Joe Montana discusses Guinness partnership and Notre Dame football
USA TODAY Sports’ Madison Tenenbaum talks with Joe Montana about Notre Dame and his renewed partnership with Guinness ahead of the 2026 college football season.
PALO ALTO, CA ― Stanford football is back as the Cardinal kick off their 2026 season in the ACC against the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at Stanford Stadium.
This season marks a new era for Stanford football as newly hired head coach Tavita Pritchard makes his debut.
The Cardinal hired Pritchard after the 2025 season to become the 37th head coach in the program’s history. Pritchard, a 2009 graduate of Stanford, was previously a quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders.
The Cardinal are looking to improve upon last season’s record when they finished with a 4-8 overall record, including 3-5 in the ACC.
Pritchard was a direct hire made by football general manager Andrew Luck. The former No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft joined the staff in 2024.
“Winning in college football today requires a leader of men who can build and motivate teams, recruit future stars, and develop and connect with talent,” Luck said in a university statement. “Tavita Pritchard is exactly the right head coach at the right time to help us build on the foundation of this season and lead Stanford football to its next great era.”
Hawai’i is coming off its best season since 2019, finishing with a 9-4 record. It concluded the 2025 season with a 35-31 win against California in the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl.
The Rainbow Warriors start their season against another ACC opponent. These teams are facing each other for the third time in the last four years. This game is the tiebreaker between the two until their next meeting in 2030.
In their last matchup, Hawai’i got the upper hand on Stanford, winning 23-20 on a Kansei Matsuzawa’s walk-off field goal in their 2025 season opener. The teams didn’t play in 2024 but Stanford got a 37-24 win during Hawai’i’s 2023 home opener.
USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates in the game, including winners and losers from today’s matchup between Stanford Cardinal and Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors:
Winners
- Hawai’i’s offense picked up steam in the second quarter, especially the Rainbow Warriors’ passing game. In eight plays they picked up 55 yards and a pitch to DeVon Rice for a 3-yard score put Hawai’i on the board for the tie, 7-7.
- Stanford’s offense continues to put pressure on the Rainbow Warriors. The Cardinal took a 14-7 lead with 7:02 remaining in the first half. Davis Warren targeted Atticus Joseph on a slant route six-yards into the end zone as he caught the pass for the score.
- Hawai’i special teams saves a score after Stanford made its way into field goal range, the Rainbow Warriors special teams came up big with a blocked field goal with 1:59 remaining in the half to keep the game a one-possession deficit. The block was credited to Aidan Flintoft and Peyton Warford.
Losers
- Hawai’i’s defense can’t get a stop. Stanford continues rolling as they’ve scored on 50% of their offensive possessions.
- Battle in the trenches: The Rainbow Warriors are losing the battle at the line. The Stanford defense has constantly applied pressure forcing Hawai’i to pass and make quick decisions before the play develops. They’re run game has been obsolete.
1st quarter
Winners
- Stanford Cardinal break the game open on their second possession of the game, driving downfield 89 yards which was capped by a 2-yard score by running back Micah Ford. The Cardinal lead 7-0 with 8:37 remaining.
Losers
- Hawai’i’s offense: The Rainbow Warriors can’t seem to get anything going and have registered only three total offensive yards. They’ve been limited through the air and on the ground.