The University of Hawaii opened the 2025 college-football season with a dramatic home victory over Stanford, winning on a walk-off field goal as time expired. The kick was delivered by Kansei Matsuzawa, a Japanese place-kicker who taught himself the craft by watching YouTube videos before enrolling at a junior college to learn English and pursue collegiate football. Matsuzawa’s decisive boot capped a comeback sparked by quarterback AJ Alejado, who played through an apparent leg injury. Stanford had set up the winning possession with a costly late turnover, allowing Hawaii to drive into field-goal range. The win gives the Rainbow Warriors a 1–0 start in Week 0 while dealing an early setback to the Cardinal. Beyond the final score—unofficially a one-point margin given the betting line—the story highlights Hawaii’s reliance on unconventional talent paths as well as Stanford’s early-season miscues.