Huge defensive day helps Arizona roll over Hawaii

Huge defensive day helps Arizona roll over Hawaii

Aug 30, 2025

QB Luke Weaver is hit while he throws during UH’s 40-6 road loss to Arizona. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

Huge defensive day helps Arizona roll over Hawaii

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED AUGUST 30, 2025

Road woes continue for the Rainbow Warriors.

Behind five forced turnovers and a relentless pass rush, the University of Arizona doused the excitement coming from the islands on Saturday with a 40-6 walloping of the University of Hawaii.

Despite entering the weekend still hurting from last week’s victory over Stanford, UH QB Micah Alejado got the start for the Rainbow Warriors and completed 18-of-31 pass attempts for 157 yards and his first collegiate interception before exiting in the third quarter after he was stepped on and reaggravated his lower leg injury.

“He came in banged up, but he gutted it out, played tough,” head coach Timmy Chang said of Alejado following the game. “I think he was healthy enough to play, he wanted to give it a go. He’s going to be fine, I think. He just got stepped on.”

The fourth-year head coach turned to Modesto College transfer QB Luke Weaver for the final quarter and change of action. The junior signal caller turned in a mixed bag of results, completing 8-of-16 of his passes for 66 yards while getting intercepted twice and running for 17 yards while being credited with one fumble lost.

It was another slow start for Hawaii (1-1), who went three-and-out after receiving the opening kickoff and watched as Arizona (1-0) returned the punt 41 yards and used four total plays to march down the field for the first touchdown of the night. Wildcats RB Kedrick Reescano capped off the drive with a 13-yard scoring scamper, putting the hosts from the Big 12 up 7-0 before three minutes of clock had elapsed.

Hawaii seemed to settle in on the following drive, watching as Alejado helped point guard the offense 59 yards down the field across 15 plays before finally settling for a 34-yard field goal from K Kansei Matsuzawa.

The Rainbow Warrior defense followed up the score by forcing one of what ended up as four total punts from the Wildcats, but UH was unable to capitalize as Alejado fumbled on a sack out near midfield for his second turnover of the season. Arizona found the endzone two plays later when RB Quincy Craig, who transferred to Tucson in the offseason from Portland State, took his first Wildcat touch 54 yards for the score.

Each team added a field goal before the first half ended as UH’s defense finally held strong against Arizona in the red zone and the Rainbow Warriors converted on an end-of-half scramble scenario from 41 yards out to go into the locker room trailing, 17-6.

“I thought early on, we had a chance to move the ball on them and put ourselves in a better position,” Chang said of his team’s offense in the opening 30 minutes. “They had some explosive plays on offense and that helps them. We just got to be better.”

Things went from tough to rough in the second half as UH went three-and-out on the first two offensive chances in the second half while Arizona tacked on another TD on their opening drive of the third quarter. A screen pass to Cam Barfield bounced off the back’s hands on the next drive, going down for the first pick thrown by Alejado since his junior year of high school.

Set up inside the Hawaii 10-yard line, Arizona QB Noah Fifita took it upon himself to capitalize on the turnover by using his legs and scrambling for a 10-yard touchdown to push the Wildcats’ lead to 31-6 with just over 6 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Alejado went down on the following drive for UH after getting stepped on, ending his night and waving the white flag for the visitors.

Luke Weaver showed flashes while filling in for Alejado in garbage time, leading a pair of drives into Arizona territory before throwing a couple of interceptions of his own.  The junior took ownership for his turnovers following the game, stating the need to be better in future opportunities.

Ismali Mahdi capped the scoring for the night with a five-yard touchdown run with 4:29 left to play, putting a bow on a 40-6 blowout by Arizona.

QB Noah Fifita started his junior campaign off with a solid showing, completing 13-of-23 passes for 161 yards and a passing touchdown while also adding a score with his legs. The Wildcats tore up the Hawaii run defense, racing across the turf for nearly 200 yards on the ground and four of the five team touchdowns.

