- What: LA Bowl
- Who: No. 24 UNLV vs. Cal
- When: Wednesday, 6 p.m.
- Where: SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles)
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: 1100 AM, 100.9 FM
For the first time in nearly a quarter-century UNLV is a bowl winner, as the Scarlet and Gray held off Cal, 24-13, to claim the LA Bowl on Wednesday.
It wasn’t an offensive clinic by any means. Hajj-Malik Williams completed just 5-of-18 passes for 96 yards, and the team’s running backs managed a workmanlike 116 yards on 26 combined carries. But a handful of big plays on special teams helped flip field position in dramatic fashion, and the defense pitched a second-half shutout to get UNLV across the finish line.
Freshman kicker Caden Chittenden came up clutch by edging in a 48-yard field goal with six minutes left to seal the victory.
The defense held the Golden Bears scoreless in the second half, turning away eight Cal possessions. Sophomore Fisher Camac was dominant with six tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Senior linebacker Jackson Woodard recorded 11 tackles and three pass breakups.
The win caps a remarkable campaign that saw UNLV attain its first-ever Top 25 ranking, reach the Mountain West championship game for the second straight year and earn its first bowl win since the 2000 season.
The 2025 team will look a lot different, as 29 seniors are leaving the program in the offeseason. But on Wednesday, they went out in style.
UNLV closing in on bowl win, up 21-13
UNLV finally got the score it needed, and it was the defense that made the big play.
On a 3rd-and-7, Cal quarterback E.J. Caminong was rushed and attempted to sling the ball to his running back in the flat. The pass went backward, however, and landed in no-man’s land. UNLV safety Jett Elad dove on the loose ball, giving the Scarlet and Gray possession deep inside Cal territory.
The very next play was an inside handoff to Kylin James, and the senior found a crease that allowed him to run into the end zone untouched.
UNLV now has a 21-13 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. It’s still a one-possession game, but given the way the defense has played — Cal has not scored on its last four possessions — it might be enough.
UNLV still holding lead over Cal in LA Bowl
The second half has been a stalemate so far, with four punts between the two teams and UNLV still holding its 14-13 lead with 7:39 left in the third quarter.
It looked like the Scarlet and Gray might have something going on the last drive when Hajj-Malik Williams found Jacob De Jesus running free over the middle for a 29-yard pass, but the next three plays yielded just one yard and UNLV kicked it away to Cal.
Offense has been tough to come by, but UNLV is probably going to have to score again in order to win this game. Where are the points going to come from?
Scarlet and Gray take halftime lead in LA Bowl
It hasn’t exactly been the go-go UNLV fans know and love, but UNLV has used a combination of trickery and timely deep bombs to take a 14-13 lead over Cal at halftime.
Cal’s most recent drive lasted nearly seven minutes, but the Scarlet and Gray held firm on the goal line, turning back a pair of plays from the 1-yard line to force Cal into settling for a field goal.
Sophomore defensive end Fisher Camac has been a standout for UNLV with three tackles and two tackles for loss. Senior defensive back Johnathan Baldwin had a key sack on third down to end Cal’s last drive.
Offense has been a struggle for the coordinator-less Scarlet and Gray. The running game has sputtered, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry, and Hajj-Malik Williams is just 4-of-11 passing for 67 yards. One of Williams’ tosses was a 49-yard touchdown, however, so that helps the stat line.
Cal will receive the kick to open the second half.
UNLV gets tricky, takes 14-10 lead in LA Bowl
As predicted, this game is opening up and things are getting a little weird, as UNLV just used some trickery to take a 14-10 lead with 13:17 left in the second quarter.
Facing a 3rd-and-7 in their own territory, the Scarlet and Gray dialed up a fake punt and Marshall Nichols threw a push-pass to Cameron Oliver to convert the first down — and then some. With nothing but open space in front of him, Oliver ran 52 yards before being brought down inside the 10.
On the next snap, Hajj-Malik Williams shoveled a forward pass to Jacob De Jesus behind the line of scrimmage, and the speedy wideout ran around the left side for a 9-yard touchdown. De Jesus then did a celebratory backflip, complete with superhero landing.
If UNLV is already running fake punts less than 20 minutes into the game, there are likely more surprises in store.
UNLV scores, Cal up 10-7 in second quarter
Run defense has been a big issue for UNLV, as Cal used a couple of long runs to stake out a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Golden Bears ran for 102 yards in the quarter, with gains of 48 and 29 yards coming on the ground. The 29-yarder was authored by Josiah Martin on Cal’s last drive, as he cut to the left and ran through a huge hole for a touchdown. Through one quarter, Cal is averaging 10.2 yards per rush.
