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Self-Taught Kicker Kansei Matsuzawa Lifts Hawaii Over Stanford With Last-Second Field Goal

The Tokyo-born, YouTube-taught former soccer player rose from junior college to Hawaii's starting job.

Overview

  • Matsuzawa hit a 38-yard field goal as time expired to seal a 23-20 Week 0 victory over Stanford.
  • He went 3-for-3 on field goals and made two extra points in the win, including a 37-yarder that tied the game with 2:01 remaining.
  • The outcome marked Hawaii's first win over a Power Four opponent since 2019, elevating interest in his backstory.
  • He began learning to kick around age 20 by studying online videos in Japan before earning a junior-college opportunity at Hocking College, where he made 12 field goals with a long of 50.
  • After transferring to Hawaii in 2023, he redshirted, secured the starting role, and is now in his second season as a key special-teams contributor.