Rebels grind past San Jose State in rain — PHOTOS
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The No. 23-ranked UNLV football team completed an undefeated season on the road Friday, beating San Jose State 27-16 at CEFCU Stadium.
The heavy downpour and 15 mph winds were an undeniable factor in the milestone win. But it was nothing new for Rebels, who won at Hawaii in similar conditions during their last away game Nov. 9.
Friday’s victory marked UNLV’s first 6-0 road record in program history, and their first victory in San Jose since 1993.
Most importantly, it kept the Rebels (9-2, 5-1 Mountain West) in the race for a rematch against Boise State in the conference championship game.
Running back Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas provided a monster performance with 135 rushing yards and the go-ahead 25-yard touchdown in the third quarter for UNLV. It was his third 100-yard game this season.
The Rebels could be heard yelling in excitement in the neighboring locker room before Thomas, linebacker Jackson Woodard and coach Barry Odom entered the media room for postgame interviews.
“It’s fuel,” Thomas said of the feeling surrounding the team after the win.
“It just makes you hungry,” Woodard added. “We know what’s out there. We know what our ceiling is, and we’re gonna do everything to go get it.”
Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams completed 11 of 20 passes for 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception against the Spartans (6-5, 3-4).
UNLV opened the fourth quarter with a 20-16 lead after Thomas’ TD run late in the third, then Kylin James sealed the game with a 7-yard TD run with 8:29 left.
UNLV was put in position for that play after receiver Ricky White III jumped to snag a 20-yard pass from Williams, the pair’s second vital third-down conversion of the drive.
The Spartans entered halftime with a 16-10 lead.
“It’s ugly and terrible conditions,” Odom said. “We showed really good resolve and toughness. They stood together, overcame some things that didn’t go our way.”
The game began with empty possessions as the teams attempted to find their footing in the wet conditions.
The Rebels’ second possession ended with freshman kicker Caden Chittenden missing a 52-yard field goal. But Antonio Doyle Jr. gave Chittenden an opportunity to rebound on the next drive, recovering a fumbled snap by Spartans quarterback Walker Eget for a loss of 29 yards.
That play put UNLV in position for Chittenden to make a 31-yard field goal.
It accounted for the first points of the game and Chittenden’s 23rd field goal of the season, besting former San Diego State kicker Matt Araiza’s Mountain West freshman record.
The Spartans opened the second quarter with an interception return for a touchdown. Williams sent a pass to the right intended for White, who was possibly unclear about the play call since he didn’t run toward the ball.
The pass was intercepted by Isiah Revis and returned 40 yards for the score, giving the Spartans a 7-3 lead.
The Rebels answered big on the next possession. A drive that featured seven runs for Thomas saw Williams and White connect for a crucial 17-yard completion on fourth-and-3 at the Spartans’ 32-yard line.
Three plays later, Williams hit tight end Kaleo Ballungay for a 5-yard touchdown, his fifth receiving score of the year, for a 10-7 advantage.
It was short-lived. Six plays later, Eget found Matthew Coleman in the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown pass, regaining a 14-10 lead.
The rain and win grew wilder as the second quarter unfolded, and so did the play on the field.
UNLV was about to punt, but called a timeout. When play resumed, the snap soared right past Marshall Nichols. He ran after it and pushed it out of the end zone, giving San Jose State its first safety since 2022.
The Rebels opened the third quarter with a 52-yard field goal from Chittenden to cut the deficit to 16-13, then Thomas’ TD run later in the period put UNLV in front for good.
UNLV wraps up the regular season by hosting UNR at 5 p.m. Nov. 30 at Allegiant Stadium.
The Rebels trail Boise State (9-1, 6-0) and Colorado State (7-3, 5-0) in the Mountain West standings. UNLV needs to beat the Wolf Pack and have the Rams lose one of their final two games to likely return to the conference title game.
Colorado State is a 3½-point road underdog Saturday against Fresno State.
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.
