Hawai'i Edges Stanford 23-20 in Week 1 Thriller
Hawai'i held off Stanford 23-20 in a competitive Week 1 matchup marked by 12 lead changes and dramatic momentum swings. The Rainbow Warriors' defense made crucial plays down the stretch, including an interception of Ben Gulbranson in the fourth quarter that proved pivotal. Hawai'i quarterback Micah Alejado led the passing attack with 210 yards, while Stanford's Cole Tabb led all receivers with 8 catches. The Cardinal's ground game was anchored by Sedrick Irvin's 46 rushing yards.
Hawai'i built an early 10-7 lead after the first quarter but Stanford answered with a field goal in the second to tighten the deficit. A defensive struggle ensued in the third quarter before both teams traded scores in the fourth. The game featured several momentum-altering plays, including a Stanford turnover recovery in the first quarter and a crucial Stanford pass completion to Chico Holt for 36 yards late in the contest. Hawai'i's victory covered the 2-point spread, while the combined 43 points fell short of the 50-point over-under.
AI-generated recap · Aug 25, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Stanford | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
 Hawai'i | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | Stanford | Hawai'i |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 15-30 | 27-40 |
| Pass Yards | 109 | 210 |
| Rush Yards | 177 | 96 |
| Total Yards | 286 | 306 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| 3rd Down | 8-17 | 3-10 |
| Penalties | 7-70 | 8-70 |
| Possession | 36:07 | 23:53 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
Micah Ford run for 2 yds to the STAN 27
pass incomplete to Micah Ford
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to C.J. Williams for 16 yds to the STAN 43 for a 1ST down
Cole Tabb run for 9 yds to the HAW 48
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Sam Roush for no gain to the HAW 48
Micah Ford run for 4 yds to the HAW 44 for a 1ST down
Micah Ford run for 16 yds to the HAW 28 for a 1ST down
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Sam Roush for 3 yds to the HAW 25
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Cole Tabb for 2 yds to the HAW 23
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Caden High for 4 yds to the HAW 19
Micah Ford run for 3 yds to the HAW 16 for a 1ST down
Ben Gulbranson pass incomplete to Jonanthony Hall for a 1ST down Hawai'i Penalty, personal foul (Jamar Sekona) to the HAW 8 for a 1ST down
Micah Ford run for 3 yds to the HAW 5
pass incomplete to Sam Roush
pass incomplete to Jordan Onovughe
Emmet Kenney 23 Yd Field Goal
Emmet Kenney kickoff for 64 yds , Brandon White return for no gain to the HAW 1
Wilfredo Aybar 0 Yd Fumble Return (Emmet Kenney Kick)
pass incomplete to Karsyn Pupunu
Landon Sims run for a loss of 2 yards to the HAW 23
Micah Alejado pass complete to Cam Barfield for 10 yds to the HAW 33
Billy Gowers punt for 67 yds
Micah Ford run for 2 yds to the STAN 22
pass incomplete to Micah Ford
Ben Gulbranson pass incomplete to Sam Roush, broken up by Elijah Palmer
Stanford Penalty, delay of game (Jahsiah Galvan) to the STAN 17
punt for 41 yds
Micah Alejado pass complete to Nick Cenacle for 4 yds to the HAW 46
Micah Alejado pass complete to Pofele Ashlock for 4 yds to the 50 yard line
Micah Alejado pass complete to Brandon White for 13 yds to the STAN 37 for a 1ST down
Micah Alejado run for 30 yds to the STAN 7 for a 1ST down
Micah Alejado run for 4 yds to the STAN 3
Pofele Ashlock 3 Yd pass from Micah Alejado (Kansei Matsuzawa Kick)
Sean Olvera-Harle kickoff for 64 yds , Cole Tabb return for 19 yds to the STAN 20
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Cole Tabb for 6 yds to the STAN 26
Cole Tabb run for 6 yds to the STAN 32 for a 1ST down
Cole Tabb run for 9 yds to the STAN 41
Micah Ford run for 2 yds to the STAN 43 for a 1ST down
Sedrick Irvin run for 8 yds to the HAW 49