Landon Sims turned in the best day for Hawaii, rushing for 41 yards on nine carries and adding three catches for another 48 yards. Redshirt freshman WR Tama Uiliata had a nice second half as he showed a connection with Weaver, hauling in four receptions for 37 yards and drawing a defensive pass interference in the end zone.

The main concern for the Rainbow Warriors going forward will be surrounding starting QB Micah Alejado, who said he felt good after the game despite getting stepped on. Hawaii does not have the team’s first bye week until after the sixth game of the season, leaving little time for rest.

“Of course it’s frustrating, but it just comes with football,” Alejado responded when asked about having to spend another week rehabbing an injury. “I just got to do what I’ve got to do to get better.”

Alejado’s status was up in the air all the way up to Saturday’s pregame warmups, where he tested the injury and felt good enough to play. He was grateful for the opportunity to try to start, even if it may have been against better judgement.

“I was good enough to go,” the redshirt freshman responded when asked about his health ahead of kickoff. “Coach Chang allowed me to play, and you know, I appreciate him for that. At the end of the day, it probably wasn’t the best decision to play, but I was good enough to play.”

Hawaii returns home to host Sam Houston (0-2) next weekend for the first 6 p.m. HT kickoff of the season.

2025 OIA Football: Playoff Schedule

by | Oct 27, 2025

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Three matchups to watch for in Week 1 Hawaii at Arizona

Three matchups to watch for in Week 1 Hawaii at Arizona

Aug 29, 2025

Hawaii DB Virdel Edwards II made his return to the field in Week 0 after missing the entire 2024 season with an injury. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Three matchups to watch for in Week 1 Hawaii at Arizona

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED AUGUST 29, 2025

HONOLULU – Road trip, anyone?

Coming off of an exhilarating walk-off win against Stanford in Week 0, UH is looking for a second win over a Power 4 opponent in as many chances this year. The University of Hawaii (1-0) will go wheels up in Week 1, facing the University of Arizona in Tucson on Saturday for the Wildcats’ season-opener.

Redshirt freshman QB Micah Alejado showed off why fans and coaches alike were buzzing in anticipation for him to take over the top signal caller role this season in Week 0. Despite suffering a lower leg injury at the start of the second half, Alejado displayed the moxie that made him a top recruit out of the state of Nevada as he led game-tying and winning drives in the final six minutes of regulation.

The Hawaii defense, which faced plenty of questions after seeing multiple key pieces graduate and transfer away, stood strong and held Stanford to 13 offensive points and just a singular touchdown drive despite being out in the toasty midday sun for more than 36 minutes of game action.

Led by a quietly excellent day from P Billy Gowers and a heroic second-half performance from K Kansei Matsuzawa, the Hawaii special teams unit made up for an early blunder from Brandon White on the first kickoff return of the year to help play a big role in earning a season-opening victory. Redshirt freshman Tama Uiliata’s late punt return also helped set up the Rainbow Warriors’ game-winning drive.

All-in-all, a full team victory to begin the 2025 campaign for UH.

As Hawaii hits the continent for the first time this year, another group effort will need to be in store to keep an unblemished record when they return to the islands. UH opened as more than 17-point underdogs for Saturday’s matchup with Arizona, showing a need for Timmy Chang’s squad to prove itself on the road after a rough showing away from Oahu last season.

Here are three key matchups to watch out for that can help Hawaii remain within striking distance of the Wildcats on Saturday:

How does the Hawaii OL hold up against Arizona’s DL?

Starting right guard Kuao Peihopa missed UH’s Week 0 matchup against Stanford and Judah Kaio struggled early on as his replacement, getting beaten by Clay Patterson on the first offensive play from scrimmage for the Rainbow Warriors for a strip sack of Micah Alejado in the end zone. Kaio wound up being the lowest overall graded player on Hawaii’s offense in the opening week, receiving a 33.8 overall grade while struggling in pass protection and holding up a bit better in the run game.

