Forget The Intentional Grounding, San Diego State QB Gets Creative, Throws The Ball Straight In The Face Of Referee

It didn't take long for one referee to get involved in the San Diego State versus Ohio game tonight in the season opener.

Early in the first quarter of the Aztecs game, the referee was the victim of a flame-throwing pass from quarterback Jalen Mayden. As Ohio was getting pressure on Mayden, he had to get rid of the football, which ended up hitting the official dead-on in the face.

Mayden obviously avoided the intentional grounding penalty, at the expense of the referee.

The anticipated game for the Aztecs was pivotal in starting the season on the right note, which also includes the referees. These guys spend the off-season staying in shape, while also trying to prevent moments like this, working on their agility to get out of the way.

Unfortunately for this official, he'll most likely be sporting a bruise, while also having a story to tell about the first game of his season.

As for the remainder of the game, the sequence of events that led to the unfortunate pass to the face did not please Ohio coach Tim Albin. There was a missed holding call, followed by a missed facemask call, then the referee took the hit.

Ohio's Tim Albin was livid with the officials, calling a timeout to give them a piece of his mind, in the first quarter. Fans at Snapdragon Stadium were having a good time with the coach causing a fuss, raining boos from their seats.

In the end, San Diego State quarterback Jalen Mayden did avoid the intentional grounding call by trying a deflection pass of the referee's face. He avoided the flag, but the official didn't avoid the football to the face.