The Aztec football team (3-3, 1-1 Mountain West Conference) defeated the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (1-5, 0-1 MWC) 16-14.
The Aztecs were 22-11-2 lifetime versus the Rainbow Warriors and 8-2 in their last 10 matchups against Hawaii.
With senior quarterback Braxton Burmeister, who has averaged about 52 passing yards per game, out with a concussion, the quarterback job was left up to either freshman Liu Aumavae or former junior safety Jalen Mayden, now turned quarterback. Mayden ended up with the job.
Head coach Brady Hoke said both Mayden and Aumavae really competed for the job, but ultimately liked what he saw from Mayden.
“I think Moose (Mayden) and Liu (Aumavae) really competed,” Hoke said. “I was very happy how quickly Moose was able to pick up but we kept a lot of the offense the same.”
In their first offensive drive, Mayden and the Aztecs started on their own five yard line. On third-and-4, Mayden threw a nine-yard dart to senior Jesse Matthews for a first down.
Later in the drive, Mayden completed a 10-yard throw to senior Tyrell Shavers, but after senior running back Jordan Byrd was stuffed on a third down run play, the Aztecs were forced to punt.
With the offense under newly promoted offensive coordinator Jeff Horton, the 33,073 fans, majority being Aztec fans, were looking for a spark on SDSU’s first offensive drive, but didn’t get it.
Hawaii ended up with 59 yards of total offense in the first quarter as SDSU had 40 and neither team’s drives totaled over 34 yards.
The first points of the game came on the last drive of the second quarter for the Aztecs. Senior kicker Jack Browning smashed a 45-yard field goal through the uprights to make it 3-0 SDSU.
Mayden ended with 97 yards throwing in the first half, and Hawaii sophomore Brayden Schager had 60.
While only putting up 131 yards of offense in the first half and one field goal, Hoke told his team that they had to play better on both sides of the ball.
“We knew we’re getting the ball to start the second half,” Hoke said. “We had a couple of lows upfront that we had to clean up.”
On the Aztecs opening possession in the second half, big plays by senior Tyrell Shavers, an 18-yard reception, and senior Chance Bell, a 16-yard run, set up a scoring opportunity for the Scarlet and Black. Mayden threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Byrd to make it 10-0 Aztecs. It was Mayden’s second career touchdown pass.
Hawaii answered back with their first points of the game on the ensuing drive. Schager threw a 66-yard pass to a breaking senior Zion Bowers for a touchdown to make it 10-7 Aztecs.
To start the fourth quarter, the Aztecs came with electricity. A 41-yard pass by Mayden to Shavers put the Aztecs in the red zone, but they couldn’t capitalize. They settled for a 30-yard field goal by Browning to make it 13-7.
After the Aztec defense did not allow the Rainbow Warriors to score on the ensuing drive, Mayden led the Aztec offense down the field for a scoring opportunity.
A juggled catch by junior Brionne Penny for 20 yards and a 42-yard pass by Mayden to Shavers, which put him over 100 yards receiving, set the Aztecs in the red zone. Yet the Aztecs failed to execute, relying on Browning once again who this time missed his field goal, halting his streak of consecutive field goals made this season at eight.
Hawaii didn’t waste any time on their next offensive possession. Hawaii’s running game took them down the field and into the red zone, and senior Dedrick Parson ran 27-yards into the endzone to give the Rainbow Warriors a 14-13 lead with 1:19 remaining.
The Aztecs had one last offensive possession. Mayden commanded his offense down the field and a 16-yard pass to Penny in the red zone set up Browning for a game winning field goal attempt 26 yards out, and he executed. The final score was 16-14.
Mayden said the last drive was all about putting the pieces together and executing in dramatic fashion.
“We had talked about a lot of things that were coming open,” Mayden said. “We just put them one by one, piece by piece and drove down the field and we knew we could do it.”
Mayden threw for 322 yards while his most targeted receiver (11 targets), Shavers, had 149 yards receiving.
Mayden said his and Shaver’s chemistry showed how effective they can be on the field.
“Me and Shav (Shavers) have had a real good connection throughout the years,” Mayden said. “So I told him if I can put it in his vicinity, he told me he would catch it.”
The Aztecs have a bye this week so their next game is at the University of Nevada Wolfpack (2-4, 0-2 MWC) on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nevada.
