Sacramento State Hornets at Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
Honolulu, HI
By Bush StaffUpdated 27d ago·2 min read
SAC
HAW
AT
10:00 PM CT
Share
Hawai'i is chasing a Group of Six playoff bid. Sacramento State is just trying to survive its first-ever trip through major college football. Their paths cross for the first time ever to close out the 2026 season.
Share
Show fees
SAT NOV 28 · 10:00 PM CT
Spread
ML
Total
Sacramento State
Hawai'i
This one's got a strange shape to it. Sacramento State spent 33 years in the FCS before jumping to the FBS in 2026 as a brand-new Mid-American Conference member, and Saturday, November 28 is the last stop on that maiden voyage — a season finale on the road against a Hawai'i team that's operating on a completely different plane. Micah Alejado, Hawai'i's sophomore QB, threw for over 3,100 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2025 and comes back with real buzz around the program.
Pofele Ashlock (76 catches, 829 yards) and Tama Uiliata give Alejado two proven targets, and that trio is a big reason ESPN has floated Hawai'i as a projected Group of Six representative in the College Football Playoff picture. On the other sideline, first-year head coach Alonzo Carter and new offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau are still building an identity from scratch — this is Sac State's first season ever at this level, and 10 of its 12 opponents are first-time matchups.
That gap in program trajectory is the whole story here. Hawai'i is coming off a 9-4 season capped by a Hawai'i Bowl win, riding real momentum under Timmy Chang, while Sacramento State is still figuring out what its FBS ceiling even looks like.
Sacramento State Hornets
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries to report
Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries to report
Sacramento State Hornets
Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
There's also a scheduling wrinkle worth knowing: this game only exists because Hawai'i's original home-and-home with UMass got scrapped, and Sac State slotted in as the replacement. That means there's zero history between these two programs — no tape, no rivalry, nothing but the numbers on the roster sheet to go on.
For Hawai'i, it's the last tune-up before the postseason conversation gets serious. For Sacramento State, it's a chance to close out a landmark first season with a signature road result against a team getting national attention. Neither team has anything obvious to hide behind Saturday.
