Fresno State at UNLV: TV info, odds and the top QB in Mountain West ... Doug Brumfield?
The matchup between Fresno State and UNLV on Friday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will feature the quarterback who is leading the Mountain West Conference in passing efficiency.
That would be the Rebels’ Doug Brumfield, not the Bulldogs’ Jake Haener.
Haener, who was selected the Mountain West offensive player of the week on Monday after throwing for 327 yards and four touchdowns in a victory over Hawaii, has a higher rating than Brumfield by a substantial margin, 165.14 to 145.87. Haener has completed more passes (133 to 123), has more passing yards (1,575 to 1,438) and touchdown passes (11 to 9) and a much higher completion percentage (74.3% to 67.6%) in five games than Brumfield has in seven.
But, because Haener missed four games due to that lower leg injury leading the Mountain West Conference, he does not qualify for conference and national rankings.
To be ranked, a player must participate in 75% of his team’s games and attempt a minimum of 15.0 passes per game played and even if the Bulldogs win the West Division in the Mountain West, get to the conference championship game and a bowl Haener will at most play in 10 of 14 games. That’s 71.4.%.
That statistical quirk aside, with Brumfield on the field there is a degree of difficulty for the Bulldogs beyond the short week on the road, the prospect of less efficient practices with the rain in the forecast for the San Joaquin Valley this week and a potential letdown spot after winning four games in a row and playing a team that is backsliding in a four-game losing streak after a 4-1 start.
Before this winning streak the past three times Fresno State won three in a row it lost its next game, twice last season and once in 2020.
UNLV this season has a pass game that is a legitimate threat with Brumfield now in his third season and back from a two-game absence due to a concussion. That is a departure for UNLV, which since Fresno State has been in the Mountain West has struggled to do much with its passing game. The Rebels counting back from 2021, have ranked 10th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 9th, 11th, 8th, 10th, 8th and 8th in the conference in passing efficiency.
Bulldogs coach Jeff Tedford said of Brumfield: “He’s athletic, he’s tall, he’s very accurate throwing the ball and has good arm strength, makes really good decisions.
“They’re one of the top four offensive units in our conference. They’re up there in passing. He was out for a couple of games I think with a concussion, but he came back this last week and really they probably they should have won the game last week against San Diego State they just had some turnovers in the red zone. But they moved the ball really well against San Diego State, which we know is not easy to do.”
UNLV and San Jose State are the only Mountain West teams with two wideouts in the top 12 in the conference in yards per reception; for UNLV, it’s Nick Williams (fourth, 16.2 ypc) and Ricky White (12th, 12.4).
Fresno State was able to hold the Spartans to one touchdown in a 17-10 victory last month, but they did rack up 294 yards through the air and hit five chunk pass plays of 20 or more yards in an area the Bulldogs have been vulnerable.
They are tied for seventh in the conference in allowing 29 pass plays of 20 or more yards, and keeping company they would rather not. Fresno State is tied with 2-8 Hawaii and 2-7 Nevada.
THE GAME
FRESNO STATE at UNLV
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
TV: CBS Sports Network (Carter Blackburn Tom Herman)
Find it fast: Channels 643 and 1643 on AT&T Uverse, 418, 732 on Comcast, 221 on DirecTV, 158 on Dish Network
Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (Paul Loeffler, Pat Hill, Cameron Worrell)
Find it fast: 1400 AM in Visalia/Tulare; 1340 AM in Fresno; 1280 AM in Stockton; 970 AM in Bakersfield; 92.9 FM in Modesto; 96.7 FM in Fresno
The records: Bulldogs (5-4, 4-1 in the MW), UNLV (4-5, 2-3)
The series: Bulldogs lead 17-7
Last meeting: Bulldogs won 38-30 in 2021
The streak: Bulldogs have won four in a row
The line: Bulldogs -10