Hawaii Stuns Stanford with Walk-Off Field Goal in Season Opener

HONOLULU - In a thrilling Week Zero game at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, the Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors came back to beat the Stanford Cardinal, 23-20. Kicker Kansei Matsuzawa hit a 38-yard field goal right as time ran out.

Stanford struck first, taking a 10-0 lead in the opening quarter. After Emmett Kenney’s 23-yard field goal, Hawai‘i’s Brandon White fumbled the kickoff. He downed it at the 1-yard line. This set up a touchdown from Wilfredo Aybar, increasing the Cardinal’s lead.

Hawai‘i scored late in the first quarter. Quarterback Micah Alejado threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Pofele Ashlock. This made the score 10-7. Alejado threw a 19-yard touchdown to Jackson Harris, a former Stanford receiver, just before halftime. This gave the Rainbow Warriors their first lead of the night, 14-13.

In the third quarter, Hawai‘i extended its lead to 17-13 on Matsuzawa’s 40-yard field goal. Stanford came back with a strong 20-play, 85-yard drive. Micah Ford finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown run, giving them a 20-17 lead with 9:41 to go.

Down by two points in the last minutes, Hawai‘i’s defense forced a punt. Alejado, who had hobbled off after a sack, then guided the drive to tie the game. Matsuzawa’s 37-yard field goal with 2:01 on the clock knotted the contest at 20-20. After Stanford’s drive ended, Hawai‘i got the ball at their 28. Alejado then made five key completions. This set up Matsuzawa’s winning kick.

Alejado hit 27 of 39 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 36 rushing yards. Ford led Stanford with 113 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown. Frank Reich, the interim head coach, made his debut after being hired by Andrew Luck. He was disappointed by the narrow loss but emphasized that the season is still long.

With this win, Hawai‘i is now 1-0 against Stanford in Honolulu. It’s their first victory over a Power Four team since 2019. Stanford falls to 0-1 as it begins its search for consistency under new leadership.