Jalen Mayden Is A Hawaii Bowl MVP Candidate

SDSU Is Set For The Hawaii Bowl

Mayden Can Win The Award

When San Diego State opened up the season against Arizona, Jalen Mayden was not expected to see any playing time as a quarterback in 2022. He started out the season as a safety after he transitioned from being a quarterback last offseason.

In October, Mayden was named the starter and he guided the Aztecs in the final two months of the season. In seven games, Mayden passed for 10 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and 1,721 yards. He also rushed for 3 touchdowns and 205 yards.

Before Mayden made his first start against Hawaii on Oct. 8, San Diego State’s quarterback situation was in dire straits. Braxton Burmeister, who started the season at quarterback, dealt with injuries and was unable to produce for the offense. San Diego State brought Mayden back into the quarterbacks room and he reclaimed his spot as the starting quarterback.

In Week 13, Mayden was limited to 188 passing yards and 2 interceptions against Air Force. He completed 51.6% of his passes and battled against a stingy Air Force defense.

Mayden went 5-2 as a starter in 2022. He helped San Diego State reach a bowl game and was the spark that the offense was missing in the first month of the season. With nearly one month between Week 13 and the Hawaii Bowl, Mayden will be working to have a strong performance to cap off the season.

The Hawaii Bowl typically names one MVP from each team. When San Diego State last played in the 2015 Hawaii Bowl, fullback Dakota Gordon shared the award with Cincinnati safety Zach Edwards. If Mayden can take over the game against Middle Tennessee, he could be in line for the MVP.

The Hawaii Bowl is set for Saturday, Dec. 24 at 6 p.m. MT.