Peihopa is expected to return in Week 1’s contest against Arizona, giving UH back a strong pass protector on the line for a tenuous QB situation. Alejado seems to be trying to give it a go despite suffering an ankle injury against Stanford while backup QB Luke Weaver has prepared for action all week in the scenario that Alejado does not play.

Regardless of UH’s quarterback, trench play will be key for the visiting Rainbow Warriors if they want any chance at an upset. Arizona features an experienced defensive line with upperclassmen starting in three of the four spots and all four spots featuring players at 6-foot-3 or larger who bring the beef at 262, 301, 301 and 252 pounds apiece for the Wildcats’ front.

The Rainbow Warriors went 1-5 last season in games where opposing defenses racked up at least four sacks and 4-2 when keeping Brayden Schager (or Alejado) from being sacked three or less times. Hawaii allowed four sacks in Week 0 as they pieced together the line through injuries to Peihopa and LT Dean Briski, winning in spite of some key pressures from the Cardinal. To beat Arizona in Week 1, UH needs to hold up in protection.

Can Hawaii’s DB hold down an experienced Arizona WR group & offense?

Led by Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen, Virdel Edwards II and Jaheim Wilson-Jones, the Hawaii defense made Mānoa into a no-fly zone against Ben Gulbranson and Stanford in the season-opening victory as they held the sixth-year graduate transfer to a 50% completion rate and 109 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Arizona presents a more challenging foe for the Rainbow Warriors at signal caller than a career backup, trotting out redshirt junior QB Noah Fifita for his third year as the starter. The former three-star recruit burst onto the scene in 2023 as a redshirt freshman, winning the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award after posting the highest single-season completion percentage (72.4%) in program history and compiling 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns through the air.

While 2024 was a slight step back for the 5-foot-10 gunslinger and he lost top target Tetairoa McMillan to the NFL Draft, Arizona reloaded the WR room for Fifita in 2025 and hopes he looks closer to his redshirt freshman year form than last year. It’ll be on Edwards, Wilson-Jones and the entire defensive backfield to hold down a Wildcats offense that features three receivers that have combined for more than 5,000 career receiving yards and 25 total touchdown catches.

For Hawaii, limiting the Arizona air raid will be important. The Rainbow Warriors showed an ability to survive against teams that are run-heavy in Week 0, but with the help of shutting down the Cardinal through the air. If UH can follow a similar script on the road, chances of hanging tight suddenly rise.

How much can the Hawaii RB room contribute against Arizona’s front?

Since the switch to the Run-N-Shoot under Timmy Chang, the Rainbow Warriors have not consistently produced on the ground despite testing out a multitude of backs. In 2024, Hawaii ranked 124th out of 133 FBS programs in rushing yards per game and was one of 12 total programs to fail to account for more than 100 yards on the ground per game.

Week 0 actually saw Hawaii produces some ground game success, putting up more than 115 yards of production to help the offense. RB Cam Barfield made the most of six carries, running for 45 yards (7.5 ypc) while Alejado added 57 yards with his legs. With Alejado on the mend, any help that the rushing attack can muster up would help ease the load on the injured QB or Weaver in his first FBS start.

Arizona struggled mightily against the run in 2024, allowing opponents to break free for more than 170 yards on average. A more experienced front could close up some of the gaps and help the Wildcats protect on the ground this year, but Hawaii will need to test the trenches and see how much they can squeeze out of the backfield in order to pull off anything close to a road Power 4 upset.

2025 OIA Football: Playoff Schedule

by | Oct 27, 2025

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Mana Wahine Wednesday: Hawaii women’s soccer midfielder Nalani Damacion

Mana Wahine Wednesday: Hawaii women’s soccer midfielder Nalani Damacion

Aug 27, 2025

Nalani Damacion tracks a player in a win against Long Beach on Oct. 31. | Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Mana Wahine Wednesday: Hawaii women’s soccer midfielder Nalani Damacion

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED AUGUST 27, 2025

HONOLULU – According to MyNameStats.com, the United States is estimated to have less than 550 people named Nalani.

