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What started as a wild week for more than one reason but UNLV’s football program capped it with an impressive statement win to open conference play.
Fresh off a bye week, the Rebels destroyed the Fresno State Bulldogs, 59-14, Saturday, Sept. 28 from Allegiant Stadium as part of their Mountain West opener. The win comes after the team was ranked in the coaches poll (#23) for the first time in program history.
“What a great win,” head coach Barry Odom said. “Excited for our team to start out conference play. I thought collectively when you look at how we played together, the challenge to start fast this week was certainly at the top of our minds and I thought we did.”
Most of the week has been filled with conversations surrounding the departure of former starting quarterback Matthew Sluka over an NIL dispute. After his opening statement during the postgame press conference, Odom addressed the situation directly before stating he wouldn’t take anymore questions on it.
The statement is posted below:
“I’ll comment briefly on the recent departure of one of our players from the team. And the following will be my only comments on the matter. Many have expressed very strong opinions about the events of last week without full knowledge of the facts, without full knowledge of the events of last week and without full knowledge of the rules in the ever-changing, evolving NIL system.
Regrettably, some have even used the circumstance as a platform for their own agendas. I respect everyone’s right to an opinion and I won’t comment on other’s opinions or their motivations for expressing them. Rather I’ll say only that our football program complied with applicable rules and subject to those rules we are fully committed to the development and the success of every student-athlete in our program.”
Still perfect in the early going of this college football season, UNLV sports a 4-0 overall record. Additionally, Odom is 13-2 in his last 15 September games as a head coach with his only losses coming to Georgia and Michigan.
Mountain West play will take a brief halt as the Rebels get ready to welcome the Syracuse Orange into Allegiant Stadium Saturday, Oct. 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
”In a very, very short week, it’s already Sunday for us,” Odom said. “Because of the Friday night [game] against Syracuse. We need to turn the page very, very quickly. We understand that this is the next opportunity for us on a short week.”
Regardless of who was under center for the offense, the defense had its fingerprints all over the game in the latest win for UNLV. For the second time this season, it went into halftime without having given up any points.
In eight total first half quarters this season, the program is outscoring opponents 92-20.
Led by defensive coordinator Mike Scherer, the Rebel defense hauled in three first half interceptions en route to the blowout win. Senior defensive back Cameron Oliver ended the first Bulldog drive of the night with the first of three picks on the day.
Oliver would also down a punt in the first quarter at the four-yard line.
“We had to win the turnover margin,” Odom said. “Then we talked about going in attack mode in all three phases.”
Fellow senior defensive back Johnathan Baldwin was responsible for the next turnover as he killed a drive just after the midway point of the second quarter. That marked his second interception of the year with both coming inside Allegiant Stadium.
Just before halftime, transfer defensive back Jalen Catalon got in on the action by securing his fourth interception of the season. He is now tied for the most interceptions in the nation through the first four weeks of the season.
“Jalen Catalon is, I think, maybe the best safety in the nation,” Woodard said. “He communicates and makes it so much easier for all of us on the field.”
While sophomore Jeremiah Vessell added a fourth interception for the unit in the fourth quarter, it could’ve been even more. Fresno State had the ball hit the turf on two separate occasions due to forced fumbles but came up with both recoveries.
On the latter mistake, defensive captain Jackson Woodard forced the fumble while teammate Keith Conley Jr. scooped it and scored with Woodard laying down the final block along the path.
The entire play would be wiped away after Woodard was called for illegal contact on the block before the pass would eventually be ruled incomplete. He finished with eight tackles, two tackles for loss and a pass defended.
”We obviously know that we have a really good offense,” he said. “I think it’s one of the best in the country, if not the best. We have playmakers all over the place so it’s just up to us to do our job. It’s up to us to give them the ball back.”
With the defense and special teams providing plenty of opportunity and spark, new starter Hajj-Malik Williams leaned on his All-American receiver Ricky White to get through his first start in Rebel red.
White was responsible for hauling in the first Williams completion of the day but he was far from done. In fact, White got in on the special teams action after he returned a Casey Cain blocked punt to the end zone for six points.
White had an explosion of a day through the air as well, closing his outing with 127 yards and two receiving touchdowns on 10 receptions. Coming into Saturday’s game, he had 10 receptions for 126 yards and three touchdowns.
“We put in so much work during the summer,” he said. “He was one of the quarterbacks that got here early, in January. So I was able to get those extra reps with him.”
Williams went 13-for-16, throwing for 182 yards and three aerial touchdowns. He also did damage in the running game with 119 yards and a score on 12 attempts.
“Behind closed doors me and Hajj are really close,” Woodard said. “As soon as he got here we connected. He’s one of my closest buddies on the team just outside of football anyways. He’s a leader, he knows what it takes.”
Williams was involved on every offensive touchdown before reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Year Jai’Den Thomas struck from sevenyards out on the ground. Thomas also made his presence felt on the special teams unit as he raced out a 90-yard kick return late in regulation, serving as the dagger.
That special teams score was the first kick return touchdown for the program in 13 years.
“Long time,” Odom said. “Overdue.”
Due to the lopsided scoreboard, backup Cameron Friel would get some live-game reps in the fourth. In his limited action, he rushed for a touchdown while completing his lone pass attempt for 16 yards.
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