Every Sunday night during the University of Hawaii football season, Hawaii Football Final's Rob DeMello & Rich Miano will talk shop on the latest news surrounding the Rainbow Warrior football team and preview their upcoming opponent.
Hawaii Football Final
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109 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Every Sunday night during the University of Hawaii football season, Hawaii Football Final's Rob DeMello & Rich Miano will talk shop on the latest news surrounding the Rainbow Warrior football team and preview their upcoming opponent.
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Publishing Since
9/25/2019
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Recent Episodes
December 29, 2025
'Bows co-captain Zhen Sotelo in studio following epic Rainbow Warriors Hawaii Bowl victory over California
<p>The latest episode of Hawaiʻi Football Final, a Hawaiʻi Sports 2Night production, looked back at one of the most memorable moments in University of Hawaiʻi football history, a comeback for the ages in the 22nd Hawaiʻi Bowl.</p><p>KHON2 Sports Director Rob DeMello was joined by Rainbow Warriors senior offensive lineman and co-captain Zhen Sotelo as the show revisited Hawaiʻi’s 35-31 victory over California on Christmas Eve, a nationally televised thriller that capped an unforgettable season in Mānoa.</p><p>Hawaiʻi trailed 21-0 in the first half before digging deep across all three phases to mount a stunning rally. Freshman quarterback Micah Alejado, named Mountain West Freshman of the Year, played through heavy contact to throw for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Hawaiʻi Bowl MVP Pofele Ashlock hauled in 14 receptions for 123 yards and two scores as the Warriors outscored the Golden Bears 35-10 down the stretch.</p><p>The defining moment came with 15 seconds remaining. Trailing by three, Hawaiʻi faced sudden adversity when Alejado was knocked out of the game after a late hit. Backup quarterback Luke Weaver was called upon to deliver in the game’s biggest moment, and did just that, dropping a 22-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to senior receiver Nick Cenacle.</p><p>The play, quickly etched into Hawaiʻi football lore, sealed the Warriors’ first Hawaiʻi Bowl victory since 2010 and completed a comeback that will be remembered among the program’s greatest moments.</p><p>Head coach Timmy Chang, in his fourth season, closed out a 9-4 campaign that saw Hawaiʻi bookend the year with wins over ACC opponents Stanford and California, further signaling the program’s resurgence under his leadership.</p><p>On Hawaiʻi Football Final, DeMello and Sotelo reflected on the emotional weight of the victory, the belief inside the locker room while trailing by three touchdowns, and the confidence the team had in Weaver when he stepped into the huddle for the final play.</p><p>The episode also featured the “HFF Mailbox” segment, answering viewer-submitted questions, and looked ahead to what’s next for the Rainbow Warriors following a season that reignited excitement around Hawaiʻi football.</p><p>Hawaiʻi Football Final premieres every Sunday at 7 p.m. on the KHON+ app, available on Apple TV, Roku and Firestick. A television rebroadcast airs Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on KHON2.</p><p></p>
December 22, 2025
Hawaii Bowl game week for the 'Bows vs. California
<p>The University of Hawaiʻi football team’s postseason return took center stage on the latest episode of Hawaii Football Final, as KHON2 Sports Director Rob DeMello was joined by ESPN Honolulu and KHON2 analyst John Veneri to break down the Rainbow Warriors’ upcoming Sheraton Hawaii Bowl matchup and the major storylines surrounding the program.</p><p>Hawaiʻi is set to make its 15th bowl game appearance in program history when it faces California on Christmas Eve. The matchup brings added intrigue, as Cal will be led by interim head coach Nick Rolovich, who returns to the islands to face his former University of Hawaiʻi teammate and current Rainbow Warriors head coach Timmy Chang.Chang, recently named an AFCA Regional Coach of the Year, is aiming to guide Hawaiʻi to its ninth victory of the season.</p><p> Both teams have shifted into bowl game preparations with full game-week practices underway.A major focus of the discussion centered on the head coaching matchup between Chang and Rolovich, whose relationship dates back 25 years to their arrival on UH’s lower campus as quarterbacks competing for the starting role. Both eventually earned their opportunities and went on to leave lasting legacies in the program, adding a unique layer to the upcoming showdown.</p><p>The quarterback storyline extends onto the field as well, with both teams led by left-handed quarterbacks from ʻEwa Beach. Hawaiʻi will be guided by Mountain West Freshman of the Year Micah Alejado, while Cal counters with freshman All-American Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. </p><p>While the quarterbacks share similar roots, DeMello and Veneri discussed how each presents different challenges within their respective offensive schemes.</p><p>Roster movement in the modern college football landscape was also a key topic. Alejado recently announced he will return for the 2026 season after re-signing with the program, a significant development for the Rainbow Warriors amid the era of NIL and the transfer portal. However, Hawaiʻi will be without Alejado’s top receiving target, Jackson Harris, who has departed the program with plans to enter the transfer portal.DeMello and Veneri weighed the importance of retaining Hawaiʻi’s quarterback of the future while also addressing the impact of roster turnover as the Rainbow Warriors prepare for their bowl appearance.</p><p>Hawaii Football Final airs every Sunday at 7 p.m. on the KHON+ app, available on Apple TV, Roku and Firestick, with a television rebroadcast Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on KHON2. An extended version of the show is also released each Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. on major podcast platforms, including Spotify.</p>
December 8, 2025
'Bows vs. Cal - Hawaii Bowl matchup reaction
<p>The Hawaii Bowl matchup against California for the University of Hawaiʻi football team was the focus of the latest episode of Hawaii Football Final, which premiered Sunday night on the KHON+ app and featured KHON2 Sports Director Rob DeMello and analyst Rich Miano.</p><p>DeMello and Miano, a former UH player and coach and 11–year NFL veteran, discussed the Rainbow Warriors’ upcoming appearance in the Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl, answered fan questions in the “HFF Mailbox,” and broke down the next steps for the program. An extended version of the show is also released Sunday nights on major podcast platforms, including Spotify. A television rebroadcast airs Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on KHON2.</p><p>Earlier in the week, bowl officials announced the 2025 matchup, which will feature Hawaiʻi against California of the Atlantic Coast Conference on Christmas Eve at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Mānoa. The game has already generated significant interest locally and nationally, fueled in part by a headline coaching storyline — a meeting between two former UH quarterbacks.</p><p>Hawaiʻi head coach Timmy Chang will lead the Rainbow Warriors into his first bowl game, opposite former UH quarterback and one-time Warriors head coach Nick Rolovich, who will serve as Cal’s interim head coach.</p><p>On the field, the Hawaiʻi Bowl will showcase two Hawaiʻi-born quarterbacks. UH freshman Micah Alejado — recently named Mountain West Freshman of the Year — will face Campbell High School alumnus Jaron-Keāwe Sagapolutele, the 2024 Mariota Award winner.</p><p>The matchup is one of several storylines surrounding Hawaiʻi’s return to postseason play, all of which DeMello and Miano examined as the Rainbow Warriors prepare for their Christmas Eve showdown in Honolulu.</p>
109 total episodes available
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This podcast updates weekly.
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This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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