CFB Bowl Preview 2025: Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl

By Simon Carroll

Bowl season is in full swing and we will be previewing some of the bigger matchups over the next couple of weeks. This year’s Hawaii Bowl will be contested between the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and Cal Golden Bears. Simon Carroll takes a look at the key matchups.

Where and When

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors  take on the Cal Golden Bears in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl at Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, Hawaii on Wednesday 24th December at 8pm ET/1am UK time. The game is being broadcast by ESPN, and in the UK you can watch for free on DAZN!

Story So Far...

Typically on Christmas Eve, the Hawaii Bowl has been a staple of the bowl season calendar since 2002. Previously played at Aloha Stadium, it moved to the Clarence TC Ching Athletics Complex in 2022, the home of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Traditionally affiliated with the Mountain West, the bowl game will always designate Hawaii as their representative if they are eligible. The opponent as previously hailed from various conferences, but Cal represents the first time the ACC has played in the game.

After back-to-back five-win seasons, Hawaii legend Timmy Chang has finally delivered a breakthrough campaign on the islands, with the rainbow Warriors going 8-4 – and just one game off challenging for a conference title. Chang was Hawaii quarterback back in the Halcyon dayds of June Jones (and Jeff Reinebold, for our UK readers), and fans will be hoping the good times have returned.

Cal, meanwhile, didn’t disgrace themselves in 2025, but more is expected as the program embraces the new  NIL-led era of college sports. 7-5 wasn’t good enough for Justin Wilcox to keep his job, and general manager Ron Rivera appointed Oregon DC Tosh Lupoi – a former Cal Bear with a growing reputation. And in young quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, the future looks bright in Berkeley.

The Quarterbacks

HAWAII: MICAH ALEJADO

After redshirting his first season, freshman quarterback Micah Alejado had a very promising debut campaign for the Warriors this season. Missing three games early in the campaign, Alejado still put up decent numbers for such little experience, with 2,832 yards and 21 touchdowns showing he is more than capable of operating Chang’s run and shoot offense. Alejado hit a sweet spot in the middle of the year, averaging 385 yards and three scores over a four game spell.

Alejado won’t scare defenses with his feet. But he is fearless in a scheme that encourages quarterbacks to push the ball downfield. If nothing else, the aggressive nature of Alejado is worth tuning in for on Christmas Eve.

CAL: JARON-KEAWE SAGAPOLUTELE

2025 has been the season for freshmen quarterbacks, and none have turned heads as much as Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has for the Golden Bears. It was considered a major coup when Cal flipped the four-star quarterback from Oregon, with pretty much every West Coast Program and national recruiters like Georgia in for him. Perhaps the allure of early playing time sweetened the decision for JKS – and there were very little signs of growing pains his first season in the ACC.

Sagapolutele is another pocket passer, with 3,117 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first season at this level. This bowl game represents something of a homecoming for the Ewa Beach native, and he’ll want to show out in front of friends and family.

Who to Watch

Hawaii

Kansei Matsuzawa, Kicker – There’s a receiver or two on the Islands that probably deserve a mention. But how can I not highlight ‘The Tokyo Toe’? Hawaii kicker Kansei Matsuzawa has been close to perfect in 2025, nailing 25 of 26 field goals and every extra point. What makes this all the more impressive is that Matsuzawa taught himself how to kick, watching YouTube videos back in his native Japan. His breakout moment came back in Week 1 as the Warriors beat Stanford 23-20, with Kansei nailing three long kicks. Now a senior, Christmas Ev might be the last time he gets to step foot on a football field.

Cal

Jacob De Jesus, Wide Receiver – Transferring over from UNLV this offseason, Jacob De Jesus might be one of the biggest suprises in college football this season. I’m not surer even Justin Wilcox had designs on him hitting 900 yards, considering it took him 25 games to hit that mark in Las Vegas. But De Jesus thrived with JKS at quarterback and took every opportunity to impress NFL scouts in his redhsirt senior year. Chasing Cal’s single-season reception record (100 – De Jesus currently has 99) and also a finalist for Polynesian Player of the Year, De Jesus will be suiting up and taking this bowl game seriously.

Prediction

College Football just seems better when Hawaii are at the top of their game. Memories of Colt Brennan, 2008 Sugar Bowls and giantkillings on the island remain embedded into my psyche, and it’s great to see Timmy Chang trending back towards those levels once again.

All that said, I think Cal will have too much for the Rainbow Warriors. Determined to show out in his hometown and impress his new head coach, I can see Sagapolutele taking this game over. It will remain close in the first half before the Bears pull away late.

Hawaii 14 – 24 Cal

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

LEAD WRITER, HEAD OF CONTENT

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST, COVERS COLLEGE FOOTBALL FOR DAZN AND THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION.

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