UNLV motors past UNR into Mountain West title game — PHOTOS
UNLV had one final speed bump in its path to the Mountain West title game and a chance to play for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
It proved to be more of a fly on the windshield.
The No. 21-ranked Rebels didn’t even hit the brakes as they rolled over UNR 38-14 on Saturday and continued a journey that will next stop in Boise, Idaho, where they will play No. 11 Boise State at 5 p.m. Friday in a game with all sorts of national ramifications.
The winner is expected to advance to the 12-team playoff with one of the five automatic bids for the highest-ranked conference champions. After Tulane lost to Memphis on Thursday, no team outside one of the four power conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC) will be above Boise State or UNLV when the new CFP rankings are released Tuesday.
“To get 10 wins is really hard to do,” coach Barry Odom said of the school’s third-ever 10-win season and first since 1984. “It speaks volumes about our players, their toughness, their resolve and their willingness to work. Everything we put in front of them, they tried with everything they had to go achieve it.”
UNLV (10-2, 6-1 Mountain West) ensured its appearance in the league championship game with a victory over the Wolf Pack (3-10, 0-7) in front of 40,122 fans, the second-largest crowd for a Rebels game at Allegiant Stadium.
They were treated to a blowout victory in the rivalry game, the Rebels’ third straight win in the series as the Fremont Cannon remained red once again.
“For whatever reason, there was a narrative or noise throughout the week from the other side for whatever reason that the rivalry meant more to them,” Odom said. “I don’t ever spend time talking about our opponent, but we know where the cannon will stay.”
Ground game dominates
UNLV, which outrushed UNR 351-67, probably could have started painting early in the second half, as the first two possessions of the third quarter were a microcosm of the entire game.
UNR got the ball first, trailing 24-7, and couldn’t do much. After one first down, the Wolf Pack got stuffed for a loss of two on a third-and-2 near midfield and had to punt.
UNLV took the ball and went 81 yards in 11 plays over the course of 5:19, capped by a 13-yard Hajj-Malik Williams touchdown run to essentially put the game out of reach.
The drive featured three third-down conversions, including a 14-yard completion to Ricky White on a third-and-11.
The Rebels went 8-for-12 on third downs and 1-for-1 on fourth downs in the game.
“We put a lot of emphasis on that in order to stay on the field,” Williams said. “And all the rushing yards. We dominated the line of scrimmage, and that’s one of the points of emphasis for winning football. I was proud of our offensive line and proud of our team.”
A desperation fourth-down heave by UNR’s Brendon Lewis on the ensuing drive was caught beyond the end line in the back of the end zone, and the Rebels went to work on padding the lead and draining the clock with White scoring seven plays later on a 17-yard TD pass.
He finished with five catches for 55 yards and drew two key pass interference penalties, while Jacob De Jesus led the team with six catches for 84 yards.
Williams completed 14 of 21 passes for 168 yards and two scores, adding 104 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown on the ground before Cameron Friel took over midway through the fourth quarter.
Fast start
UNLV entered the game as nearly a three-touchdown favorite, and the disparity was evident from the outset.
The teams traded opening-drive touchdowns before UNLV took over the game. The Rebels led 10-7 early in the second quarter when Jarvis Ware got home on a blitz and forced Lewis to fumble. Standout linebacker Jackson Woodard recovered the ball in the end zone for his first career touchdown.
“I didn’t do much,” Woodard said. “I just ran to the ball and dove on it. Jarvis Ware made an incredible play. Big momentum shift, but I’m proud of all the guys. The defensive line was incredible tonight, defensive backs locked them down, all the linebackers were making plays. I’m extremely proud of the defense.”
Jai’Den Thomas, who finished with a game-high 135 yards on the ground, scored from 1 yard out late in the second quarter to extend the lead to 24-7, and Cameron Oliver came up with an interception at his own goal line on the ensuing Wolf Pack possession.
The Rebels were well on their way to a victory that kept alive their hopes for a conference title and lofty dreams of a playoff berth. UNR didn’t score again until 1:19 remained, as UNLV recorded six sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
While UNLV finished tied with Colorado State (8-4, 6-1) in the league standings, the Rebels earned the spot in the championship game by virtue of their placement in the CFP rankings.
“This team has been a lot of fun to coach, and I don’t want it to stop,” Odom said. “We’ve obviously got a lot of opportunities in front of us we can go create, and it will come down to our preparation and our habits because those always become game day reality.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
