After a week in which San Diego State head coach Brady Hoke saw his team return to the win column, he walked away with several positives – a smoother running game, receivers taking better care of the football, better pass protection.
But the long third-quarter reception by Mekhi Shaw that gave SDSU the lead for good in a 41-34 victory in Hawaii represented something that had been missing for the Aztecs.
“It was a huge play and during those last four games, we kind of had those happen to us,” he said. “So, it was nice to see Mekhi get open .,. It was great to see Jalen [Mayden] have vision and get it down the field and find him.”
For the second straight week, SDSU (3-4, 1-2 in Mountain West) faces a team that is winless in Mountain West play, Nevada. In fact, the Wolf Pack, losers of six straight, are in search of their first win on the season as they drop down at Snapdragon Stadium at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Yet the Aztecs will watch out for quarterback Brendon Lewis in particular.
“He’s a very good athlete as far as running wise, he throws well too and is able to elude the pressure,” said defensive end Garret Fountain. “So we have to make sure that we’re doing everything right and doing everything we can to keep them contained.”
Or, as Mayden put it, “We have to play our brand of football for all four quarters.”
SDSU’s quarterback also was reminded of a milestone this week – he now has held the position for a year.
“I’m glad I came back to quarterback. I wouldn’t change a thing and I am proud of how far I’ve come since when I first stepped in,” he said.
His was a bit of a Cinderella story – Mayden had shifted to defense for playing time – but facing a quarterback crisis, the team turned to him. The senior feels like he’s still a work in progress.
“I’ll catch a quarter here that is really good and the next quarter I’ll drop off … just trying to put that full game together,” Mayden said.
Meanwhile, Lakeside’s Jack Browning has been named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week. It is the second weekly conference honor for the defending conference Special Teams Player of the Year and the fourth of his career.
Browning punted four times for a 56-yard average – the highest average in the country this year by a FBS player – and 54.2 net average, both career highs, in the Aztecs’ win over Hawaii. The Grossmont College alum also kicked a pair of field goals and all five PATs, accounting for 11 of SDSU’s points in the seven-point win.
