Micah Alejado Named Alexander Award Player of the Week

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Hawai’i quarterback Micah Alejado bested his own coach’s single-game passing yards record for a freshman in his first career start and helped the Rainbow Warriors (5-7, 3-4 Mountain West Conference) end the 2024 season on a high note on his way to being named the Week 14 Shaun Alexander Award Player of the Week by the Maxwell Football Club on Dec. 3.

Making his first-career start as a true freshman in place of an injured Brayden Schager, Alejado completed 37-of-57 passes for a record 469 yards and 5 touchdowns in the Warriors’ 38-30 win against New Mexico (5-7, 3-4) on Nov. 30.

Alejado’s 469 yards through the air eclipsed Hawai’i coach Timmy Chang’s 403 passing yards in a loss to San Jose State in 2000. Chang finished his career second in school history with 117 TDs and threw for 5 or more TDs four different times in his career.

Alejado’s Historic Game

Coming into the final game of its season, Hawai’i had lost two straight, eliminating the Warriors from bowl contention. But they were looking to avenge a 42-21 loss at the hands of the Lobos in 2023. Alejado didn’t waste any time giving Hawai’i the momentum with his first TD pass of the day to make it 7-0 with 7:37 left in the first quarter. Alejado added his second TD of the day on a 52-yard pass to make it 14-6 with 12:26 left in the first half.

Wide receiver Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala caught the first of his two TD catches on a 15-yard pass from Alejado with 2:29 left in the first half. He then caught a 3-yard TD pass with 11:58 left in the third quarter to give the Warriors a commanding 28-9 lead. Alejado tacked on his fifth passing TD of the day with 8:48 left in the game to seal the win against the Lobos.

On the Season

Alejado saw his first significant action of the 2024 season in a 55-10 loss to Utah State (4-8, 3-4) on Nov. 16, where he completed 11-of-12 passes for 111 yards and a TD. He finished the season completing 70 percent of his passes for 585 yards, 6 TDs and zero interceptions.

The Shaun Alexander Award

One of the Maxwell Football Club’s most prestigious awards, the Shaun Alexander Award is presented to the best freshman player in college football each year. Originally named the College Football Freshman Player of the Year Award, the award was established in 2019. The inaugural winner was quarterback Trevor Lawrence of Clemson, while former Alabama and current Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs won the award in 2023.