UNLV earns 1st Associated Press Top 25 ranking in program history

By Callie Fin Las Vegas Review-Journal

3 months ago

UNLV head coach Barry Odom welcomes players back to the sideline after scoring a touchdown duri ... — UNLV head coach Barry Odom welcomes players back to the sideline after scoring a touchdown during the college football game against Fresno State at Allegiant Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Daniel Jacobi II/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UNLV head coach Barry Odom keeps his players motivated after a score against the Fresno State Bulldogs during in the first half of their NCAA football game at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

The UNLV football team entered The Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time in program history Sunday.

The Rebels were voted 25th in a tie with Texas A&M with 122 points.

RANKED REBELS 🦅🦅🦅 pic.twitter.com/943jrB6vuw

— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) September 29, 2024

The milestone comes after UNLV beat Fresno State 59-14 on Saturday, rolling to the program’s first 4-0 start since 1976. It was a statement win for the Rebels to conclude a turbulent week that included the exit of former starting quarterback Matthew Sluka after a dispute over name, image and likeness payments.

The program also briefly flirted with the Pac-12 before recommitting to the Mountain West.

“I’ll give all the praise and credit to my team,” coach Barry Odom said Saturday. “I feel like structurally, the things that we do in fall camp, practice habits throughout the week — we’re different than most people in the country. I would just credit our players on what they did, have done and will continue to do to give us a chance to play winning ball.”

UNLV was previously included in the USA Today coaches poll for the program’s first national ranking, and the Rebels stayed put in this week’s edition at the No. 23 spot. After the the initial national recognition, Odom pulled a page from legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban and gave his team a lesson in “rat poison.”

“All those great things that you hear and you read, it softens your character. It softens your ability to stay on the course and to stay hungry,” Odom said at the time. “What we need to do to become the team that we want to be is we’ve got to push. There cannot be cruise control — there will not be, because we’re not anywhere close to where we need to be.”

The Rebels (4-0, 1-0 Mountain West) next host Syracuse (3-1) at 6 p.m. Friday at Allegiant Stadium. Sixth-year Campbell transfer quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams will have an opportunity to build on his promising debut.

Williams completed 13 of 16 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 119 yards and another score in the Rebels’ win over Fresno State.

In the AP poll, Alabama jumped from No. 4 to No. 1 after defeating previous No. 2 Georgia 41-34 on Saturday. Previous No. 1 Texas dropped to No. 2, and Georgia fell to No. 5.

The Mountain West has two teams ranked, with Boise State at No. 21. The Broncos play at UNLV on Oct. 25.

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