Brent Brennan has five wins and three losses in season openers in his eight years as a head coach. Four of those five wins and one loss in a season opener were against Football Championship Subdivision opponents. Arizona beat New Mexico 61-39 in Brennan's debut with the Wildcats in 2024.
Tetairoa McMillan had 10 receptions, set a program record with 304 yards and tied the Arizona standard with four touchdown catches in the 2024 season-opening win over New Mexico. The offense was elite, but the struggling defense versus New Mexico foreshadowed the remainder of the season.
In his debut game as a head coach in 2017, San Jose State lost 42-22 to 19th-ranked South Florida.