College football’s Week 0 slate rolls on with a Pac-12-to-mainland rematch as Hawaii travels to Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto for a rivalry that’s swapped results in each of the past two meetings.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on the ACC Network, marking the coaching debut of new Stanford head coach Tavita Pritchard, a former Cardinal quarterback who spent the last three years in the NFL with the Washington Commanders before taking over the program.
Stanford enters off a rough 4-8 season but returns 12 starters and roughly 60% of its production, with Michigan transfer Davis Warren taking over at quarterback after missing all of 2025 recovering from a torn ACL.
Hawaii, under longtime head coach Timmy Chang, counters with sophomore Micah Alejado slinging the ball for an offense built to stretch the field vertically.
The Rainbow Warriors won last year’s meeting on the islands 23-20, and Stanford will be looking to reclaim home-field bragging rights in Pritchard’s first game in charge.
Hawaii vs Stanford Predictions From Our Supercomputer
Our AI-powered college football supercomputer has processed this Week 0 opener through coaching continuity, quarterback experience, and defensive trends from last season to settle on its picks.
Here are the three best bets it landed on for Hawaii vs Stanford.
- Stanford -3.5
- Under 48.5 Total Points
- Micah Ford Anytime Touchdown Scorer
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Hawaii vs Stanford Prediction 1: Stanford -3.5
- Stanford -3.5 (-110)
Stanford’s turnaround story starts with continuity in the building blocks that matter most.
The Cardinal return 12 starters and around 60% of last year’s production, and while Pritchard is a first-time head coach, he’s surrounded himself with experience: new offensive coordinator Terry Heffernan and new defensive coordinator Kris Richard both arrive with substantial pedigree.
Warren gives Stanford a passer who’s already started games at the Power 4 level, a clear step up from the shakier quarterback play that undercut the Cardinal in last year’s loss to these same Rainbow Warriors despite winning time of possession and the ground game.
A field goal and a bit feels appropriate for the more talented, better-coached team catching Hawaii at home.
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Hawaii vs Stanford Prediction 2: Under 48.5 Total Points
- Under 48.5 (-108)
Both quarterbacks carry real question marks that point toward a grindier, lower-scoring opener.
Warren threw nine interceptions in his lone season as a starter at Michigan and hasn’t played a competitive snap since tearing his ACL in December 2024, while Alejado is only a sophomore working through the growing pains that come with a first full season as a starter.
Stanford’s identity under Pritchard also leans on ball control and a physical rushing attack rather than an explosive passing game, and last year’s meeting between these two programs was decided as much by field position and special teams as by scoring drives.
A cautious, mistake-averse approach from both sidelines in a Week 0 opener supports the under.
For a broader look at how programs across the sport are shaping up, the latest College Football Playoff National Championship odds are worth a check.
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Hawaii vs Stanford Prediction 3: Micah Ford Anytime Touchdown Scorer
- Micah Ford Anytime Touchdown Scorer (-160)
Ford is the engine of this Stanford offense, and last year’s meeting with Hawaii is exactly the kind of matchup where he thrives.
The junior running back put up 113 rushing yards against the Rainbow Warriors a season ago and has four career games clearing 94 yards on the ground, including a career-high 157-yard outing.
With Pritchard building his offense around a physical rushing attack and Warren still getting his feet wet as a new starter, Ford projects to see a heavy workload and plenty of chances near the goal line.
Facing a Hawaii front that’s replacing key pieces on defense, backing Stanford’s clear focal point to find the end zone at some point is the shorter-odds, higher-probability way to attack this game.
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