DEKALB, Ill. – The University of Hawai'i football team displayed total dominance on both sides of the ball in a 56-21 rout of Northern Illinois, Saturday at Huskie Stadium to snap a four-game losing streak.

In the furthest conference game in FBS history, UH travelled over 4,200 miles for a historic Mountain West victory, tying the program record for most points in a MW game in its second-largest MW road victory ever.

UH's offensive prowess was on full display from the opening whistle. The Rainbow Warriors racked up a season-high 504 yards of total offense and the 56 points was their highest scoring output under head coach Timmy Chang . Hawai'i stormed out scoring 35 first half points, which surpassed the team's highest point total all season.

A major key to this success was the team's ability to strike downfield quickly. The offense was fueled by explosive plays, racking up five chunk plays of 30 or more yards against the Huskie defense. Quarterback Micah Alejado had a stellar performance to lead this aerial assault. Alejado connected on four pass plays of 40+ yards, finishing with 323 passing yards and three passing touchdowns.

Among those downfield strikes was a 62-yard catch-and-run by running back Cam Barfield , marking UH's longest play from scrimmage this year. Receiver Audric Harris also hauled in two passes of over 40 yards, while Josiah Fetui scored his first career touchdown on a 44-yard bomb.

After a competitive start in the first quarter, Hawai'i completely took over the momentum. UH scored 35 unanswered points over the second and third quarters to blow open the game, turning a 14-14 contest into a blowout.

UH's rushing game was a highlight in its own right. The Warriors amassed 175 yards on the ground and punched in five rushing touchdowns, their most in a single game since 2020. Running back DeVon Rice led all rushers with 71 yards and three touchdowns. His 33-yard scoring sprint in the second quarter was Hawai'i's longest rushing play of the season so far.

On the other side of the ball, the Rainbow Warrior defense stifled the Huskies, holding them to just 266 total yards and forcing five turnovers. Defensive back Jeremiah Hughes grabbed his third interception in the last two games and nickelback Elijah Palmer recorded a career-high eight tackles to lead the defense.

The Rainbow Warriors will have a bye week next week before a road game at UTEP, Nov. 7 in El Paso, Texas.

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