Rebels await bowl fate with uncertainty on horizon

BOISE, Idaho — When UNLV was selected to play Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl last year, it was regarded by most as a pleasant surprise.

In his first season at the helm of the Rebels, coach Barry Odom led the team to its first bowl appearance in a decade.

Now, UNLV waits to learn the destination and opponent for its second consecutive bowl game – a circumstance the program has never seen before.

But despite the history the Rebels have already made, they wanted more — amid an uncertain future on the horizon with power conference teams poised to pursue UNLV coaches.

UNLV’s first 10-win season in 40 years had a chance to continue in the newly expanded College Football Playoff. But that aspiration was thwarted Friday, as Boise State beat UNLV 21-7 in the Mountain West championship game in Boise, Idaho.

“We did a lot of really good things over the course of the season,” Odom said. “When you come up short of your goals, your dreams, and the things that you poured your soul into, it’s really hard when you come up short.”

As UNLV (10-3) processes the loss, analysts continue to predict the team will face Cal (6-6) in the LA Bowl on Dec. 18 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The matchup for UNLV’s bowl game and for the Las Vegas Bowl will be announced at a news conference at 11 a.m. Sunday.

‘Get back to work’

The LA Bowl will match the Mountain West’s No. 1 selection and the Pac-12’s fifth. With Boise State headed to the CFP, potentially with a bye, UNLV is the top option in the league.

Although Cal is now part of the ACC, the Sun Bowl Association, Pac-12, ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 came to an agreement in July for the 10 schools exiting the Pac-12 to still play in Pac-12-affiliated bowls in 2024 and 2025 instead of the bowls associated with their new conferences.

Last season, the Rebels lost 49-36 to Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 26 in Phoenix. That game came after another loss to Boise State in the Mountain West championship game, 44-20 at Allegiant Stadium.

Senior linebacker Jackson Woodard said Friday that UNLV won’t approach its bowl game differently than any other game this season.

“It’s just like any game,” Woodard said. “Get back to work, let’s go win it. We take pride in winning. The ultimate goal of our team is to go win.”

More uncertainty

It’s no secret that Odom’s swift progress at UNLV makes him a hot commodity on the coaching market. The same goes for offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, even though his famed Go-Go offense was far from potent Friday.

Marion and Odom were reportedly being considered for head coaching jobs elsewhere last year, but they opted to stay in Las Vegas.

This time around, UNLV athletic director Erick Harper will have his work cut out to keep the sought-after coaches at UNLV.

Odom had been mentioned as a target of Central Florida, but the Big 12 school is now reportedly poised to bring back former coach Scott Frost.

Odom has also been mentioned as a possible candidate at West Virginia in the Big 12.

Marion reportedly interviewed at San Diego State last year, and his name appears on articles about “top candidates” to become offensive coordinator at Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Florida State. He’s also been tabbed as a possible option to become head coach at Sam Houston State.

Beyond UNLV keeping its coaches, the transfer portal will start making headlines Monday.

UNLV recruited the top-ranked class in the Mountain West for next season, and it will hope to retain its current talent with 29 seniors set to depart — including Woodard, quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, kick returner Jacob De Jesus, wide receiver Ricky White III and center Jack Hasz.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.