After suffering a devastating loss in its last regular-season home game Nov. 12 against Iowa, Wisconsin offensive line coach Jim Hueber walked into the locker room and, "I told the guys we should go to Hawai'i and win one at home for him."

He is senior center Donovan Raiola, who is returning home to play in front of family and friends for the first time since his final prep game with Kamehameha in 2000.

Wisconsin plays the University of Hawai'i football team Friday at 4:05 p.m. at the Aloha Stadium.

"I played there my last high school game," he said last week. "It's going to be pretty cool, I'm going to be excited to play in the same stadium where I played in high school.

"You kind of approach it as another game. But it's going to be fun for the people who can't travel (to see me play). They get to just come to the stadium and watch me, so it will be cool."

His mother, Wendy, said family and friends would be in attendance, bringing him lei and making the event "just like his senior day in high school."

"The fact that we're able to see him play his last college game, it's going to be a tear-jerker."

His father, Tony, said: "Every down he plays Friday will be a thrill to watch. Five years went by that fast. It's like the click of a finger. It was just like he started high school."

Raiola said although it is a homecoming for him, he is taking the game seriously. Wisconsin (8-3) is positioning itself for the bowl season.

"It's really important to gain a little momentum back going into a bowl game," the team captain said. "One of our team's goals was to play (a bowl game) on New Year's."

Raiola is familiar with Hawai'i's wins over fellow Big Ten schools Michigan State and Northwestern last season.

"Whenever I get a chance, I enjoy watching Hawai'i play and brag to some of my friends when they do beat those teams," Raiola said. "From what I heard there were some bad calls, so hopefully that doesn't happen to us."

Raiola, a three-year starter who was named to the preseason watch list for the Dave Rimington Trophy (college football's top center) this season, is also taking advantage of the fact that he will be spending his first Thanksgiving in Hawai'i since he left for college.

Usually, the family spends its Thanksgiving in Detroit, where Raiola's older brother, Dominic, is a member of the Detroit Lions. This year, he will be at his parent's house watching Dominic play the Atlanta Falcons on television.

Because of team obligations, he will only be able to spend a few hours at his home tomorrow. He will continue celebrating Saturday, when he invites some of his teammates over to his house.

"We're trying to figure out what we're going to serve," Raiola's mother, Wendy, said. "We want to make local food. Thank goodness for Costco, especially if they're all offensive linemen."

With the season winding down, Raiola said thoughts of the NFL are starting to creep in.

"I'm sure he'd like to go on to play," Hueber said. "Someone will give him a chance because of his savvy and the way he plays.

"He's got a great sense of humor. He's relatively soft-spoken and quiet, but he's not afraid to speak his mind. But when he gets on the field, he gets fired up pretty good."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.