Saturday's college football preview: Delaware State at Hawaii

WHEN: Saturday, midnight ET.
WHERE: Clarence T.C. Ching Complex (15,194), Honolulu, O’ahu.
TV: Spectrum Sports PPV.
VIDEO STREAM: Team1Sports app.
RADIO: ESPNHonolulu.com.
LIVE STATS: HawaiiAthletics.com.
COACHES: DSU — Lee Hull (1-10, 2nd season at DSU; 13-22, 4th season overall); Hawaii — Timmy Chang (8-18, 3rd season at UH).
SERIES: First meeting.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I just want to go and play well and see these guys compete. That’s the biggest thing — compete for 60 minutes, keep the blinders on, don’t look at the scoreboard. Just play, just fight, execute, be fundamentally sound, be disciplined. ... If those things happen, then it’s a positive,” DelState coach Lee Hull.
KEYS TO THE GAME: The week didn’t get off to a great start for the Hornets after a bus company failed to get them to JFK Airport in time to catch their flight to Hawaii on Tuesday. DSU had to split up its travel party with reports of other travel issues before the entire group got to Honolulu. Reportedly the last group didn’t arrive until Thursday afternoon. Judging by some lighthearted Tik-tok videos, the Hornets were trying to make the best of the situation, though. ... Even before the travel problems, this was clearly going to be a difficult game for DSU. A year ago the Hornets lost their two games against FBS opponents, Army and Miami (Ohio), by a combined 119-20. DSU would like to think that it has become a better team in the off-season. But it would take a lot for the Hornets to be competitive with the Warriors, who won three of their last four games a season ago to finish 5-8. Hawaii returns a total of 15 starters on offense and defense. ... Hawaii has a talented senior quarterback in Brayden Schager. He threw for 272.46 yards per game with 26 touchdown passes a year ago. Schager has started 26 career games. DelState has a returning starter at QB in sophomore Marqui Adams. The Hornets need him to play like a veteran — avoid mistakes and make some big plays on the relatively few times there’s an oportunity.
NOTES: Hawaii has won straight games against FCS opponents, winning by an average margin of 25.9 points. ... DelState is the first HBCU program to play at Hawaii since Prairie View A&M in 1979. The Warriors won, 65-0. .... The Hornets last beat an FCS (or FBS) program in its season opener in 2012 when it topped VMI, 17-10. DSU did beat Division II Lincoln and Bowie State in its 2022 and ‘21 openers. ... The Hornets have to hope their return trip is smoother because by next Saturday they have to be in Connecticut for a game with Sacred Heart.