Kansei Matsuzawa, Who Learned To Kick on YouTube, Helps Hawaii Beat Stanford

Hawaii kicker Kansei Matsuzawa has never been afraid to teach himself how to learn new things. That wound up paying massive dividends on Saturday.

Matsuzawa made three field goals in Hawaii’s 23-20 win over Stanford in Saturday’s season opener, including the game-winning 38-yard field goal as time expired — but those kicks only added to Matsuzawa’s legend.

Five years ago, then 21, Matsuzawa began to learn how to kick a football by watching YouTube videos following his move to the United States from Japan. Matsuzawa, who played high school soccer in Japan, became interested in football following a previous trip to the United States, leading to his international move.

Now in his second year as Hawaii’s kicker, Matsuzawa is pretty comfortable playing the sport he only recently adopted.

“I’m kind of nervous right now, more than when I [kicked the] game-winning field goal,” Matsuzawa told reporters. “Speaking English is tough, but yeah, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the moment. And when we gave up the second touchdown to Stanford, then I was like, ‘Oh, this is gonna be my game.’ And I just prepared for the game-tying field goal and also game-winning field goal. I knew it was going to happen.

“Control what I can control. That’s everything I do.”

That mindset has helped Matsuzawa get through other aspects of living in America. He also used YouTube to help learn how to speak English and how to cut his own hair when he couldn’t afford a haircut during his time at Hocking College in Ohio.

It’s unclear how well Matsuzawa can cut his own hair. However, it’s clear that he can make field goals. He went 12 of 16 on field goal attempts and made all 32 extra-point attempts in his first year at Hawaii. At Hocking College, he made a 50-yard field goal.

That’s why Matsuzawa remained cool and collected throughout Saturday’s win despite a rough showing in the team’s final practice of fall camp.

“All the coaches and the team [were] kind of worried about me, I think,” Matsuzawa told reporters. “But I never lose my confidence. It was like, after practice, my legs are already dead. … But after [those] misses, it is what it is, and just I focused on like the next play, and I execute.”

Outside Matsuzawa, Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado helped the Rainbow Warriors get on the scoreboard. He threw for two touchdowns in what was Hawaii’s first win over a power conference team since 2019. It also marked Hawaii’s first win ever over an ACC opponent.

Alejado walked gingerly off the field after he was sacked by Matt Rose early in the second half, but returned to start the next drive and finished 27-of-39 passing for 210 yards and added 36 yards rushing. Pofele Ashlock had nine receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown.

Hawaii took possession at its own 28 with 1:33 to play and a limping Alejado went 5 of 7 for 51 yards to set up Matsuzawa’s winning kick.

Matsuzawa also made field goals of 40 and 37 yards, with the 37-yarder tying the score with 2:01 remaining.

Micah Ford had 26 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown for Stanford.

Emmet Kenney made field goals of 23 to open the scoring and Brandon White mistakenly downed the ensuing kickoff at the 1. On Hawaii’s first offensive play from scrimmage, Clay Patterson strip-sacked Micah Alejado before Wilfredo Aybar recovered the fumble in the end zone to give Stanford a 10-0 lead with 7:08 left in the first quarter.

Alejado threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Pofele Ashlock to make it 10-7 with 2:19 left in the first.

Jackson Harris — a transfer from Stanford — caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Alejado with 42 seconds left in the first half that gave Hawaii its first lead at 14-13. The Cardinal committed three 15-yard penalties on Hawaii’s 75-yard drive.

Stanford put together a 20-play, 85-yard drive that took more than 9 1/2 minutes off the clock before Ford scored on a 2-yard run that gave the Cardinal a 20-17 lead with 9:41 left in the game.

Kenney added a 46-yard field goal in the first half for the Cardinal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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