Love the underdog?

Put on your orange hat. Or red. Upstarts Campbell and Radford are in position to make a big statement today. Campbell, which soared into the Star-Advertiser Football Top 10, will travel to Punahou for an afternoon tilt.

Radford stunned then-No. 6 Mililani 14-7 in its regular-season opener last week. Tonight, the Rams will host ninth-ranked Kamehameha. The benefits of interleague play are multiple, but one aspect that goes beyond numbers is simple: Any time a public school can knock off a private-school powerhouse, fan sentiment shifts.

After all, Mililani, Leilehua and Waianae have been lords of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red West in recent years. But Campbell and its run-and-shoot offense — refined by coach Amosa Amosa — has been prolific, with 89 points in wins over Waipahu and then No. 9 Waianae.

No. 6 Campbell at No. 3 Punahou

On paper: The Sabers (2-0) rattled the cage with a 68-0 rout of Waipahu, but with the Marauders depleted by academic issues that week, top-10 voters weren’t sold just yet. Last week’s 21-14 overtime win over Waianae was persuasive enough.

Justin Tago passed for 164 yards without an interception against the Seariders, spreading the ball to six Sabers. Tago will get an even bigger challenge at Alexander Field today as 6-foot-7 defensive ends DeForest Buckner and Luke Kaumatule take aim at the shotgun artist.

The Buffanblu (2-0) have allowed only seven points so far, limiting a potent Kailua offense to just one score last week. Offensively, the struggles of recent seasons — due primarily to injury issues at quarterback — seem to be history. Larry Tuileta, an All-State Fab 15 volleyball player last spring, has emerged as one of the state’s most promising football players. The 6-foot-1 sophomore was 14-for-21 with 127 yards, a touchdown toss and no picks. Through two games, he is 24-for-34 for 240 yards, three touchdowns and zero picks.

His backup, Luke Morris, is now 11-for-13 through the air.

Bull-dozing running back Steven Lakalaka’s relatively light load thus far is good in the long term. The UCLA-bound senior had just 12 carries (for 84 yards) last week, and Punahou hasn’t needed to maximize his excellent pass-catching skills.

One reason is the emergence of 6-foot-5 senior Malik Johnson, who played a half-season last year. This fall, the basketball standout has become possibly the most dangerous scoring threat among receivers, with 12 receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

He has received significantly more interest from D-I college football teams than basketball programs.

It’s a far more comfortable place to be for coach Kale Ane, who already had a very solid defense and special teams in-house. Buckner returned a fumble for a touchdown last week, and Kaimi Fairbairn has two field goals.

The skinny: One advantage of playing in the ILH is familiarity with the four-wide formation. Punahou sees it often enough and won’t be entirely surprised by Campbell’s sets. Pago’s ability to make proper reads is entirely dependent on pass protection and establishing an adequate ground attack.

The Sabers gained 83 rushing yards on 21 attempts against Waianae. Punahou’s D-line, with Leni Sekona in the trenches, may offer stiffer resistance.

For Campbell’s posse of receivers, including B.J. Halmos, Keoni Piceno and Amosa Amosa Jr., precision routes will be key. Pago will be fortunate to stay on his feet for more than 4 seconds in the pocket, but if he does, Piceno has proved to be a valuable target. Piceno caught last week’s game-winning touchdown pass in overtime.

X factor: Campbell running back Aries Pihi is a dual threat. The 5-7, 145-pound senior ran for a 28-yard touchdown against Waianae and caught five passes for 40 yards.