More than half of them are from Hawaii.

Doesn’t that mean it was only right that Nalani Damacion to ended up in the islands?

The University of Hawai’i women’s soccer star was born to be unique. It was her mom’s plan all along, apparently.

“My sister’s name is Malia, so it was already unique,” the Rainbow Wahine sophomore midfielder said. “[My mom] kinda wanted a unique theme for all of us. I also have a brother, his name’s Javen.”

Pregnant with a girl while on a family trip to Maui, Damacion’s mother stopped into a jewelry store. Just browsing, her mom’s eyes brushed across six letters and suddenly had her name for that soon-to-be-here baby girl.

Nalani.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Damacion started playing soccer around four years old, following in the footsteps of her older sister. That was commonplace for the middle child of three kids, practically copying anything that Malia did.

“Whatever she did, I was going to try,” Damacion recalled when asked about her journey to the pitch. “I started with just playing with her. I did like it, but it wasn’t like an automatic love.”

Still, she enjoyed soccer more than any other sport she tried. Softball especially was a no go.

“I did not like wearing all the gear,” she chuckled.

Her love for the beautiful game grew as she continued her career. By fourth grade, Damacion knew she wanted to play soccer at higher levels, all the way until she was told she couldn’t anymore.

She moonlighted as a center back to begin her career, patrolling the last line of defense before the goalkeeper as one of the tallest and most athletic players on the team. It wasn’t long until coaches tried to move her to the front line as she found herself sneaking up to the attack already.

Eventually, Damacion settled into the midfield for the perfect mix of helping up and down the pitch. Her newfound position only showed off her talents more, allowing for rapid development as she settled into a home on the field.

Easily the top player amongst her peers, Damacion needed a new challenge to help improve her in-game execution. Already used to playing with her older sister, she would go on to play a classification above her own until she was in high school.

Damacion piqued the interest of colleges quickly. The multitalented midfielder remembers coaches appearing on the margins at games as early as her eighth-grade year, seeing programs (including Hawaii) start to take down notes as she approached eligible recruiting years.

“Obviously, we can’t talk to them until our, like, junior year,” Damacion explained. “I would get the emails of like ‘come to our camps’ but not like [asking] hey, how’s it going?”

Suddenly, the date came where contact between schools and recruits was finally permitted and Damacion’s phone started to buzz, non-stop. Calls, offers and more from a multitude of schools flooded her inbox as she considered where she would next call home for her academic and athletic career.

Without a pre-determined  “dream school” she wanted to attend, Damacion took her time with the recruiting process. The midfielder put together lists of which programs she could see herself being a part of while starting to eliminate options that didn’t compute in her head.

Hawaii was among the schools to reach out on that opening day of her recruitment, sending emails while getting Damacion on phone calls with both head coach Michele “Bud” Nagamine and associate head coach Kaula Rowe.

“I just loved their vibe,” recalled Damacion of her early impressions of the UH coaching staff. “Right away, I might not even know them but they’re going to make me feel like I’ve known them for my whole entire life.”

All it took was one visit with the program for Hawaii to feel like home for Damacion.

“It was some kind of connection that you cannot describe,” she remembered.

The connection caused Damacion to break what she thought was one of her deal breakers. Throughout her entire process, the Rocklin (CA) native vowed to be within driving distance of home so that she had easy access to her family whenever she pleased.

“Obviously, I came here, and plans changed and now they have to make a five-hour flight,” Damacion chuckled.

Rainbow Wahine fans are happy that those plans changed.

Damacion burst onto the scene in 2024, turning in one of the greatest freshman seasons in program history as she appeared in 20 matches (19 starts) and scored a team-high seven goals in her first campaign for UH. All seven goals were game-winners, matching the highest mark by any freshman player in the country for match-deciding scores since the 2015 season.

