UNLV Rebels wide receiver Ricky White (11) caries the ball against Idaho State Bengals safety Calvin Pitcher (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Allegiant Stadium Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, in Las Vegas.
Published Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 | 2 a.m.
Updated Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 | 10:40 p.m.
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The final buzzer just sounded, but this game was over long ago. San Jose State asserted itself as the team to beat in the West Division by throttling UNLV, 40-7.
UNLV is now 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Mountain West, while San Jose improves to 2-0 in conference play.
The big news coming out of this game from UNLV's perspective is not so much the play on the field — which was bad — but the status of starting quarterback Doug Brumfield, who exited the field early in the second quarter and did not return. Brumfield has been a revelation this season, and any lengthy absence would throw a massive wrench into what has been a promising season for the Scarlet and Gray.
UNLV has not offered an update on Brumfield's injury.
UNLV is going to be faced with some important questions over the next week, and possibly longer than that. Among them: How long will Brumfield be out? What does the offense look like in his absence? How can the team get Ricky White involved again after he caught just four balls for 26 yards on Friday? And what went wrong on defense against San Jose State?
How Marcus Arroyo and the players answer those questions will go a long way toward determining the course of UNLV's season.
San Jose State routing UNLV, 33-7
UNLV is finally on the board, but it matters little — San Jose State leads 33-7 after three quarters.
Cameron Friel hit Senika McKie for a 14-yard touchdown on UNLV's last drive; the TD means the Scarlet and Gray will avoid their first shutout since 2011, but does little else to impact the game, as SJSU maintains complete control.
The Spartans have out-gained UNLV by a margin of 357 yards to 175, and they're averaging 6.7 yards per play to UNLV's 4.5.
The good news for UNLV is that Friel has played admirably since Doug Brumfield was knocked out early in the second quarter. Friel is 13-of-16 for 139 yards, with a touchdown and no interceptions. If Brumfield is sidelined for any length of time, Friel is showing that he is capable of running the offense to some extent.
UNLV faces 23-0 hole at San Jose State
Does UNLV have a big comeback in them for a second straight week?
The Scarlet and Gray are going to need it, as they trail San Jose State at halftime, 23-0. And this deficit feels much deeper than the 17-0 hole they climbed out of last week to defeat New Mexico, for a couple reasons. First, San Jose State is a much better team than New Mexico, and second, Doug Brumfield has exited the game with an injury.
Brumfield took a hit after throwing a pass midway through the second quarter and appeared to get up slowly. He stayed in to finish the drive, but was then helped back to the locker room.
Cameron Friel checked in at quarterback and disaster struck immediately. On the second play of the drive, a shotgun snapped sailed wide, out of Friel's reach. San Jose State recovered the loose ball, and on the very next play Chevan Cordeiro scrambled for a 15-yard touchdown to make it 20-0.
UNLV had a little success moving the ball on its second drive with Friel at the helm, as a 38-yard flea flicker from Friel to Senika McKie positioned the Scarlet and Gray inside the SJSU 5-yard line. A fourth-down play was stopped at the 1, however, and SJSU regained possession via turnover on downs. That led to a field goal drive and a 23-0 advantage for the home team.
San Jose State will receive the ball to open the second half, so if UNLV is planning another comeback, they've got their work cut out for them.
Brumfield exits with injury as UNLV trails San Jose State, 14-0
Things have taken a dramatic turn for the worse here, as UNLV now trails San Jose State, 14-0, and may also be without their best player.
Doug Brumfield took a hard hit after throwing away a pass on UNLV's last drive; he stayed in for the rest of the possession, but after UNLV punted medical personnel helped him to the locker room. Brumfield had a towel draped over his head and appeared to have difficulty putting weight on one of his legs.
Now sophomore Cameron Friel is warming up on the sideline and seems to be poised to take over at QB.
The Scarlet and Gray also just lost a starter on the defensive side of the ball, as linebacker Fred Thompkins was ejected for targeting.
If UNLV is going to mount a comeback tonight, it's probably going to have to be with Friel at the controls.
UNLV falls behind at San Jose State, 7-0
San Jose State has made a statement, taking a quick 7-0 lead over UNLV midway through the first quarter.
