Stanford Cardinal running back Micah Ford (25) takes the ball downfield against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Clarence TC Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu on Sat Aug 23, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Saturday, August. 23, 2025

A 38-yard field goal by Kansei Matsuzawa, his third of the game with three seconds left in the fourth quarter, gave Hawaii a 23-20 non-conference football victory over Stanford Saturday night in Honolulu.

Two minutes earlier, Matsuzawa kicked a 37-yard field goal to tie the game at 20-20. He also made a 40-yard field goal with 6:25 remaining in the third quarter that put Hawaii up 17-13.

Stanford (0-1) opened the scoring with Emmet Kenney’s 23-yard field goal with 7:14 left in the first quarter. The Cardinal extended its lead to 1`0-0 six seconds later when Wilfredo Aybar returned a fumbled kickoff return eight yards for a touchdown.

The Rainbow Warriors (1-0) found the end zone with 2:19 left in the first quarter on a 3-yard scoring pass from Micah Alejado to Pofele Ashlock.

Kenney’s 46-yard field goal at 3:39 of the second quarter put the Cardinal up 13-7. But Hawaii took its first lead at 14-13 on Alejandro’s 19-yard TD pass to former Cardinal Jackson Harris with 42 seconds remaining in the first half.

Stanford took its last lead at 20-17 with 9:41 to play in the fourth quarter on Micah Ford’s 2-yard touchdown run. The Rainbow Warriors’ final scoring drive covered 52 yards on nine plays in one minute, 33 seconds.

Alejado completed 27 of 39 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions. Cam Barfield was Hawaii’s top rusher with 45 yards on six carries.

Cardinal quarterback Ben Gulbranson was 15 of 30 for 109 yards with one interception. His top targets were CJ Williams and Sam Roush with three catches each. Ford led all ballcarriers with 113 yards on 26 attempts.

Hawaii outgained the Cardinal 306 total yards to 286, though Stanford had a 21-20 edge win first downs.

The Cardinal play again in two weeks, when Stanford travels to Provo, Utah, to face Brigham Young on Sept. 8. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Pacific.