Stanford opened the new season with plenty of fresh faces, and the Cardinal wasted no time giving the home crowd a finish worth remembering.
In a back-and-forth Week 1 battle against Hawaii, Stanford came out on top 37-27 to earn its first season-opening win since 2023. The result also gave the Cardinal a second straight opening-week matchup with the Rainbow Warriors, and this one turned into a wild swing game before Stanford closed it out late.
The biggest offensive spark came from sixth-year quarterback Davis Warren, making his Stanford debut after transferring from Michigan in the offseason. Warren looked composed throughout the night, going 22 of 34 for 310 yards and a touchdown reception while adding 31 rushing yards. He gave Stanford steady production in the pocket and enough mobility to keep plays alive when things broke down.
Micah Ford supplied the muscle on the ground. The junior running back, who battled injuries last season, looked fully comfortable carrying the load, piling up 99 yards on 25 attempts and scoring three times. Ford’s night was defined by the kind of short-yardage toughness Stanford needed most, especially when the game tightened late.
“It kind of set the standard for my season,” Ford said. “At the end of the day, there’s definitely stuff I could have done better out there on that field, but I’m just happy my team was able to walk out of there with the win.”
His third touchdown ended up being the one that mattered most. Stanford had let a 16-point advantage slip away and trailed 27-23 with less than two minutes remaining, but Ford powered in from two yards out to put the Cardinal back in front. That score made him the first Stanford player since Bryce Love ’19 in 2017 to post at least 90 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a game.
“It means a lot,” Ford said about notching the achievement. “Obviously Bryce was a great running back here.
Heisman runner-up, things of that sort. Just honored to be in a conversation with him.”
Hawaii still had a final shot to swing the game back its way, but Stanford’s defense delivered the knockout punch. The Cardinal forced a fumble by Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado in the final minute, and fifth-year outside linebacker Tevarua Tafiti scooped it up and raced 31 yards for a touchdown.
Tafiti’s return sealed the win and marked the second time in his career that he has scored a touchdown at Stanford. The Hawaii native had a strong contingent in the stands as he finished the job.
“I had my parents, my sister, and my uncle and my pops [at the game],” Tafiti said. “I had a lot of high school teammates on the other team. I love seeing them.”
The night also gave head coach Tavita Pritchard a successful debut. The former Stanford quarterback said the late-game tension was part of the deal in a season opener.
“We all knew coming out here for Game 1 together, there were going to be nerves,” Pritchard said. “It reminds you you’re alive, and it reminds you that you care, and our guys care. They take it very seriously, and they put a lot into this.”
Stanford’s 37 points marked its highest scoring output since a 38-35 win over Louisville in 2024. The celebration won’t last long, though.
The Cardinal are heading into a short week before hosting No. 7 Miami on Friday, a team coming off an NCAA championship game appearance last year.
“We know that we’re going to have to move on pretty quickly from this,” Pritchard said. “Miami is a formidable opponent and one that’s going to get our full attention.”
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Friday, and Stanford will be chasing back-to-back season-opening wins for the first time since 2018.
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