On the other side, it hasn’t been the go-go offense UNLV fans are used to, but the Scarlet and Gray did strike with a big play to take a 7-3 lead. After going 3-and-out on their first two drives, they dialed up a deep shot and Hajj-Malik Williams hit freshman receiver Kayden McGee in stride for a 49-yard score. It was the third reception of McGee’s career and the first touchdown.
UNLV has the ball to start the second quarter. Another touchdown drive here could really open up this game, like last year’s shootout with Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
Cal takes 3-0 lead over UNLV in LA Bowl
Cal is on the board first, as a 43-yard field goal has the Golden Bears ahead midway through the first quarter, 3-0.
UNLV looked like a team missing its offensive coordinator and top receiver on its first drives, as both possessions went 3-and-out. The Scarlet and Gray are averaging just 2.0 yards per play, with Jai’Den Thomas rushing for eight yards on four carries.
We still don’t know who is acting as the interim OC, but let’s see if they try to get a little creative on this next drive. So far the conservative, run up the middle approach hasn’t yielded much.
UNLV senior Ricky White opting out of LA Bowl
The pregame news is not good for UNLV, as senior receiver Ricky White is sitting out tonight.
White was on the field for early warmups, but when UNLV took the field in pads for the later warmup session he remained in sweats and watched from the sideline. As an NFL Draft hopeful, he is presumably skipping this game in order to prevent injury and get a head start on draft prep.
That means UNLV will be without its head coach, its offensive coordinator and its top receiver tonight in the LA Bowl. White’s college career is finished.
UNLV’s other senior leaders participated in the later warmup period, including linebacker Jackson Woodard, receiver Jacob De Jesus and safety Jalen Catalon, so as of now it appears White is the only obvious opt-out.
UNLV football looking to finish strong with LA Bowl win
For a team playing in just its second bowl in 11 years, Wednesday’s game sure has become an afterthought for UNLV football.
Between losing their head coach, losing their offensive coordinator, hiring a new head coach, navigating the transfer portal and dealing with finals, the Scarlet and Gray have had plenty of excuses to neglect their X’s and O’s leading up to their LA Bowl matchup against Cal (6 p.m., ESPN). But according to interim head coach Del Alexander, that hasn’t been the case.
On the contrary, Alexander has seen his players lock in as the final game of the season draws closer.
“It’s a difficult time on our side of the ball, but our guys have done a great job,” Alexander said. “They’re full of energy, they’re focused, they’re giving the coaches every bit of their attention and they want this reward.”
You could hardly blame the players for letting up a bit as the season reaches its conclusion. After losing the Mountain West championship game and getting shut out of the College Football Playoff, the bowl game itself has taken a backseat to the coaching news and other off-the-field developments. The team’s leaders have fought against that mindset, making a point to redirect the focus toward Cal — and picking up their 11th win of the season.
That win total is a particularly strong motivator for the players, as it would set a school record for single-season victories. (UNLV went 11-2 in 1984, but the use of an ineligible player led the NCAA to officially vacate those wins in the record book.)
Senior receiver Casey Cain said closing the season with a victory is driving the team.
“As a team, collectively we want to finish the season strong and get that last win, get that 11th win and make history,” Cain said. “It’s a great motivational factor. We want to come out with a win, always. I think we came together as a group and said let’s finish this.”
Alexander credited former head coach Barry Odom for instilling that workmanlike approach over his two years at the helm. Odom left last week to become the head coach at Purdue, and on Tuesday, offensive coordinator Brennan Marion left to become the head coach at Sacramento State.
Even with all the upheaval behind the scenes, Alexander has seen no slippage in his players’ approach on the field, with senior captains Jackson Woodard, Ricky White, Jacob De Jesus, Johnathan Baldwin and Hajj-Malik Williams pulling the team across the finish line.
“They come to work. There’s outside influences, but they’re locked into playing in this bowl game, having success and going out for their seniors,” Alexander said.
The matchup with Cal figures to be a good one. UNLV enters the contest as a 3-point favorite, largely because the roster has remained mostly intact despite the coaching departures. Only four UNLV players had entered the transfer portal as of Tuesday, with senior cornerback Tony Grimes and freshman running back Greg Burrell being the only significant contributors testing the market.
Alexander noted that other teams around the country have seen waves of players enter the portal — even playoff teams. But UNLV’s nucleus of leaders has kept the roster together.
“It speaks to their character and integrity,” Alexander said. “We talk about respecting each other, respecting everyone’s option to choose. I think that word, respect, in our locker room has to do with let’s stick around and let’s finish what we started.”
So where does that leave UNLV? The offseason figures to bring plenty of change, but for now the players that engineered the program’s turnaround are focused on going out on a high note.
“The focus is to win,” Cain said. “Dominate this game and leave a legacy of a winning team. Our head coach left early for a great opportunity, but this team wants to go and finish with 11 wins and make history.”
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
