and three touchdowns. With 8:55 to play, backup quarterback Bjorn Jurgensen replaced Alejado.
In the most productive first 30 minutes of the season, the Warriors unleashed the running game, made big pass plays and contained the league’s most accurate passer.
Against a “light” box of five defenders, the Warriors gained 114 yards on 19 first-half carries. Rice scored touchdowns on dashes of 2 and 33 yards. Barfield also scored on a 1-yard touchdown, which he had set up with a 62-yard, catch-and-dash screen from Micah Alejado. Rice, Barfield and Alejado are all alumni of Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High School.
On a fourth-and-1, slotback Tama Uiliataa took the snap as the wildcat quarterback and weaved his way for a 16-yard gain.
Alejado opened the running lanes by opening up the deep-passing attack. Alejado also connected with Audric Harris on a 44-yard play. Alejado was 17-for-22 for 237 yards in the first half.
On Abreu’s second touchdown, it was initially ruled incomplete as he landed near the left sideline of the end zone. But after a review, the “Kula Toe” was ruled to have landed with a left toe inbounds. He was awarded the 12-yard touchdown.
Taron “Tyger” Dickens entered as the league’s leader in accuracy. Dickens threw two scoring passes to DeAree Rogers, the second tying it at 14-all. While Rogers had four first-half catches for 97 yards, Dickens was 3-for-4 for 13 yards on targets to other receivers.
—