College football is back, along with all the good, bad and ugly that comes along with it.
In the ugly category, look no further than Saturday evening’s tilt between San Diego State and Ohio, where Aztecs quarterback Jalen Mayden was flushed out the pocket and in deep trouble as a swarm of Bobcats closed in on him.
In a last ditch effort to avoid a sack, Mayden tried to throw the ball away, and in the process, plunked an official who was no more than three yards away from him at the time. The errant throw hit the official square in the side of the face.
This ref took a ball to the face 🤕
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 26, 2023
(via @CFBONFOX) pic.twitter.com/SaXCDGSfud
The senior quarterback is hoping for better moments throughout the rest of the season than that one, which came on one of his first throws of the year.
Mayden completed 59.5% of his passes last season, throwing for 2,030 yards and 12 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. The Aztecs finished second in the Mountain West with a 7–6 record and 5–3 mark in league play.
