Michigan opponent preview: UNLV's new coach aims for 1st winning season in decade

By Andrew Kahn | A variety of coaches have been unable to turn UNLV football into a winner. The Rebels have just one winning season since 2000, and it came 10 years ago. Can the latest hire turn things around? Michigan will host UNLV in the second game of the season for both teams, on Sep.

9. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p. m.

and CBS will broadcast. UNLV went 5-7 last season, including a 3-5 mark in the Mountain West Conference. Until a 27-22 win in the season finale, UNLV had lost all four of its one-score games.

Whether that was a result of bad luck or poor coaching or both, head coach Marcus Arroyo was fired after three years on the job. Enter Barry Odom, who spent the past three seasons as Arkansas’ defensive coordinator. He was Missouri’s head coach in the four years before that, posting a 25-25 record.

“When I look at Vegas -- there’s one in the world -- this place should have a successful football program,” Odom said during Mountain West media days last month. “And I want to be the person who consistently gets that done. ” He’ll lean on quarterback Doug Brumfield, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound lefty who started 10 games last season and is in his fourth year with the program.

He’s had some trouble staying healthy but can move the chains with his arm and legs. UNLV had a running back crack 1,000 yards last season but he has since transferred. In response, UNLV brought in Vincent Davis, who ran for 1,813 yards and 16 touchdowns over four seasons at Pittsburgh.

The Rebels also used the transfer portal to add a few pass catchers and a couple of offensive linemen. Odom should help immediately improve a defense that ranked ninth in the MWC last season, with a bunch of transfers likely seeing the field. He’ll have his work cut out for him to make a splash in his first season.

UNLV didn’t place a single player on the preseason all-conference offensive or defensive teams. The Rebels were picked to finish in ninth place in the 12-team MWC, though they did receive a first-place vote from one of the 37 voters. UNLV went 7-6 in 2013 and 8-5 in 2000.

That’s it for the program’s winning seasons since joining the Mountain West. Michigan, meanwhile, is coming off consecutive Big Ten titles and playoff appearances, and is loaded again entering 2023. The Wolverines welcome East Carolina in the opener on Sep.

2, the same day UNLV hosts Bryant, an FCS program. Michigan and UNLV have met once before, during head coach Jim Harbaugh’s first season in 2015, a 28-7 Michigan win in Ann Arbor. There’s little reason to think this year’s matchup will be any more competitive.

.

Published Aug. 08, 2023, 6:52 a.m.
·
Filed 08.09.2023

Players Mentioned in This Article

AJ Odom

Doug Brumfield

Vincent Davis

Latest Player Notes

How a Wisconsin legend got his German protégé into Badgers pro day

Mar 15, 2024 Marlon Werthmann put his life on hold for the opportunity in front of him Friday at the McClain Center.Werthmann ...

Why former Wisconsin football running back Braelon Allen didn't run the 40 at pro day

Mar 15, 2024 Braelon Allen’s sweat covered his shirt and dripped off his beard as he approached a group of reporters Friday.The ...

How can UW recruit its best class ever? It starts with these five prospects

By Andy Yamashita Seattle Times staff reporter Jedd Fisch has lofty recruiting goals at Washington. He didn’t waste any ...

Texas football kicks off spring practice Tuesday. We answer 24 questions for the 2024 team

Things certainly look fresh for the 2024 college football season, especially on the Texas campus.There’s a new conference ...

College Football Playoff: Conferences solve their differences (for now) and agree on general framework for 2026 and beyond

The FBS conferences and Notre Dame agreed on Friday to continue the College Football Playoff beyond the 2025 season, signing ...

Ball security, leadership key as Aztecs look to identify starting quarterback

San Diego State seemingly auditions a new starting quarterback on an annual basis.In the past 12 years, the Aztecs have opened ...

Results and more: A look at what happened at Penn State football’s Pro Day inside Holuba Hall

Most of those at Penn State’s Pro Day Friday were relatively quiet throughout the afternoon’s workouts, but there was one ...

Defense dominates first two weeks of Oregon State spring practice as Beavers ready for 2-week breather

CORVALLIS – Oregon State hit the break of spring practices Saturday, not exactly the midpoint but a good place to assess ...

Dillon Gabriel to have similar input, autonomy as Bo Nix had in Oregon’s offense

Published Mar. 16, 2024, 6:26 p.m.By James CrepeaEUGENE — Dillon Gabriel will have much of the same autonomy as Bo Nix did ...

Two transfers, one underclassman who impressed in Missouri football's spring game

With that, spring camp’s a wrap.Missouri football held its Black & Gold spring game Saturday in front of a healthy crowd ...
See More Player Notes