Sedrick Irvin run for 3 yds to the HAW 46 Hawai'i Penalty, face mask (15 yards) (Luther McCoy) to the HAW 31
Sedrick Irvin run for 4 yds to the HAW 27
Sedrick Irvin run for 3 yds to the HAW 24
Ben Gulbranson pass incomplete to Jonanthony Hall for a 1ST down Hawai'i Penalty, Defensive pass interference (Jalen Smith) to the HAW 22 for a 1ST down
Cole Tabb run for 2 yds to the HAW 20
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to C.J. Williams for 3 yds to the HAW 17
Ben Gulbranson run for 1 yd to the HAW 16 Stanford Penalty, Offensive holding (Ziron Brown) to the HAW 16
Emmet Kenney 34 yd FG MISSED
Cam Barfield run for 6 yds to the HAW 26
Micah Alejado pass complete to Nick Cenacle for 5 yds to the HAW 31 for a 1ST down
Micah Alejado pass complete to Pofele Ashlock for 11 yds to the STAN 42 Stanford Penalty, face mask (15 yards) (Sam Mattingly) to the STAN 43
pass incomplete to Jackson Harris
Micah Alejado pass complete to Karsyn Pupunu for 7 yds to the STAN 36
pass incomplete to Karsyn Pupunu
Micah Alejado pass complete to Landon Sims for 1 yd to the STAN 35
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Micah Ford for 4 yds to the STAN 39
Micah Ford run for no gain to the STAN 39
Ben Gulbranson sacked by De'Jon Benton for 0 yards to the HAW 39 for a 1ST down Hawai'i Penalty, roughing passer (De'Jon Benton) to the HAW 46 for a 1ST down
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to C.J. Williams for 11 yds to the HAW 35 for a 1ST down
Micah Ford run for 4 yds to the HAW 31
Micah Ford run for 4 yds to the HAW 27
Micah Ford run for 11 yds to the HAW 16 for a 1ST down
Micah Ford run for 1 yd to the HAW 15
Ben Gulbranson pass incomplete to Sam Roush, broken up by Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen
Ben Gulbranson sacked for a loss of 13 yards to the HAW 28 Stanford Penalty, intentional grounding (Ben Gulbranson) to the HAW 28
Emmet Kenney 46 Yd Field Goal
Micah Alejado run for 4 yds to the HAW 29 for a 1ST down Stanford Penalty, personal foul (Matt Rose) to the HAW 44 for a 1ST down
Christian Vaughn run for 3 yds to the HAW 47
Micah Alejado run for 4 yds to the STAN 49
Micah Alejado pass complete to Nick Cenacle for 3 yds to the STAN 46 for a 1ST down
Landon Sims run for 2 yds to the STAN 44
Micah Alejado pass complete to Pofele Ashlock for 5 yds to the STAN 39 for a 1ST down Stanford Penalty, face mask (15 yards) (Che Ojarikre) to the STAN 24 for a 1ST down
Micah Alejado pass complete to Landon Sims for 2 yds to the STAN 19
Micah Alejado sacked by Clay Patterson for a loss of 12 yards to the STAN 36 for a 1ST down Stanford Penalty, unsportsmanlike conduct (Clay Patterson) to the STAN 21 for a 1ST down
Jackson Harris 19 Yd pass from Micah Alejado (Kansei Matsuzawa Kick)
Sean Olvera-Harle kickoff for 53 yds , Cole Tabb return for 9 yds to the STAN 21
Ben Gulbranson pass incomplete to Sam Roush, broken up by Virdel Edwards II
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Micah Ford for a loss of 2 yards to the STAN 35
Sedrick Irvin run for 7 yds to the HAW 44 for a 1ST down
Micah Ford run for 3 yds to the STAN 18
Micah Ford run for 6 yds to the STAN 24
Micah Ford run for 2 yds to the STAN 26 for a 1ST down
Sedrick Irvin run for 1 yd to the STAN 27
Ben Gulbranson run for 4 yds to the STAN 31
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Caden High for 11 yds to the STAN 42 for a 1ST down
pass incomplete to Sedrick Irvin
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Myles Libman for 7 yds to the STAN 49
pass incomplete to Sedrick Irvin
Sedrick Irvin run for 15 yds to the HAW 29 for a 1ST down
Sedrick Irvin run for no gain to the HAW 29
Sedrick Irvin run for 4 yds to the HAW 25
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Marcus Brown for 5 yds to the HAW 20
Sedrick Irvin run for 1 yd to the HAW 19 for a 1ST down
Micah Ford run for 3 yds to the HAW 16
Micah Ford run for 4 yds to the HAW 12
