UNLV faces toughest challenge yet from coach’s alma mater

UNLV coach Marcus Arroyo and San Jose State counterpart Brent Brennan have a bet on Friday’s game involving a San Jose, California, staple — La Victoria Taqueria burritos.

“La Vic burritos, that’s the place to be with the orange sauce and everything,” Arroyo said. “I’ll make sure mine is maxed out, make sure it’s hot, and we’ll be good to go.”

The Rebels have a chance to establish themselves as one of the front-runners in the Mountain West when they play the Spartans at 7:30 p.m. Friday at CEFCU Stadium. A win will make UNLV 3-0 in conference play and give the Rebels (4-1) a strong foothold in the race for the West Division crown.

Arroyo has a long history with San Jose State. It’s his alma mater, where he played quarterback from 1998 to 2002. He began his coaching career with the Spartans in 2003 as an undergraduate assistant, returned to serve as a graduate assistant in 2005 and rose to become the quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator.

He’s also never beaten the Spartans (3-1, 1-0 Mountain West) since becoming the Rebels’ coach before the 2020 season.

“I played there, I’m from there, but that has zero to do with winning and losing,” Arroyo said. “Absolutely nothing. I have to say that emphatically, because if I start thinking about that, or any of us start thinking about who we’re playing or where we’re playing, as an environmental factor or nostalgia, you’re losing the target.”

During Arroyo’s first season, the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, the Rebels lost 34-17 to a Spartans team that went on to win the Mountain West championship. Last season, San Jose State rallied in the fourth quarter to beat UNLV 27-20.

This UNLV team seems different compared to past iterations. The offense is clicking behind sophomore quarterback Doug Brumfield, and the defense is playing at one of its highest levels in years. The UNLV signal-caller credited the Rebels’ preparation for their consistent play through the first five games.

“The more you win, the more you need to prepare because there’s a lot more opportunities to slip up,” Brumfield said. “When you’re at the bottom, there’s only one way to go, and that’s up. When you’re at the top, there’s many ways you can go.”

The Rebels’ two conference wins this season have already equaled their total from the past two years combined. However, the wins have come against teams that are struggling so far. Utah State is the reigning Mountain West champ, but the Aggies have lost four straight to fall to 1-4. New Mexico (2-3) is also winless in the conference.

San Jose State could be a better measuring stick for UNLV’s progress. The Spartans cruised past Wyoming in their first Mountain West game of the season, and only lost to Southeastern Conference stalwart Auburn by eight points.

The Spartans’ defense is holding opponents to just 15.8 points per game, while its offense is ranked third in the Mountain West, averaging 26 points per game.

However, the Rebels are focusing on themselves instead of worrying about their opponent.

“The focus right now is just making sure we’re not complacent,” sophomore defensive back Cameron Oliver said. “We’re getting a lot of hype right now, but we’re making sure that we stay humble and hungry, ready to work every day.”

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.