Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 OCT. 22, 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: UNLV himself enough to sustain drives and put points on the board for his team. The 6-2, 215-pound passer is also a more able runner than Pyne. He had 48 carries for 137 yards and 5 touchdowns through six games. "The whole team's mentality has been proving it to ourselves," Brumfield said. "It's really about us at the end goal. Proving to ourselves that we can do what we set out to do." Brumfield was listed as being out of the lineup for a Week 7 matchup against Air Force per the UNLV game notes. If he can't play against Notre Dame, it'll likely be sophomore Cameron Friel, the 2021 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, who gets the nod. Friel com- pleted 17 of 24 throws for 176 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions in two appearances through Week 6. "We're going to make sure we get him back the right way," Arroyo said of Brumfield. "We're not going to hurry him back." Whoever lines up at QB will have for- mer Michigan State signee Ricky White as a passing target. White caught 29 passes for 386 yards and 3 touchdowns in UNLV's first six games. He was one of seven Rebels with 10 or more catches through Week 6. At the same time, Notre Dame only had three players at the same level (junior tight end Michael Mayer, sophomore wide receiver Lorenzo Styles and junior running back Chris Tyree). The Irish also need to monitor junior wideout Kyle Williams, who caught 18 passes for 235 yards and a team-high 4 touchdowns in the first six games. On the ground, former Louisville running back Aidan Robbins had 117 carries for 561 yards and 8 touchdowns plus 56 receiving yards and another score through the air in UNLV's first half-dozen games. Robbins only had 7 carries in two seasons at Louisville but has burst onto the scene in the desert. He's one of the many reasons UNLV has a different energy about it right now; an energy that's been dormant since perhaps the days of an 11-2 season and a win in the California Bowl to cap wildly successful 1984 campaign. But even then, UNLV couldn't have nice things. The NCAA wiped that season's record to 0-13 for using ineligible players. Robbins says he has "scar tissue" from the way his time in Louisville went. The UNLV program has scar tissue of its own. Robbins and the Rebels are doing everything they can to shed the scars. "I have a chip on my shoulder, and we continue to carry that every week," Robbins said. "Although we're becom- ing the hunted, we're still the hunters." UNLV has a hunter in fifth-year out- side linebacker Austin Ajiake. A Fremont, Calif., native and a graduate of Bellarm- ine Prep in San Jose, Ajiake ranked tied for 17th nationally through Week 6 with 8 tackles for loss. He also had 3 sacks. He's the type of game-wrecker who could make life difficult for Pyne and the Notre Dame offense. He's an impact player who could remind the Irish this isn't the UNLV of old. "I think we've proved we're not just swinging counter punches, but we've got some knockout blows," Arroyo said. ✦ 2022 NOTRE DAME SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 3 at Ohio State L, 21-10 Sept. 10 Marshall L, 26-21 Sept. 17 California W, 24-17 Sept. 24 at North Carolina W, 45-32 Oct. 8 vs. BYU* W, 28-20 Oct. 15 Stanford L, 16-14 Oct. 22 UNLV (Peacock) 2:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Syracuse TBD Nov. 5 Clemson (NBC) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 vs. Navy^ (ABC/ESPN) 12 p.m. Nov. 19 Boston College (NBC) 2:30 p.m. Nov. 26 at USC TBD * at Las Vegas; ^ at Baltimore 2022 UNLV SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Aug. 27 Idaho State W, 52-21 Sept. 10 at California L, 20-14 Sept. 17 North Texas W, 58-27 Sept. 24 at Utah State W, 34-24 Sept. 30 New Mexico W, 31-21 Oct. 7 at San Jose State L, 40-7 Oct. 15 Air Force L, 42-7 Oct. 22 at Notre Dame (Peacock) 2:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at San Diego State (CBSSN) 7 p.m. Nov. 11 Fresno State (CBSSN) 10:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at Hawaii 11 p.m. Nov. 26 Nevada 6 p.m. Through six games, senior linebacker Austin Ajiake led the Rebels with 60 tackles and ranked 17th nationally with 8 tackles for loss. PHOTO COURTESY UNLV