Micah Ford run for 6 yds to the HAW 6 for a 1ST down
Micah Ford run for 4 yds to the HAW 2
Micah Ford 2 Yd Run (Emmet Kenney Kick)
Emmet Kenney kickoff for 60 yds , Brandon White return for 21 yds to the HAW 26
Cam Barfield run for 5 yds to the HAW 31
Micah Alejado pass complete to Jackson Harris for 10 yds to the HAW 41 for a 1ST down
Hawai'i Penalty, false start (Ethan Spencer) to the HAW 36
Cam Barfield run for 13 yds to the HAW 49
Micah Alejado run for no gain to the HAW 49 Hawai'i Penalty, Offensive holding (Zhen Sotelo) to the HAW 39
Micah Alejado sacked by Matt Rose for a loss of 2 yards to the HAW 37
Luke Weaver pass incomplete to Jackson Harris, broken up by Zach Buckey
Billy Gowers punt for 52 yds , Bryce Farrell returns for 4 yds to the STAN 15
Micah Ford run for 3 yds to the STAN 18
Micah Ford run for no gain to the STAN 18
pass incomplete to Micah Ford
Aidan Flintoft punt for 40 yds
Cam Barfield run for 11 yds to the STAN 47 for a 1ST down
Cam Barfield run for 8 yds to the STAN 39
Micah Alejado pass complete to Devon Tauaefa for 4 yds to the STAN 35 for a 1ST down
Micah Alejado pass complete to Pofele Ashlock for 5 yds to the STAN 30
Cam Barfield run for 2 yds to the STAN 28 Hawai'i Penalty, Offensive holding (James Milovale) to the STAN 38
Landon Sims run for 5 yds to the STAN 33
Micah Alejado pass complete to Pofele Ashlock for 10 yds to the STAN 23 for a 1ST down
Landon Sims run for 1 yd to the STAN 22
pass incomplete to Jackson Harris
pass incomplete to Nick Cenacle
Kansei Matsuzawa 40 Yd Field Goal
Sean Olvera-Harle kickoff for 57 yds , Bryce Farrell return for 19 yds to the STAN 27
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Sam Roush for 3 yds to the STAN 30
Ben Gulbranson pass incomplete to C.J. Williams, broken up by Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen
pass incomplete to Caden High
Aidan Flintoft punt for 34 yds
pass incomplete to Brandon White
Landon Sims run for no gain to the HAW 36
pass incomplete to Pofele Ashlock
Stanford Penalty, off-side (Ese Dubre) to the HAW 41
Billy Gowers punt for 44 yds
Micah Alejado pass complete to Brandon White for 4 yds to the HAW 29
Hawai'i Penalty, off-side (Dean Briski) to the HAW 24
Micah Alejado pass complete to Pofele Ashlock for 3 yds to the HAW 27
pass incomplete to Nick Cenacle
Billy Gowers punt for 58 yds
Micah Ford run for 2 yds to the STAN 17
Micah Ford run for 6 yds to the STAN 23
Ben Gulbranson pass complete to Chico Holt for 36 yds to the HAW 41 for a 1ST down
Micah Ford run for 17 yds to the HAW 24 for a 1ST down
Ben Gulbranson pass intercepted
Micah Alejado sacked by Hunter Barth for a loss of 6 yards to the HAW 25
Micah Alejado pass complete to Pofele Ashlock for 25 yds to the 50 yard line for a 1ST down
pass incomplete to Brandon White
Micah Alejado run for 12 yds to the STAN 38 for a 1ST down
Landon Sims run for 5 yds to the STAN 33
Micah Alejado pass complete to Jackson Harris for 8 yds to the STAN 25 for a 1ST down
pass incomplete to Jackson Harris
Micah Alejado pass complete to Pofele Ashlock for 3 yds to the STAN 22
Micah Alejado run for 3 yds to the STAN 19
Kansei Matsuzawa 37 Yd Field Goal
Micah Ford run for 3 yds to the STAN 28
pass incomplete to C.J. Williams
Ben Gulbranson pass incomplete to Jordan Onovughe, broken up by Jaheim Wilson-Jones
Aidan Flintoft punt for 54 yds , Tama Uiliata returns for 10 yds to the HAW 28
Micah Alejado pass complete to Jackson Harris for 6 yds to the HAW 34
Micah Alejado pass complete to Jackson Harris for 4 yds to the HAW 38 for a 1ST down
Micah Alejado pass complete to Landon Sims for 5 yds to the HAW 43
Micah Alejado pass complete to Jackson Harris for 12 yds to the STAN 45 for a 1ST down
pass incomplete to Cam Barfield
Micah Alejado pass complete to Landon Sims for 24 yds to the STAN 21 for a 1ST down
pass incomplete to Jackson Harris
Landon Sims run for 1 yd to the STAN 20
Kansei Matsuzawa 38 Yd Field Goal