The University of Hawaii football team will make its second journey of the 2015 campaign to Big Ten country this weekend to take on No. 22 Wisconsin. The Rainbow Warriors are looking to improve to 3-1 for the first time since 2002.
The University of Hawaii football team will make its second journey of the 2015 campaign to Big Ten country this weekend to take on No. 22 Wisconsin. The Rainbow Warriors are looking to improve to 3-1 for the first time since 2002.
Kickoff for the game is set for 2 p.m. Hawaii Time from Camp Randall Stadium (80,321 capacity).
Max Wittek rebounded from his rough performance against Ohio state with 272 yards and two touchdowns to push UH past UC Davis 47-27 last week.
Paul Harris has emerged as the top rusher for the Rainbow Warriors, setting the longest rush record with a 95-yard scamper, putting down a 60-year old mark. Harris finished with 147 yards, and Melvin Davis added two touchdowns on the ground.
Wittek connected with Marcus Kemp five times for 119 yards and Devan Stubblefield tacked on 108 yards on six catches. Each had a touchdown reception.
Linebacker Jerrol Garcia-Williams led the way for the Rainbow Warrior defense against UC Davis, posting a career-high 15 tackles. He was selected as the Mountain West’s Defensive Player of the Week. It was the highest single-game total for a UH defensive player since Corey Paredes did against New Mexico State in 2010.
Wisconsin is coming off a 28-3 win against Troy last week.
The Badger’s defense has allowed a total of three points and 412 yards over the last two games. Leading the way is senior OLB Joe Schobert, who ranks No. 3 nationally in tackles for loss with 7.5 and is tied for No. 5 with 4.0 sacks. Schobert has 11.5 TFLs over his last five games.
Senior QB Joel Stave has been at his best when the Badgers work their way across midfield. Inside the opponent’s 40 yard line, Stave has gone 19-for-27 for 227 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions this season. Those numbers add up to a stellar pass efficiency rating of 214.3.
Wisconsin is 70-7 (.909) at home since the start of the 2004 season. Nationally, only Boise State (69-2, .972) has won a higher percentage of its home games than the Badgers in that time frame. Only Ohio State (72) has won more home games.
Series history
There is a bit of history between the two teams, with Saturday marking the seventh time the teams have linked up.
The Rainbow Warriors and Badgers first met in 1986 in Honolulu, with Dick Tomey’s UH squad scrapping out the 20-17 win over first-year Wisconsin head coach Jim Hilles. The Rainbow Warriors made the return trip to Madison in 1987 with both programs under new leadership, Bob Wagner for UH and Don Morton for Wisconsin. The Badgers came away with the 28-7 win, starting a run of five consecutive Wisconsin wins in the series. The last meeting occurred in 2009, with the Badgers securing the 51-10 victory in Honolulu.
Hawaii holds an 8-18 record against current members of the Big Ten. In addition, this weekend will mark the fifth time that UH has met two Big Ten teams in the same season, but the first that both contests will be played on the road.
Dating back to 1946, UH has played 36 games in the Central Time Zone and enters Saturday’s game with a 15-21 record playing in middle America. The ‘Bows’ first victory in the heartland came at the expense of current Big Ten, then-Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association team Nebraska, topping the Huskers 6-0 in Lincoln.
Wisconsin is the second nationally ranked team UH has faced this season. The Rainbow Warriors have a 10-39 (.204) all-time record against nationally ranked teams, including a current six-game losing streak. The last time UH beat a ranked team was against No. 19 Nevada, Oct. 16, 2010 in Honolulu.
Head-to-head with old friends
Prior to his arrival in Madison, Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda was UH’s defensive coordinator for two seasons and defensive line coach for two more under Greg McMackin.
During his final season with the Rainbow Warriors in 2011, Aranda’s UH defense led the Western Athletic Conference and was tied for 15th in the FBS in sacks (35). In addition, the 2010 UH defense led the nation in turnovers caused (38), while ranking second in the nation in interceptions (23) and ninth in fumbles recovered (15), as well as tying the school record for most defensive touchdowns (5).
Other University of Hawaii news
Volleyball: Emily Maglio posted a career-high 12 kills Sunday night and Hawaii finished its nonconference schedule with a 25-20, 25-12, 25-15 victory against Cal State Bakersfield in Honolulu.
Maglio and Nikki Taylor (11 kills) each compiled five blocks for the Rainbow Wahine (2-10).
After running away from 10-10 tie to win the first set, Hawaii dominated Game 2, scoring 17 of the first 21 points. Ahead 22-15 in the third set, Annie Mitchem reeled off all three of her kills to close out the match.
Olivia Magill finished with eight kills and Tai Manu-Olevao had six as Hawaii hit .391.
Hawaii opens Big West Conference play Friday against UC Santa Barbara (4-7) at home.
Cross country: University of Hawaii freshman women’s cross country runner Camille Campos was announced on Tuesday as the first Rainbow Wahine in the 2015 season to receive conference honors, as officials from the Big West Conference named her Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Week.
Not only earning her first career honor but also the first Big West honor for Hawaii since joining the conference. The last weekly cross country award belonged to Kevyn Murphy in 2011, winning the Western Athletic Conference weekly award.
Running in just her second collegiate meet, Campos captured Big West Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors with her solid effort at University of Washington’s Sundodger Invitational last weekend. Competing at Seattle’s Lincoln Park, Campos completed her first career 6K race in a time of 22:14.83 for 35th place.