Running back Noah Herron, at 230 pounds, weighs more than seven of UH's defensive starters.

Kicker Joel Howells, at 6-4 and 225 pounds, is heavier than UH middle linebacker Watson Ho'ohuli, who weighs 222.

"We're actually pretty average in the Big Ten," Northwestern coach Randy Walker said. "There are some big people there."

Indeed, tonight's opponents have polar perspectives of college football.

Northwestern is a member of the 11-team Big Ten, a Bowl Championship Series conference.

UH is a member of the soon-to-be-nine-team WAC, which is at the end of a conditional waiting list for a BCS berth.

Northwestern defeated five Big Ten opponents this season, including Ohio State and Purdue. UH is paying the Big Ten's Michigan State more than $300,000 to play in Hawai'i next week.

"Everything is big about the Big Ten," UH defensive tackle Lui Fuga said. "They have big guys and they make big plays. They don't call it the Medium Ten."

Here's a look at tonight's game:

Northwestern offense

LWR—84 Kim Thompson 6-4 190 Fr.

IR—3 Shaun Herbert 6-1 205 So.

LT—76 Trai Essex 6-4 315 Sr.

LG—60 Ikechuku Ndukwe 6-4 320 Sr.

C—50 Trevor Rees 6-2 280 So.

RG—64 Matt Ulrich 6-2 310 Sr.

RT—63 Zach Strief 6-7 335 Jr.

TE—47 Taylor Jones 6-3 260 Jr.

RWR—2 Ashton Aikens 6-2 200 Sr.

QB—14 Brett Basanez 6-2 210 Jr.

FB—44 Erryn Cobb 6-1 245 So.

RB—33 Noah Herron 5-11 230 Sr.

Outlook: Every offensive player was recruited specifically for a one-back scheme implemented in 2000 — Walker's second at Northwestern — when the Wildcats won a share of the Big Ten title. The balanced offense (422 pass attempts, 400 carries) takes on many forms. The Wildcats have alignments with three or four wideouts or power schemes involving a fullback and tight end. Basanez threw for 513 yards and four touchdowns in the season-opener against Arizona State; Herron has rushed for more than 100 yards in six games.

UH's Fuga said the offensive linemen "strap it up and come straight at you. They try to move downhill" — moving forward with power — "and they try to pancake you."

Herron makes up for marginal speed (4.6 seconds over 40 yards) with elusiveness and leg strength. Herron, who rushed for 197 yards against Indiana and 156 against Michigan, is not content with being the Big Ten's second-leading rusher (117.4 yards per game) or scorer (8.2 points per game).

"As a senior and as a tailback, you want the ball," Herron said. "You want it every play. Every offensive player will tell you that."

The Wildcats align in a shotgun nearly every snap, even on running plays, but unlike UH's offense, the quarterback has a free ticket to leave the pocket. Basanez has the arm strength to roll right and then accurately throw to receivers on the left side.

Northwestern defense

DE—66 Loren Howard 6-4 285 Jr.

DT—94 Luis Castillo 6-4 305 Sr.

DT—97 Colby Clark 6-2 290 Sr.

DE—67 Barry Cofield 6-4 295 Jr.

SLB—38 Nick Roach 6-2 230 So.

MLB—41 Tim McGarigle 6-1 230 Jr.

WLB—51 John Pickens 6-2 240 Sr.

LCB—31 Marvin Ward 5-11 205 Sr.

SS—8 Dominique Price 6-0 215 Sr.

FS—24 Herschel Henderson 6-3 195 Jr.

RCB—28 Jeff Backes 5-9 190 Jr.

Outlook: The Wildcats' success can be traced to Castillo, McGarigle and the offseason conditioning program. Castillo is surprisingly agile, shedding blocks to make 74 tackles, including 8.5 stops in the backfield. "We call him the 'Dancing Bear,' " McGarigle said. "When he's running around all fired up, flapping his arms, he looks like a big ol' bear."

McGarigle is, well, a wildcat, leading the nation is solo tackles (8.5 per game).

"Our main goal is to run to the ball," Castillo said. "We'll have d-linemen 10, 15 yards down the field. The biggest thing is we have to be a relentless band of brothers."

The defensive stamina is a result of the series of 100-yard sprints during the summer. "They're paying off," Castillo said. "We're going to play hard for four quarters, even overtime, whatever it takes."

