Timmy Chang and his Hawaii Rainbow Warriors opened the 2025 season with the annual Week 0 contest, an opportunity for Hawaii to reap the benefits of standalone action on network national television. This one came on big CBS against Stanford. After several seasons of close, but agonizingly not close enough results, Chang and his Warriors finally found their breakthrough victory against Power Four opposition in a 23-20 victory over the Stanford Cardinal.
Here are some highlights from the four-hour thriller:
-Hawaii could not have possibly started this game worse. A 16-play, 70-yard march that concluded in a 23-yard Emmet Kenney field goal that gave Stanford a 3-0 lead and ate up 7:46 from the clock.
On the ensuing kickoff, kick returner Brandon White mistakenly called fair catch at the 1-yard line, not realizing that you cannot do that off of a bounced kick. Starting from the 1-yard line, Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado was sacked in the end zone, fumbled the ball that was recovered by Stanford. Just like that, Hawaii was quickly down 10-0.
-Alejado eventually settled down after a few drives, leading two scoring drives. A 3-yard pass to Pofele Ashlock and a 19-yard strike to Jackson Harris, who enacted some revenge on his former team in Stanford. Credit to the Hawaii defense for locking after the 10-0 deficit. Defensive tackle Luther McCoy blocked a field goal attempt that ultimately proved to be essential. Hawaii led 14-13 at the break.
-Disaster struck on Hawaii’s opening drive of the second half. Stanford’s Matt Rose tackled Micah Alejado with a hipdrop, the tackling approach the sport is trying to eliminate. It appeared Alejado might be seriously injured. Quarterback Luke Weaver briefly replaced him.
-Alejado returned with a noticeable limp, hobbling around the field. His desire and determination unquestioned, but could he be effective for the Warriors?
-Hawaii tacked on a field goal to make the score 17-13, but Stanford then took over control of the game. Quarterback Ben Gulbranson was bad all afternoon, but that didn’t deter the Cardinal running game. A 20-play, 85-yard drive that consumed 9:37 of game clock sucked the life out of Clarence T.C. Ching Complex.
-Hawaii went three-and-out on the next possession and the vibes were bleak. Hawaii needed a hero. Several players answered the call. First up, safety Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen leaped up to intercept a Gulbranson pass on the next drive. Hawaii needed a jolt and he provided one.
-A hobbled but determined Micah Alejado led Hawaii on a 10-play, 50-yard drive that concluded in a Kansei Masuzawa field goal. Tie ball game, 20-20.
-With 2:01 remaining, Stanford promptly went three-and-out amidst some strange clock management. Alejado, who finished the night 27-39 for 210 passing yards and two touchdowns, gutted out a two-minute drill that’s key play came on a short pass to running back Landon Sims for 24-yards to the Stanford 21-yard line. From there, Hawaii positioned themselves for another Kansei Matsuzawa field goal attempt. Matsuzawa buried a 38-yard field goal as time expired to deliver Hawaii and Timmy Chang a 23-20 victory, the signature win the program has been in search of. A victory over Power Four opposition.
-Micah Alejado, Jamih Otis, Tariq Jones, Virdel Edwards all picked up some type of injury. Kuao Peihopa missed the game altogether. A costly victory as the trip to Arizona looms, but on Saturday evening that was not the focus. Hawaii won on national television, possibly the first time ever on network television. Hawaii is 1-0 with a victory over an ACC opponent, a breakthrough for a program attempting to restore former glory.
