Three matchups to watch for in Week 0 Stanford-Hawaii

HONOLULU – The dog days of summer are (just about) over.

Prepare to hear the crunch of shoulder pads colliding on college fields across the country every weekend until the middle of January.

The 2025 college football season is right around the corner.

The University of Hawaii and Stanford will close out the five-game slate of Week 0 action on Saturday, matching up for the fifth time ever and the first time since 2023. That clash between the Rainbow Warriors and Cardinal went in favor of the visitors from California, 37-24.

Things have changed a decent bit for each program since that meeting two years ago.

Stanford moved into the ACC and is now led by new general manager Andrew Luck and interim head coach Frank Reich after the somewhat-unceremonious exit of Troy Taylor. The Cardinal lost starting quarterback Ashton Daniels to Auburn and star pass rusher David Bailey to Texas Tech via the transfer portal while they brought in a program-record 17 new faces from the portal themselves.

Despite the fresh roster, Stanford enters 2025 with the lowest projected win total among Power 4 programs.

Hawaii faces the highest expectations of fourth-year head coach Timmy Chang’s tenure as they enter the Micah Alejado era at quarterback. Flanked by a pair of preseason all-conference receivers in Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle, the redshirt freshman QB has many fans thinking bowl for the ‘Bows after his scintillating starting debut last season.

Both sides have eyes on starting the 2025 campaign on a high note. Here are three key matchups to keep a look out for on Saturday that can swing the needle.

Hawaii WR corps vs. Stanford secondary unit

Studs on studs.

The Rainbow Warriors have talent oozing from everywhere in the wide receiver room. While they’re led by Ashlock and Cenacle, many around the UH program are excited to see what Kentucky transfer Brandon White and former Cardinal WR Jackson Harris can bring to the unit in 2025.

Add in senior Karsyn Pupunu, Arizona State transfer Max Ware and a multitude of others and the list of productive pass catchers just goes on for Hawaii. Did we mention that they’re listing tight ends on the two-deep this season after not doing so at all in 2024?

Even better for UH – Alejado is more than happy to use all those options while picking apart a defense.

Stanford’s defense struggled last season against top opponents but had significant ball production on the back end with nine interceptions. Senior CB Collin Wright should serve as the unit’s top dog in 2025 after leading the squad a year ago with three picks and is projected to start on Saturday for the Cardinal.

Dartmouth graduate transfer CB Jordan Washington, an All-Ivy League first-team selection in 2024, will likely get a chance to play a big role in his first game with Stanford as well. With multiple standouts in the safety room (Jay Green, Scotty Edwards), the experienced defensive backfield of the Cardinal will look to build off positives from last year and hold down a dynamic UH group.

Stanford TE Sam Roush vs. Hawaii Safety & Linebacker corps

One of the most critical battles for the Rainbow Warriors, veteran safeties Peter Manuma and Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen will serve as part of the counter for the hosts against Stanford tight end Sam Roush. The Nashville native was a four-star prospect out of high school and broke out last season with 40 catches for 334 yards after former Cardinal standout Benjamin Yurosek transferred to Georgia.

Hawaii fans may remember Yurosek’s name after he torched the Rainbow Warriors to the tune of 138 yards and a touchdown across nine catches when the teams last met in 2023. While Yurosek can’t break the hearts of UH fans anymore, Roush has the capability of carrying the torch as a big-bodied pass catcher and experienced security blanket for QBs.

The senior tight end also is the top returning target for the Cardinal after they lost WR Elic Ayomanor (63 rec, 831 yards, 6 TDs) to the 2025 NFL Draft, redshirt freshman WR Ismael Cisse (26 rec, 241 yards, 2 TDs) to Arkansas and freshman WR Emmett Mosley V (45 rec, 525 yards, 6 TDs) to Texas via the transfer portal.

If Manuma and Mendiola-Jensen (along with others within the UH defensive spine) can help neutralize Roush’s impact on Saturday, the Cardinal passing attack will be forced to lean on lesser-known commodities like transfers CJ Williams (Wisconsin) and Caden High (South Carolina State).

Stanford prized freshman WR JonAnthony Hall has been listed as questionable entering the weekend after missing several practices throughout camp with an injury and would be an X-factor with a surprise suit-up against the Rainbow Warriors. Hall’s likely absence should only increase Roush’s importance in new starting QB Ben Gulbranson’s first start.

Hawaii’s 3rd Down Offense vs. Stanford’s Defense

One of the most underrated skills for a defense is getting off the field on third down. Just ask the Cardinal.

Stanford’s three victories during the bumpy 2024 campaign came in the only contests where the defense held opponents to a third-down conversion rate of 40% or less. In six road games last year, the Cardinal allowed four teams to convert on 50% or more of their third down opportunities.

Hawaii converted on an astounding 62.5% of third down chances against New Mexico to end last season, the only start for Alejado at the college level so far. The Lobo defense was among the worst in all of FBS football, so even a Cardinal squad that struggled against Power 4 squads last year is a step up in competition for the redshirt freshman signal caller.

Should the left-handed gunslinger want to pass the next test in his young college career and deliver a win on national television against a Power 4 squad for fourth-year head coach Timmy Chang, converting on the money down on Saturday will be critical. The Rainbow Warriors, not known for a powerful rushing attack, must work themselves in “third-and-manageable” situations and convert often if they want to start the 2025 season off on the right note.