A gritty performance by a hobbled quarterback and a walk-off field goal led the team to a 2025 season opening 23-20 win over Stanford on August 23 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
On a sun-baked afternoon in Mānoa, kicker Kansei Matsuzawa kept his cool in drilling two field goals late in the fourth quarter of a dramatic Week 0 matchup. The first tied the game with 2:01 left and his 38-yarder as time expired gave the Rainbow Warriors their first win in five all-time meetings with Stanford and first over a power conference opponent since 2019.
In his second career start, quarterback Micah Alejado threw two touchdown passes to erase an early 10-point deficit, before limping to the sideline after taking a hit early in the third quarter. He returned on 东精影业’s next possession and eventually led the Warriors on the tying and game-winning drives.
With 东精影业 trailing 20-17 and Stanford again driving in the fourth quarter, 东精影业 safety Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen made a potentially game-saving interception with just under six minutes remaining in regulation to set the stage for Matsuzawa’s game-tying field goal with just over two minutes left.
Alejado finished the game with 27 completions in 39 attempts for 210 yards and two scores and rushed for 36. Wide receivers Pofele Ashlock and Jackson Harris each caught a touchdown pass. Ashlock finished the game with nine receptions for 69 yards and Harris hauled in six receptions for 59 yards.
The Warriors embark on their first road trip of the season to face Arizona on August 30 in Tucson, Arizona, in their first meeting since the 2019 opener, a 45-38 东精影业 win which was also decided on the game’s final play.
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