UNLV's opening drive fizzled after Aidan Robbins broke a 28-yard run to move the ball across midfield. Doug Brumfield was sacked for an 8-yard loss on the very next play, and after two incomplete passes the Scarlet and Gray punted.
San Jose State took over and embarked on a 12-play, 76-yard drive that saw the Spartans convert a pair of third downs before Kairee Robinson broke free for a 9-yard scoring run.
It's been a long time since UNLV has played in a big-game atmosphere with this much pressure. Let's see how they respond now that they're in an early hole.
UNLV football going for fourth straight win against San Jose State
UNLV football hasn’t lost a game in nearly a month, and Marcus Arroyo and company will try to keep their winning streak going when they face San Jose State on Friday (7:30 p.m., CBS Sports).
Can UNLV notch a fourth straight victory to stay atop the Mountain West? Here’s what to watch:
Big game atmosphere
It’s been a long time since UNLV football played a game with any kind of stakes. You’d have to go back to the final contest of the 2017 season, when the Tony Sanchez-coached squad traveled to UNR sporting a 5-6 record, needing a win to qualify for the postseason; since then, it’s been more than 40 games of little consequence.
That changes on Friday. UNLV and San Jose State appear to be the class of the MWC West Division; the Scarlet and Gray are in first place with a 2-0 record, while San Jose State sits at 1-0. And though it’s still early in the season, the winner will obviously have the clear inside track to winning the division and claiming a spot in the conference championship game.
Is UNLV ready for the type of high-leverage atmosphere they’re going to encounter on Friday night?
Playmakers wanted
If UNLV has shown a weakness so far this season, it’s the defensive backfield. The secondary has allowed opponents to pass for 267.8 yards per game, the third-most among Mountain West teams, and there have been several blown coverages leading to long gains.
But while it’s possible to pick on the DBs, opposing quarterbacks let it fly at their own peril — UNLV has already intercepted 11 passes this season, second in the entire nation and only one back of the top spot.
Cameron Oliver leads the way with three picks, while Jerrae Williams, Nohl Williams and Jordyn Morgan each have two apiece. Put simply, UNLV has a bunch of ballhawks in the secondary. They may get beaten once in a while, but they’ve also been producing game-changing turnovers on a regular basis.
San Jose State is a team that lives and dies by the pass. The Aztecs throw it on 55.2% of their offensive snaps, the 28th-highest rate in the nation, and their 286.0 passing yards per game ranks 33rd. So they’re going to come out throwing, and SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro is probably going to have some success. The question is, will UNLV’s playmakers get their hands on enough balls to make a difference?
Leaning on Brumfield
UNLV is likely to be without two of its top receivers for the second straight week, with Kyle Williams and Jeff Weimer both expected to miss Friday’s contest due to injuries. That means Doug Brumfield will once have to shoulder the load for the offense.
Brumfield did a fine job against New Mexico last week, spreading the ball around to lesser-used pass-catchers like Senika McKie and Kalvin Souders (combined nine catches for 129 yards). He finished 24-of-33 for 233 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception, but he used his legs effectively, rushing for a pair of TDs.
Working without a full complement of weapons, Brumfield might have to turn in his best game of the season in order to give UNLV its biggest win in years.
Who: UNLV (4-1, 2-0 MWC) at San Jose State (3-1, 1-0 MWC)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m. at CEFCU Stadium
TV: CBS Sports Network
Line: San Jose State -6.5
UNLV leaders
Passing: Doug Brumfield — 70.5%, 1,223 yards, 8 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing: Aidan Robbins — 506 yards, 4.9 per carry, 8 TDs
Receiving: Ricky White — 25 receptions, 360 yards, 3 TDs
Defense: Austin Ajiake — 47 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 2 INTs
San Jose State leaders
Passing: Chevan Cordeiro — 57.0%, 1,078 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs
Rushing: Kairee Robinson — 242 yards, 4.5 per carry, 4 TDs
Receiving: Elijah Cooks — 20 receptions, 367 yards, 1 TD
Defense: Kyle Harmon — 34 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sacks
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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