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UNLV claims first bowl win in 24 years with LA Bowl victory over Cal
- Terrel Emerson
- Dec 19, 2024
- 5 min read
The unprecedented two-year run for UNLV Football has culminated in hardware.
In this year’s Art of Sport LA Bowl, the No. 24 Rebels defeated the California Golden Bears, 24-13, from SoFi Stadium. It goes down as the third official bowl win for the program in six tries with one win vacated prior.
The last postseason win for the program came 24 years ago.
“It just feels good to leave with this win,” receiver Jacob De Jesus said. “I felt like last year when we lost the bowl game, it didn’t feel the same. It was a great season but man, we weren’t satisfied.”
Wednesday’s win puts a bow on the era of former head coach Barry Odom, who left the program last week to assume the same role with Purdue. In addition, offensive coordinator Brennan Marion was not in attendance after being named the head coach at Sacramento State.
Wide receivers coach Del Alexander filled in the lead seat as the team’s interim head coach.
“How’s that for a substitute teacher,” he said following the win. “I know how tough it is to fight through the adversity. We really first wanted to respect our opponent, coach Wilcox, his team and his staff.”
UNLV ends the year with an 11-3 overall record to run its two-year overall total to 20-8 with two bowl appearances and a win this year. The conclusion of the game brings the start of the Dan Mullen era after he was hired in the aftermath of Odom’s departure.
”It’s a big deal for them,” Alexander said. “I’ve done this so many times that its a big deal for them to experience it […] It’s an experience that will last their lives. I’ve lived it I don’t know how many years ago that was but for them to feel it and get the reward from the work and establish a legacy? Hats off to them.”
The LA Bowl’s lone turnover saw the Rebels turn it into the only touchdown of the second half. Defensive back Jett Elad pounced on a loose ball on the heels of a backwards pass to scoop up the fumble recovery.
On the next drive, running back Kylin James scored from 23 yards out on the ground on the first play.
About midway through the second quarter, the special teams pressure forced a field goal miss by Cal to preserve a then four-point lead. That proved to be a huge moment because the Golden Bears added three points via a field goal just before halftime. If they had connected on the first, they would’ve gone into the locker room with a two-point lead rather than down a point to the Rebels.
“People call them breaks but I just call them good plays by us,” linebacker Jackson Woodard said. “I don’t really believe in breaks or good luck or bad luck. If you go look at the field goal, we were getting pressure all night.”
With so much on the line, UNLV’s offensive quick strikes were far and few in-between but always managed to come in the right moment. Freshman receiver Kayden McGee hauled in a 49-yard touchdown pass on the team’s third drive of the game to give the eventual winners a, 7-3, lead.
“You saw a freshman catch a ball today,” Alexander said. “That might’ve been the only play he was in the game.”
Early in the second quarter, it was the special teams unit that netted the offense another shot. Facing a punting situation, Alexander and company opted to go for the fake punt which turned out to be a pass to defensive back Cameron Oliver on a drag route. The play would take UNLV to the Cal 10-yard line before receiver Jacob De Jesus scored from nine yards out on a pass from quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams.
“My head was in the clouds,” Alexander said. “[Special teams coordinator James] Shibest said, ‘Do you want to run it?’ I didn’t even look at where the ball was, I said, ‘Go.’ I’ve seen it every day in practice for a year or two years so I said go. I think I was facing the wrong way. I saw it go and I was like, ‘Good, that worked.’”
De Jesus tallied 142 all-purpose yards on his way to Offensive Player of the Game honors.“It’s a very special win,” he said. “It’s something that I really can’t comprehend and just to have the game that I had is all God. I’ll always give the glory to God because he’s the reason I’m here.”
The performance of De Jesus came in the absence of fellow big-time receiver Ricky White III, who opted to sit out the bowl game.
“Rick is a huge part of our team,” De Jesus said. “We would not be in this position without him. He’s a phenomenal player and I respect his decision to sit out. I think its a smart decision for him — I believe he’s going to be a first round or second round pick so it would be dumb for him to come and play in this game and get hurt.”
Down one of his top targets, Williams managed to go 5-for-18 through the air with 92 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 27 yards on 10 carries.
With all the chips on the line, UNLV’s defense held Cal scoreless in the second half on the way to the 11-point win. Aside from a 48-yard run by running back Jaydn Ott in the first quarter, the unit didn’t get beat often.
”That’s kind of been a theme of ours,” Woodard said. “Shutting people out in the second half. Obviously, I wish we started a little bit quicker but it's just a testament to the team. We stick together.”
In fact, by the second Golden Bear drive of the third quarter they were on their third-string quarterback after normal regular season starter Fernando Mendoza missed the bowl game after entering the transfer portal and original game starter CJ Harris suffered an injury.
Woodard was named the game’s Defensive Player of the Game after recording 11 tackles, three pass breakups and a quarterback hit in his final game as a Rebel.
”I’m so blessed,” he said. “I keep talking about my teammates but they just went to work. They helped me in so many ways and then this coaching staff.
”Obviously coach Odom played a huge role, [defensive coordinator Mike] Scherer played a huge role in my success. Coach Del in this game, I don’t think he’s getting enough credit for what he did. He set a vision as soon as he got the job, he called us in and he was the right man for the job.”
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