Castillo, a senior defensive tackle, appreciates the Evian-clear meaning of tonight's game against Hawai'i at Aloha Stadium.

A victory gives the Wildcats (6-5) a winning regular season — the eligibility requirement for the postseason — and a likely berth in the Music City Bowl in Nashville.

The Warriors (5-5) need to win their final two games for a winning regular season and a berth in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.

Tonight's loser earns nice parting gifts and an early start on planning the season-ending banquet.

"It's a playoff for us," Castillo said.

The Wildcats, whose Evanston, Ill., campus is part of Chicagoland, were in a similar win-or-else situation last week against in-state rival Illinois.

"It was quite a bit of pressure," running back Noah Herron said. "It was a trophy game, and it was the last home game for the seniors. There were a lot of emotions going on."

The Wildcats won in overtime, as they have in three of four games that went into extra play this season.

"It was more of a thing where we were playing not to lose," Herron said. "We got over that. ... It would have been bad if we had lost. It would have finished us. We live on to fight another day."

As a former head coach in the National Football League, UH's June Jones has experienced the pressure of playoff-like games. Jones has tried to downplay the importance of tonight's outcome.

"You have to make sure you're not so excited you forget what you're doing," Jones said. "I think we have enough (experienced) players on offense that I don't think that will happen. It does concern me with some of the young players on defense. They might get so excited about playing the game they forget their jobs. Sometimes that happens with rookies in the National Football League or young players. They don't understand that."

Jones said he hopes the two co-captains on defense — Lui Fuga, a sixth-year defensive tackle, and Abraham Elimimian, a fifth-year cornerback — will monitor their teammates' emotions.

"We've been in enough of those games with the veteran guys — (against) the Alabamas, the BYUs," Jones said. "We have enough guys who were still part of the program in these type of games that I think, at home, they know how to handle it."

Fuga said the key is to play with "controlled passion."

"We have to play hard and with a lot of pride," he said. "We have to play with confidence, and we have to play smart. We can't make the mistakes we made in past games. Northwestern will try and dominate and take advantage of our errors."

Elimimian said the Wildcats "have to understand we have the utmost respect for them. There wouldn't be this big hoopla if they weren't good."

The Wildcats, in turn, acknowledge the Warriors are a difficult obstacle when they play at Aloha Stadium.

"We have to stay focused," Northwestern receiver Frank Bass said. "Hawai'i plays good in Hawai'i. On the Mainland, it's deceiving because (the Warriors) get blown out a lot. I'm not going to lie. But when they're at home, they're 5-1. They're very good."

Herron said: "Every team you play has the potential to shut you down. You try to find ways to mentally prepare yourself. I try to think about worst-case scenarios. They've struggled on the road, but at the same time, they're very good at home. We have to remember that."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.