HAWAII vs. STANFORD
RWP: Rainbow Warrior Perspective
Location: Honolulu, Oahu (Clarence T.C. Ching Complex)
Date/Time: Saturday, August 23rd at 1:30 p.m. (Hawaii Time)
Television: CBS
Streaming: You’ll need to sign in with a TV provider login.
Radio: ESPN Honolulu
Head-to-Head: Stretching from post-WWII in 1946 to 2023, Stanford has won all four of the contests in this series, including the 37-24 victory at Clarence T.C. Ching Complex just two seasons ago. Hawaii will finally make a return trip to the Bay Area in 2026.
Three things to look for:
1.
A strange era of Stanford football
The last two years have been eventful for the Stanford Cardinal. The football program now plays in the ACC, displaced by the chaos of realignment. As if that wasn’t enough, the program fired then head coach Troy Taylor this past spring because he allegedly, “bullied and belittled female athletic staffers.” A coaching change in March is not ideal, hence why Stanford elected to hire former NFL coach Frank Reich to temporarily take over the program for the 2025 season.
Former Stanford quarterback and NFL standout Andrew Luck is now hands-on for the time being as the General Manager of the program, he made the decision to move on from Taylor.
Stanford will only play four opponents west of the Mountain Time Zone this fall, while making road trips to Hawaii, Virginia, North Carolina, and Miami. Strange times, indeed. Sad times, frankly, for the state of West Coast football.
2. Not a team completely ravaged by the portal
In a day and age where bad fortune is not required for a football program to be dealing with transfer issues, a spring coaching firing seems like it would be the ultimate fuel for the fire. Stanford experienced their fair share of transfers but overall are returning 14 starters this upcoming season. Not bad all considered.
In a quarterback battle that featured promising young talents in Elijah Brown and Dylan Rizk, it was a veteran transfer from Oregon State, Ben Gulbranson, that won the starting job. He will be the quarterback the Rainbow Warriors face on Saturday.
The Stanford offensive line is expected to be improved this year. Much is expected of receivers C.J. Williams and JonAnthony Hall, and tight end Sam Roush might be Gulbranson’s primary target. Tight ends historically seem to plague Hawaii defenses.
Stanford’s defense returns eight starters, including a completely intact secondary that features shutdown corner Collin Wright Jr., a solid litmus test for the Hawaii offense that wants to throw the ball a bunch.
Yes, Stanford is experiencing some turbulence nowadays, but the Cardinal will pose the usual challenge come Saturday.
3. Offense, time to prove it
The time has arrived, football season! The hype surrounding the Hawaii football offense gives way to results, for better or worse. The hype is quarterback Micah Alejado.
At the tail end of a season without a bowl berth, Alejado came in on relief of an injured Brayden Schager to complete 11/12 passes against Utah State in a blowout loss. That effort led to a start in the season finale where he completed 37/57 passes for 469 yards and five touchdowns against the New Mexico Lobos in a 38-30 victory.
Displaying quick decision-making and tremendous accuracy, Alejado and his receiving corps that features talents like Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle provide Hawaii fans with optimism that this fall will be the breakthrough season for Timmy Chang’s Warriors. Now is the time to prove it. Right out of the gate on national television against a Power 4 opponent with a strong secondary, this will be a tough challenge. Along with it, a chance to state emphatically that Hawaii football has turned a corner.
Prediction:
The hype is not unwarranted. According to FanDuel, Hawaii opened as a 2.5-point favorite against Stanford. A near toss-up, but an early sign that there are some positive expectations for this Hawaii team.
The travel that comes with being a West Coast team in an East Coast conference might ultimately prove too much for the 2025 Stanford Cardinal, but they’ll be a difficult challenge for Hawaii on Saturday. Airing on primary CBS, not CBS Sports Network, this an opportunity for Hawaii football to earn some respect nationally.
Expect Clarence T.C. Ching Complex to be rocking despite it being hot and humid, a rare afternoon game for the Warriors. I think Hawaii will come out firing and start strong, but the energy levels in the second half when Stanford rallies to tie the game. A late turnover forced by safety Peter Manuma puts Hawaii in field goal range and kicker Kansei Matsuzawa doesn’t disappoint. Give me Warriors 26, Cardinal 23.
