2025 Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl Postgame Notes
Hawai‘i 35, Cal 31
December 24, 2025
Coin Toss: Cal won; Hawaii received
National Anthem & Hawai‘i Pono‘ī: Taimane
Hugh Yoshida Most Valuable Player: Pofele Ashlock, Hawai‘i
14 receptions, 123 yards, 2 touchdowns
Overall Notes
- The Mountain West is 5-7 all-time in the Hawai‘i Bowl.
- The Atlantic Coast Conference is 0-1 all-time in the Hawai‘i Bowl.
- There were no turnovers in the game, the first time in Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl history .
- Hawai‘i was 3-for-3 on fourth down conversions, while Cal was 0-for-1.
- The game was a sellout at 15,194, the largest attendance of a Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl played at the Ching Complex.
- The 21-point Hawai‘i comeback is the largest comeback in the history of the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl.
- Hugh Yoshida Most Valuable Player is receiver Pofele Ashlock who tied the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl record with 14 receptions (Jason Rivers, Hawai‘i , 2006), and tallied 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
- By coming back to win after trailing by 21 points, the Rainbow Warriors tied for the largest come-back win in school history (2007 against Washington 35-28).
- Beating California 35-31, the four-point margin of victory ties the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl record for smallest margin of victory (matching the four-point 38-34 win against BYU in 2019).
- UH tied the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl record with 22 points in the fourth quarter, matching the 22 points scored by SMU in the second quarter of the 2012 game.
- At 9-4 for 2025, UH has reached the 9-win mark for the first time since 2019.
- UH is now 5-5 in 10 appearances in the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl, and 9-6 in 15 bowl appearances (neither includes the 2021 Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl that was canceled due to a COVID outbreak).
- Hawai‘i played three quarterbacks in the game, Micah Alejado, Dermarcius Davis, and Luke Weaver.
- Alejado finished 32-for-46 for 274 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 33 yards on five carries.
- His 32 completions are the second-most by a UH player in a bowl game while his 46 are tied for the second most.
- Cal finished the 2025 season at 7-6 overall.
- Cal is now 12-14-1 in 28 bowl appearances, and lost in its first Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl appearance.
- Cal QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele accounted for 358 of Cal’s 487 total yards, completing 28-of-39 passes for 343 yards with a touchdown, and rushing for 15 yards on four carries.
- RB Kendrick Raphael led all rushers with 91 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown.
- Two Golden Bear receivers surpassed the 100-yard mark.
- Jacob De Jesus led the way with nine receptions for 137 yards and a TD.