She even provided the most important goal of the regular season, scoring in the 83rd minute of UH’s Big West regular season title-clinching road victory over UC Santa Barbara on October 27. It was the fourth and final game-winner for Damacion that came in the final 10 minutes of a contest last year.

“That’s where the fire is going to start,” the midfielder said of her mindset during the final 10 minutes of a match. “I’m going to play until I’m dead on the floor.”

Her heroics (along with many others on the Rainbow Wahine roster) helped the program secure the first Big West regular season crown ever and first regular season conference title since 2007.

Damacion added five All-Big West Freshman of the Week awards, an All-Freshman team selection and an All-Big West First Team nod in her debut season at the college level. If that wasn’t enough, the freshman superstar also became the first player in UH program history to win Big West Midfielder of the Year honors in the 20 years of the award being handed out.

As she traverses through her sophomore campaign, Damacion feels the pressure that has mounted after a massive freshman year. That outside weight is nothing new for her.

“For me, there’s been pressure my whole life in soccer,” the sophomore midfielder said. “It’s just how am I going to deal with it? … I think right now I’m doing really well with it. I’m focusing on this season … I think if I stay true to me and how I play, it’s going to be amazing.”

With a year under her belt to add to the comfort, Damacion is primed to show out as the Rainbow Wahine protect their conference crown. For the whole program, the hunger to win only grew more after last season’s successes.

“We’re ready to win [and] we’re ready to show people why we won [the Big West title] the first time,” Damacion added.

Hawaii (1-2-1) returns to action on Thursday, August 28 when they host Northern Arizona for a non-conference contest at 7 p.m. HT at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium. The Rainbow Wahine went 1-1 in last weekend’s OUTRIGGER Soccer Kickoff, taking down Central Arkansas while falling to Oregon.

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by | Oct 27, 2025

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Last-second FG helps Hawaii down Stanford for first time

Last-second FG helps Hawaii down Stanford for first time

Aug 23, 2025

Hawaii K Kansei Matsuzawa celebrates with teammates on the field after drilling a game-winning 38-yard field goal as time expired in regulation. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Last-second FG helps Hawaii down Stanford for first time

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED AUGUST 23, 2025

HONOLULU – Times are changing in Mānoa.

Led by a gutsy performance from a redshirt freshman QB, a sturdy defensive effort and a pair of clutch field goals from a self-taught kicker, the University of Hawaii delivered fourth-year head coach Timmy Chang his first victory against a Power 4 program on Saturday with a heart-stopping home win over Stanford, 23-20.

Senior place kicker Kansei Matsuzawa cashed in on all three of his field goal attempts for the Rainbow Warriors, including the game-winner from 38 yards out as the clock expired. The second-year starter scored all nine points for UH after halftime and was a tidy 2-for-2 on extra point attempts.

“Unbelievable,” Chang said of his kicker. “The kid is unbelievable. Taught himself English. Went to a JUCO. First national-born Japanese player to score points in an NCAA game and we’re lucky to have him.”

Hawaii QB Micah Alejado, who remained in the game after suffering an ankle injury on a sack in the third quarter, diced up the Cardinal defense for 210 yards and two touchdowns through the air on 27-of-39 passing. The redshirt freshman also added 36 yards on the ground while getting sacked four times and fumbling once as he helped deliver the program’s first-ever win against Stanford.

“I told the team before we came out that I would die for them,” a banged-up Alejado said in the postgame. “I knew once I could walk, I was good.”

UH got off to a slow start, finding themselves in a 10-point hole less than eight minutes into the first quarter. After winning the coin toss and deferring possession to the second half, Hawaii (1-0) watched the Cardinal take up more than seven minutes on a 15-play, 70-yard opening drive that ultimately resulted in a 23-yard field goal by Emmet Kenney.

