Stanford at Hawaii
Data: Season opener for each groups
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Ching Advanced, Honolulu
TV: CBS
Radio: KNBR 1050 AM
Collection historical past: Stanford leads 4-0. The Cardinal has crushed Hawaii by a minimum of 11 factors in all 4 earlier matchups, together with a 37-24 win to open the 2023 season. Hawaii will play at Stanford in 2026 and 2030.
Stanford storylines: Frank Reich has come out of retirement to educate in school for the primary time whereas GM Andrew Luck, his former QB at Indianapolis, searches for a everlasting alternative. He’ll attempt to defy expectations at a program that went 3-9 (2-6 in convention) in its first 12 months within the ACC and as soon as once more noticed lots of its prime gamers switch out. A program-record 17 transfers contains seven potential starters led by QB Ben Gulbranson, who spent the previous 5 seasons at Oregon State.
Hawaii storylines: Hawaii coach Timmy Chang (13-25, 8-15 within the Mountain West) is winless in six video games in opposition to Energy 4 convention groups in three seasons. However this seems to be his greatest group since returning to his alma mater — Hawaii returns 14 starters from a group that went 5-7 final season, 3-4 within the Mountain West. Hawaii’s pass-heavy assault is led by redshirt freshman Micah Alejado, who threw for 469 yards and 5 TDs in opposition to New Mexico in his lone begin final season and hasn’t thrown an interception in 17 video games, courting again to his junior 12 months of highschool.
Stats that matter: That is the earliest-ever begin of the season for both group. The Cardinal’s earlier earliest date was Aug. 26 on a number of events, most lately in 2017 when it defeated Rice 62-7 in Australia. … Stanford’s rush protection was its greatest since 2014 final season, limiting opponents to simply 133.5 speeding yards per sport, forty first in FBS. The Cardinal held Hawaii to minus-5 speeding yards of their 2023 assembly. … The Cardinal is the one FBS group to play in 5 time zones this season.
— HAROLD GUTMANN
