by Wayne Root
Tuesday, Sep 01, 2026College football is here—and the players have already had their first bad beat.
We’re talking about the Hawaii vs. Stanford game. Hawaii was getting 4.5 points as a live underdog.
Disclaimer
We had Hawaii +4. At halftime, we were down 14–7. Not a problem.
What happened
Stanford got things going early in the second half with a safety, making it 16–7.
With 9:51 left in the third quarter, Stanford scored a touchdown to push the lead to 23–7.
Hawaii started their comeback in the fourth quarter:
A touchdown made it 23–14 at the 12:32 mark. With just 9:33 remaining, Hawaii scored a touchdown to make it 23–21
Then came the swings:
With just under 4:00 to go, Hawaii went ahead 27–23—after missing the extra point. At least Hawaii was ahead and there wasn’t much time left.
Stanford wouldn’t stay down:
A Cardinal touchdown made it a still manageable 30–27 with 1:41 left.
The bad beat
We received the kickoff with just over a minute left to cover and cash a ticket, and our quarterback—Micah Alejado from Las Vegas, no less—fumbled.
Stanford not only recovered the ball, but the player who recovered it turned it into a nightmare play: he ran 31 yards for a Stanford touchdown, and that’s what ultimately sealed the game with a final score of 37–27.
So yes—the Stanford Cardinal were the beneficiary of this 2026 season’s first bad beat.
Get ready for more exciting games, and hopefully next time you and we are the recipients instead. College football is here, and the season is off to a thrilling start.