Northwestern specialists

PK—93 Joel Howells 6-4 225 So.

P—99 Brian Huffman 6-1 225 Sr.

KR—26 Terrell Jordan 5-10 200 Jr.

KR—29 Brandon Roberson 5-9 190 Fr.

PR—28 Jeff Backes 5-9 190 Jr.

Outlook: Through the first nine games, Huffman was one of 11 players nationally who was his team's primary placekicker and punter. Huffman now handles punts and kickoffs. Howells has converted 2 of 3 field-goal attempts.

Hawai'i offense

LWR—84 Jason Rivers 6-1 189 So.

LSB—2 Chad Owens 5-9 177 Sr.

LT—70 Tala Esera 6-3 291 So.

LG—65 Hercules Satele 6-2 279 Fr.

C—64 Samson Satele 6-2 278 So.

RG—66 Brandon Eaton 6-2 291 Jr.

RT—74 Jeremy Inferrera 6-2 284 So.

RSB—38 Gerald Welch 5-7 216 Sr.

RWR—9 Britton Komine 5-10 180 Sr.

QB—14 Tim Chang 6-2 204 Sr.

RB—6 Michael Brewster 5-5 185 Sr.

RB—16 West Keli'ikipi 6-0 266 Sr.

Outlook: In the past four games, Rivers has emerged as Chang's go-to receiver, catching 34 passes for 366 yards and six touchdowns. In the first six games, he had 25 catches for 345 yards and no touchdowns. Rivers' improvement came when he started to run more post patterns and slants. "I know I'm not the biggest, but I don't mind getting hit," he said. "I tell Timmy, 'If I'm going over the middle, throw it, because I'll try and catch it.' If I'm going to get hit, I'm going to get hit. Nobody's ever not going to get hit in a game."

Rivers said he was steeled to pain as a Saint Louis School senior, when linebacker Tanuvasa Moe, now a UH junior, fiercely defended the inside passing lanes.

"At Saint Louis, we hit a lot in practice," Moe said. "We tried to get our licks in. But every time we hit Jason, he got right back up. He's tough."

After failing to complete 19 consecutive deep passes (traveling at least 20 yards from the line of scrimmage), Chang was 4 of 6 against Idaho last week.

Hawai'i Defense

LE—98 Melila Purcell III 6-4 266 Jr.

LT—99 Lui Fuga 6-1 294 Sr.

RT—96 Matt Faga 6-2 317 Sr.

RE—30 Kila Kamakawiwo'ole 6-3 241 Jr.

LB—45 Tanuvasa Moe 5-11 210 Jr.

LB—55 Watson Ho'ohuli 5-11 222 Sr.

NB—37 Abraham Elimimian 5-10 185 Sr.

LCB—10 Turmarian Moreland 6-0 194 Jr. or 12 Ray Bass 5-11 175 Fr.

LS—42 Leonard Peters 6-1 184 Jr.

RS—22 Lamar Broadway 5-11 175 Jr.

RCB—24 Kenny Patton 6-0 187 So.

Outlook: The Warriors have been successful with their nickel package involving five defensive backs. In this scheme, the nickelback, Elimimian, serves as a rover, aligning as an outside linebacker or near the line as a blitzer. Elimimian, who missed last week's game because of a strained right hamstring, also can cover the inside receivers.

After missing a season-high 25 tackles against Fresno State on Nov. 12, the Warriors missed a season-low six tackles last week.

Hawai'i Specialists

PK—47 Justin Ayat 6-0 195 Sr.

P—25 Kurt Milne 6-0 196 So.

KR—21 Jason Ferguson 5-5 157 Fr.

PR—2 Chad Owens 5-9 177 Sr.

Outlook: In six home games this season, 51 percent of Ayat's kickoffs (21 of 41) resulted in touchbacks, compared to 33 percent (5 of 15) in four road games. He averages 64.34 yards per kickoff at Aloha Stadium, 60.8 yards on the road.

Early in the season, the coaches instructed Ayat to place the tee on UH's left hashmark and try to place kickoffs in the area between the receiving team's right hashmark and sideline. With his success in kicking off, Ayat now is allowed to swing away.

Ayat said he works on his accuracy by trying to land kickoffs in a garbage bin. He also follows Jones' advice. "He told me to run to the ball, really put my body into it and kick it hard," Ayat said.