Stanford (0-1) added a touchdown six seconds later after an error on special teams from UH pinned the Rainbow Warriors at their own 1-yard line. Cardinal DL Clay Patterson beat Hawaii backup right guard Judah Kaio, who was starting in place of the injured Kuao Peihopa, on the first play, stripped Alejado and saw his teammate, LB Wilfredo Aybar, recover the fumble for a touchdown.

“I can’t take a sack in the end zone, I’ve got to know that, and I need better ball security,” stated Alejado. “The way we started off, it was bad on my part. But the defense kept rallying, offense kept rallying.”

Hawaii came back to life to close the quarter, ripping 58 yards down the field in six plays to get on the board after the defense forced a quick punt from Stanford. Alejado showed off both his arm and legs on the drive, scrambling for 34 yards and throwing for 24 more as he capped the possession with a 3-yard touchdown strike to Pofele Ashlock.

Trailing 10-7, UH got a boost from the special teams unit to start the second quarter as defensive lineman Luther McCoy blocked a 34-yard Stanford field goal attempt. It was the first blocked field goal by the Rainbow Warriors since 2022 against Utah State.

Hawaii quickly raced into Cardinal territory (with the help of a facemask penalty) to try and capitalize on the blocked kick but turned it over on downs after RB Landon Sims was stopped just short on a quick swing pass from Alejado on 4th-and-3.

Stanford chipped on a field goal on the ensuing possession, taking advantage of a ticky-tack roughing the passer penalty against Hawaii’s De’Jon Benton that extended the drive, and extended the lead to six, 13-7.

Back came the Rainbow Warriors, led by another Alejado scramble with an unnecessary roughness penalty tacked on top to jumpstart the drive.

The Cardinal continued racking up errors defensively before the break, getting flagged for a facemask penalty and unsportsmanlike conduct on back-to-back plays to help set up UH on the Stanford 21-yard line with 1:25 left in the first half. Two plays later, Alejado hit former Cardinal WR Jackson Harris for the go-ahead touchdown just before halftime.

“He came over here with a mindset to just work,” Chang said of Harris, who transferred to Hawaii in the offseason after spending two years at Stanford. “He’s a really good receiver and we look forward to just throwing him the ball more.”

Former Stanford receiver Jackson Harris is greeted by teammates after catching the go-ahead touchdown to give Hawai’i a 14-13 lead at the break. | Photo credit: Rayden Aoki, HSRN

Hawaii’s worst fears flashed in front of their eyes after receiving the second half kickoff as Alejado’s leg got twisted up on a sack by Stanford’s Matt Rose, leaving the redshirt freshman on the ground in pain as the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex fell silent. After a punt from UH and a defensive stop, the southpaw was ready to return to action despite limping off less than 10 minutes of real time prior.

“There wasn’t really a need to talk my way back in,” Alejado said when asked about playing through the injury. “That’s just not something that’s going to take me out of the game.”

The young signal caller immediately helped orchestrate an 11-play scoring drive after returning to the field, getting within kicking range and allowing Matsuzawa to connect on a 40-yard field goal to extend the Hawaii lead to 17-13 with 6:25 left to play in the third quarter.

After trading three-and-outs, Stanford committed to the ground game to re-take the lead. Leaning on sophomore RB Micah Ford, the Cardinal strung together a 20-play, 85-yard touchdown drive that bled out the end of the third frame and the first five minutes of the fourth quarter before giving a 20-17 lead to the visitors.

With Stanford driving and his squad in need a spark after the offense went three-and-out, Hawaii safety Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen made an acrobatic play on a Ben Gulbranson pass for a game-changing pick with 5:58 left to play.

“What a great play,” Chang said of the interception by Mendiola-Jensen. “For him to come down with it [after reacting that quickly], unbelievable. Game ball deserved for him.”

Reinvigorated after the turnover, the Hawaii offense again worked to get inside the Stanford 20-yard line before Matsuzawa tied the game at 20 with 2:01 left in regulation. With trust they would get the ball back, the offense turned to the defense one last time.

