Expect Friday Night Fireworks Stanford vs Hawaii
The captivating tale of the 2023 school soccer season may have already started before Week 1.
Hawaii, even in the face of daunting external factors like the Maui fires, which have touched many within the program personally, began their season with a hard-fought loss to Vanderbilt in Week 0.
The Rainbow Warriors battled valiantly throughout the game,continuing their strong form that dates back to October 2022. Timmy Chang, entering his second season as head coach, has been keenly aware of the low expectations surrounding the program. With their near-upset of an SEC opponent, Hawaii returns to their renovated Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex to face another Power 5 team.
Stanford,
having failed to win more than four games over the past four seasons, embarks on a new direction with the resignation of head coach David Shaw. Troy Taylor, previously the head coach of Sacramento State, now takes the reins as Stanford’s head coach.
Taylor’s
coaching career, spanning 30 years, has been primarily in California, with previous stints as the offensive coordinator at Utah and Eastern Washington. His tenure at Sacramento State was marked by three Big Sky titles and two Big Sky Coach of the Year awards. With a remarkable 30-8 record at the FCS level, Taylor looks to breathe new life into Stanford’s roster with fresh personnel and offensive schemes.
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Under Shaw’s leadership,
Stanford enjoyed success with a pro-style offense that relied on heavy personnel groupings, man-blocking schemes, and a strong offensive line. Taylor, however, brings a different offensive approach to the Cardinal, running a stretch Air Raid system that emphasizes quarterback and wide receiver RPOs, a stark departure from Stanford’s previous style.(Expect Friday Night Fireworks)
As the preseason came to a close,
Taylor opted not to name a starting quarterback. Justin Lamson, a transfer from Syracuse, is the likely starter for Hawaii, having been behind Orange starter Garrett Shrader in the pecking order. Running back E.J. Smith, who missed most of last season due to injury, displayed his elusiveness in 2021, averaging 4.6 yards after contact.
Taylor’s offensive approach has garnered considerable praise during camp, emphasizing tempo, pre-snap motion, and counters to create explosive plays. In the previous season, Sacramento State averaged just 23.6 seconds per play, a pace that would have ranked in the top 15 in FBS play.
Bobby April,
appointed as the Willie Shaw Director of Defense in December, is Stanford’s defensive coordinator. He spent five years at Wisconsin, learning under the tutelage of Jim Leonhard. April is expected to deploy a variety of defensive schemes, transitioning between the 4-3 and 3-4 formations and employing cover 1 and quarters coverage from the secondary.
While Stanford returns less than half of last year’s tackles and pass breakups, the Cardinal’s defense is anticipated to feature an aggressive blitz package. During his time at Wisconsin, April oversaw a scheme that sent blitzes on 33% of plays. (Expect Friday Night Fireworks)
Hawaii’s near-upset of Vanderbilt in Nashville justified itself in the box score following Week 0. The Rainbow Warriors maintained a quick tempo, averaging 25 seconds per play, ranking in the top 35 in pace, much like last season.
Quarterback Brayden Schager had a standout performance, completing 27-of-35 passes for 351 yards. The offensive line allowed only four hurries throughout the game. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Pofele Ashlock was a standout, catching all seven targets for 127 yards. (Expect Friday Night Fireworks)
Hawaii outperformed the national average in explosive drive percentage and managed to gain two or more first downs in six out of eleven possessions. Despite conceding 35 points, the Warriors’ defense contributed with nine tackles for loss, including three sacks.
Vanderbilt registered just one explosive drive and averaged
1.22 fewer yards per play than Hawaii. Notably, Hawaii’s run defense limited Vanderbilt to only one run over 20 yards, stopping 14 of Vanderbilt’s 23 rushing attempts.
(Expect Friday Night Fireworks)

Chang’s squad returns home after a short rest from the mainland, gearing up for their home opener against a newly revamped Power 5 opponent. The run-and-shoot offense returns to the island and faces a Stanford secondary lacking in experience. Both starting cornerbacks and safeties for the Cardinal have fewer than two dozen career tackles and minimal game experience.
The explosiveness of Ashlock and Steven McBride proved problematic for Vanderbilt. Without a proven pass rusher on the Stanford defense, the Warriors could generate even more explosive plays.
This game’s uncertainty lies in the Stanford offense, with three different quarterbacks expected to take snaps. Taylor’s offense will incorporate similar concepts as Sacramento State, tasking offensive players with minimizing mistakes in a scheme that features significant motion and counter concepts. (Expect Friday Night Fireworks)

The expectation is that Stanford will generate explosive plays based on these concepts. Vanderbilt averaged 7.9 yards per play in passing downs against the Warriors.
The pace of play is predicted to be furious, with Stanford transitioning from a bottom-15 pace to a top-15 pace. Vanderbilt had no trouble scoring in their opportunities, averaging 5.3 points on four drives that extended beyond Hawaii’s 40-yard line.
Expect Friday Night Fireworks: Stanford vs Hawaii Odds, Prediction
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Given the projected pace of play,
both offenses are expected to create numerous scoring opportunities, including explosive plays and quality drives.
Although Hawaii had nine unders last season, 2023 could see a regression toward overs for the Warriors.”
| Stanford Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Unfold | Whole | Moneyline |
| -2.5
-115 |
55
-110o / -110u |
-145 |
| Hawaii Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Unfold | Whole | Moneyline |
| +2.5
-105 |
55
-110o / -110u |
+120 |