From staff reports
While San Diego State University’s football team will not participate in a postseason bowl game for the first time in 13 years, nine Aztecs did earn All-Mountain West honors, including Ray Guy Award semifinalist and the 2022 MW Special Teams Player of the Year Jack Browning (West Hills), who was selected to Second Team Defense.
The senior averaged 45.4 yards per punt, which is seventh in SDSU single-season history and third in the MW. Browning also tied for the MW lead in punts inside the 20-yard line (22, tied for 14th in FBS), while ranking second in net punt average (42.6, eighth in FBS).
Browning, who was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week three times this year and five times for his career, also handled the majority of the field goal/PAT and kickoff duties, famously making a SDSU, MW and Falcon Stadium-long 61-yard field goal at Air Force on Sept. 30 and tying a school record with four field goals Nov. 25 against Fresno State.
The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average.
The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team’s success.
For the second consecutive season, Browning led SDSU in team scoring with 68 points on 15 field goals and 23 extra-point conversions.
The Lakeside native opened his senior season with a 56.3 punt average in the first game of the year, which still ranks as the fourth highest single-game average in FBS this season, minimum three punts. He also had a 56.0 average in the Aztecs’ Oct. 14 game at Hawai’i, which ranks as the second-highest in FBS for a single game (minimum four punts).
Browning was named Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week both times.
The former Grossmont College kicker took over both the kicking and punting duties from 2021 Ray Guy Award winner Matt Araiza last year. The former walk-on went on to earn All-American honors from Pro Football Focus and College Football Network, as well as the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year in his first year as the Aztec kicker/punter. He was SDSU’s second straight punter to win the conference honor and fifth over the last eight seasons.
A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will vote for the top-three finalists, who were selected on Nov. 28.
The three finalists for this year’s award include Florida’s State’s Alex Mastromanno, Vanderbilt’s Matthew Hayball and Iowa’s Tory Taylor.
The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN on Dec. 8.
Honor roll
The all-conference awards are voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches and various media members from the league.
Second Team Offense honorees included tight end Mark Redman, offensive lineman Cade Bennett, cornerback Noah Tumblin and Browning (punter). The Aztecs also had five honorable mentions, including quarterback Jalen Mayden, wide receiver/punt returner Mekhi Shaw (both positions), linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu, cornerback Dez Malone and kick returner Kenan Christon.
Redman made the all-conference second team the second straight season after leading SDSU in catches (37), receiving yards (394) and touchdowns (three).
Bennett, meanwhile, also was selected to the second team for a second straight year. Bennett started and played all 11 games he appeared in, logging the most offensive snaps (735) among Aztec offensive linemen.
Tumblin made his first all-conference team after a breakout senior season. Tumblin totaled 36 tackles (30 solo) across 11 starts (final 11 of the season) and 12 games played, adding 12 pass breakups and two interceptions.
A year after becoming SDSU’s first quarterback to earn all-MW honors since Ryan Lindley in 2010, Mayden picked up his second straight honorable mention nod. Mayden is the second Aztec quarterback in program history to lead the team in both passing and rushing, joining current Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell in 2007. Mayden completed 199 of 314 passes for 2,031 yards and 10 touchdowns, while rushing 128 times for 528 yards and five scores.
Shaw earned his first all-conference nod, making honorable mention at both wide receiver and punt returner as a junior.
Despite missing two games, Shaw totaled 28 catches for 375 yards and two touchdowns, while returning 14 punts for 101 yards and a 7.2 average.
A sophomore, Fiaseu led San Diego State in almost every defensive category, including tackles (64), tackles for loss (11.5), sacks (5.5), forced fumbles (three) and fumble recoveries (three).
A junior, Malone picked up his second straight honorable mention nod, recording 46 tackles (33 solo), two tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Christon (Madison) returned 15 kicks for 331 yards (22.1 average). The 22.1 average ranks second in the league. Christon led SDSU with 910 all-purpose yards, including 378 rushing yards and 201 receiving yards on 28 catches with one touchdown.
The Aztecs finished the 2023 campaign with a 4-8 record, including a 2-6 mark in MW play.
It was SDSU’s first losing season since 2009. Prior to the 2010 campaign, San Diego State had six consecutive losing seasons (2004-09) and 11 straight without a winning campaign (1999-2009).
Old Oil Can
SDSU snapped a four-game losing streak to Fresno State in the battle for the Old Oil Can rivalry trophy. The Aztecs scored 16 unanswered points in the first half to seize the momentum and present head coach Brady Hoke with a victory in the send-off to his retirement from the program.
Besides Browning’s school record four field goals, Mayden scored on a 70-yard touchdown run and tossed a five-yard TD pass.
“I am proud of what we accomplished at San Diego State,” said Hoke, who posted a 40-32 record as the Aztec sideline boss. “I am grateful to all the great student athletes I’ve had the chance to work with, molding them into men, husbands, fathers and pillars in the community.”