Hawaii LS Jack Mowrey (left), K Kansei Matsuzawa (middle) and holder Caleb Freeman (right) celebrate after converting on the game-tying field goal. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

The Rainbow Warrior defense locked down the field, forcing a three-and-out as Jaheim Wilson-Jones came crashing in to break up a third down throw intended for WR Jordan Onovughe to get the ball back to the offense with 1:33 remaining.

“We hit adversity, we knew we were going to come and hit adversity and as a team, we were just ready for it,” Alejado said of the late-game heroics. “We knew what we were going to do when it hit and you know, all three phases were great.”

On one leg, Alejado tossed darts to Harris and RB Landon Sims to move the Rainbow Warriors to the doorstep of field goal range. A checkdown to Sims saw the senior back rumble for a 24-yard gain, setting up a 38-yard kick for Hawaii and a chance for the program’s first win over a P4 program since 2019.

Matsuzawa, who taught himself how to kick from YouTube videos and won the UH starting kicking job last season, calmly set on the right hash mark as Stanford called one of its three remaining timeouts just before the snap to try and throw off the senior’s rhythm.

Unfortunately for the Cardinal, Matsuzawa had been mentally preparing for the game-winning kick since the start of the final frame.

“I enjoy the moment,” the senior from Japan said after the game. “When we gave up the second touchdown to Stanford, I was like ‘oh this is going to be my game.’ So, I just prepared [for] game-tying field goal and also game-winning field goal. I knew that was going to happen.”

Matsuzawa calmly cashed in from 38 yards out, earning a roar from the Ching Complex crowd as Hawaii took a 23-20 lead as time expired.

Ashlock led the Rainbow Warriors’ receiving attack, hauling in nine catches for 69 yards and a touchdown to begin his junior campaign. In his UH debut, Jackson Harris racked up six receptions for 59 yards and a score against his former squad.

Cam Barfield led the ground game for Hawaii, totaling 45 yards on six carries while adding one catch for 10 yards in his first start of the season. Landon Sims had seven rushes for 12 yards, but added 32 yards in the receiving game as he caught four passes out of the backfield.

Peter Manuma and Jamih Otis each had eight tackles (6 solo) to lead the way for UH while Manuma added his first QB sack since his freshman season. Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen flew around the field for the Rainbow Warrior defense, doing a little bit of everything as the senior racked up four tackles, a team-leading two PBUs and his first career interception.

Stanford QB Ben Gulbranson finished the day 15-of-30 passing for 109 yards and an interception. Sophomore running back Micah Ford turned in a strong effort despite the loss, totaling 113 yards and a touchdown across 26 carries.

Hawaii returns to action next Saturday, hitting the road to face another former Pac-12 foe in the University of Arizona. The Wildcats were idle in Week 0 and will kick off their 2025 season against the Rainbow Warriors at 4:30 p.m. HT on TNT.

2025 OIA Football: Playoff Schedule

by | Oct 27, 2025

2025 OIA Football: Playoff Schedule BY HSRN STAFFPUBLISHED OCTOBER 27, 2025The regular season is officially in the books, and the OIA Football playoff picture is set. Across all three divisions, familiar powerhouses and new contenders are ready...

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Three matchups to watch for in Week 0 Stanford-Hawaii

Three matchups to watch for in Week 0 Stanford-Hawaii

Aug 22, 2025

Hawaii QB Micah Alejado prepares to take a snap in his first home start as a college player. The redshirt freshman was handed the keys to the UH offense this offseason. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Three matchups to watch for in Week 0 Stanford-Hawaii

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED AUGUST 22, 2025

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.

2025 OIA Football: Playoff Schedule

by | Oct 27, 2025

2025 OIA Football: Playoff Schedule BY HSRN STAFFPUBLISHED OCTOBER 27, 2025The regular season is officially in the books, and the OIA Football playoff picture is set. Across all three divisions, familiar powerhouses and new contenders are ready...

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