Game day coverage: Brumfield's hot hand leads UNLV to opening win

That'll do it for Week 0, as UNLV pounded Idaho State, 52-21, to begin the season 1-0.

Doug Brumfield was the undisputed star of the day. The sophomore emerged as the winner the offseason quarterback competition, then exploded for 356 yards and four touchdowns in one half of action. The 6-foot-6 lefty completed 21-of-25 passes and fired all four of his TDs in the second quarter as UNLV blazed out to a 45-7 halftime lead.

Ricky White was the top target, as Brumfield found him eight times for 182 yards and two touchdowns. With the game out of reach, Brumfield and the first-string skill players sat out the second half.

On defense, senior linebacker Austin Ajiake laid down the law with an interception and a sack.

It's a solid start for the Scarlet and Gray. Last year they lost a heartbreaker on opening day (to another Big Sky Conference opponent, coincidentally) and never recovered from that upset, eventually finishing 2-10.

UNLV now heads into a bye week before hitting the road to face Cal on Sept. 10. After his performance today, expect Brumfield to start that game.

UNLV sitting on 45-14 lead over Idaho State

UNLV is in run-out-the-clock mode, and at the end of the third quarter the Scarlet and Gray have an insurmountable 45-14 lead over Idaho State.

Marcus Arroyo inserted Harrison Bailey at quarterback to start the half, but the offense has clearly throttled down. Bailey has completed 2-of-7 passes for 18 yards.

Courtney Reese has shown some giddyup, carrying four times for 26 yards, but UNLV is all about getting to the finish line today and moving on to the bye week with a 1-0 record.

UNLV explodes for 45-7 halftime lead over Idaho State

Doug Brumfield threw four touchdown passes in the second quarter, spearheading a 35-point explosion that has sent UNLV into the locker room with a 45-7 halftime lead.

Brumfield opened the scoring floodgates with a 72-yard touch pass along the sideline to Ricky White, then found Kyle Williams for a 9-yard catch-and-run TD. Then it was White again on a 19-yard slant, and finally Brumfield finished things off with a swing pass to running back Aidan Robbins for a short touchdown.

Despite not being named the starter before kickoff, Brumfield is now 20-of-24 for 351 yards. White has hauled in eight passes for 182 yards.

Idaho State has been overmatched in every aspect, including two botched punts that led to short fields and easy scores for UNLV.

With the game out of reach, it will be interesting to see when head coach Marcus Arroyo decides to swap out Brumfield (and the rest of the starters) to get a look at "co-No. 1" QB Harrison Bailey.

UNLV leads Idaho State, 10-7

UNLV got off to a fast start, but Idaho State struck back with a long touchdown to pull within 10-7 at the end of the first quarter.

After picking up a 3rd-and-1 near midfield to extend their second drive, Bengals quarterback Tyler Vander Waal dropped back on first down and found Jalen Johnson running wide open behind the defense for an easy 55-yard touchdown.

The defensive lapse spoiled what had been a near-pristine opening 15 minutes for UNLV. On Idaho State's opening drive, Vander Waal was able to escape the pocket and hit a 34-yard bomb down the sideline; he is currently 4-of-7 for 103 yards. We'll have to see if UNLV can shore up the back end of its defense over the next three quarters.

UNLV takes early lead over Idaho State

Six minutes into the season, UNLV has a 7-0 lead over Idaho State.

Doug Brumfield got the start at quarterback, as expected, and led UNLV down the field before Aidan Robbins walked in for a 1-yard touchdown run. Brumfield went 2-of-2 on the drive, passing for 23 yards to help set up the score. Robbins carried seven times for 21 yards.

Disaster was averted early in the drive, when on the second play from scrimmage Brumfield dropped back to pass and fumbled the ball without being touched. UNLV recovered, however, and eight plays later the Scarlet and Gray were in the end zone.

Brumfield in line to start at QB

We are still a few minutes away from kickoff at Allegiant Stadium, but one big question may have already been answered, as it looks like sophomore Doug Brumfield will get the start at quarterback.

Brumfield was first in line as UNLV went through its pregame warmups on the field, which is usually a good indication of the depth chart. So it appears the QB controversy has been settled (for now).

That could change if the offense gets off to a slow start or Brumfield struggles, with sophomore Harrison Bailey ready to step in.

UNLV football opens against Idaho State

The 2022 season opener for UNLV football is a big one.

Coming off a 2-10 campaign, the Scarlet and Gray are desperate for a winning season under third-year head coach Marcus Arroyo, and Saturday’s home contest against Idaho State (12:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network) appears to be the only surefire victory on the schedule. It’s a must-win.

UNLV enters the game as a 21.5-point favorite, and despite questions at quarterback, Arroyo and his team need to head into next week’s bye with a 1-0 record.

Keys to watch:

Quarterback answers?

All signs point to Doug Brumfield getting the first crack at the starting quarterback job, as he’s been running first in practice throughout training camp. Harrison Bailey remains listed as the co-starter and figures to see action on Saturday one way or another.

The good news for Arroyo is that both Brumfield and Bailey are capable of leading UNLV to a win against overmatched Idaho State (and third-string Cameron Friel could probably bring it home, too). The bad news is that unless one of the passers enjoys a dominant performance, the QB controversy is likely to linger beyond Saturday and through the bye week.

Defense playing it safe

Under new defensive coordinator Keith Heyward, UNLV's aim is, first and foremost, to do no harm.

That means getting the fundamentals down pat, from getting the play called to getting out of the huddle to lining up correctly and, finally, carrying out their assignments. If the players can do that, they should be able to keep the ball in front of them and limit the kind of big-yardage gains that can swing games.

Senior linebacker Kyle Beaudry said snuffing out explosive plays is an achievable goal if everyone is on the same page.

“I think we’re definitely ready,” Beaudry said. “If you’re a D-lineman, stay in your gap with your leverage. Linebackers have got to fill their gaps and have good eyes. Guys in the back have go to have good eyes and know what coverage we’re in. Coach Heyward and the staff put together a good scheme for us and as long as we do our job, we’ll be all right.”

Field concerns

It wouldn’t be a football season at Allegiant Stadium if there weren’t issues between the Raiders and UNLV, and they’re starting early this year.

Because the Raiders are hosting the New England Patriots in a preseason game on Friday night, there is not enough time to swap out the Raiders’ natural grass field for UNLV’s artificial surface before Saturday’s afternoon kickoff against Idaho State. And not only will UNLV be playing on an unfamiliar surface, but they weren’t granted an opportunity to practice on the grass turf in the week leading up to the game.

So much for homefield advantage.

In the end, it shouldn’t matter — UNLV should be able to roll Idaho State by double digits if the game was played in a Chuck-E-Cheese ball pit. But it’s something to think about if the Scarlet and Gray have footing issues early or get off to a slow start.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.