Kansei Matsuzawa converted a 38-yard field goal as time expired to lift Hawaii to a season-opening 23-20 football victory over Stanford today at the Ching Complex.

A crowd of 13,368 watched the Rainbow Warriors rally behind a kicker reared in Japan and ailing quarterback Micah Alejado, who played most of the second half on a sprained right ankle.

The Cardinal went ahead 20-17 on Micah Ford’s 2-yard run to cap a 20-play, 85-yard drive with 9:41 to play, and then appeared to moving out of reach when it regained possession and drove.

But UH safety Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen made a leaping interception of Stanford quarterback Ben Gulbranson’s throw toward the left flat.

Led by Alejado, the Warriors drove to the 20, from where Matsuzawa was true on a 37-yard field goal to tie it 20 with 2:01

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