LA Bowl Preview: UNLV Versus Cal

By: Brock Vierra

A meeting between two programs being pulled in different directions, UNLV and Cal are set to wage war for the final time in 2024. Cal returns to Los Angeles for the first time since their 33-7 victory over archrival UCLA in the last-ever Pac-12 after-dark game last year. For UNLV, the LA bowl represents the first time the Rebels have gone bowling in back-to-back years in school history. While both teams are looking to cap off their season with a win, they’ll enter the game with a completely different look from the teams they had in the regular season.

LA Bowl should be electric despite departures

UNLV lost its head coach Barry Odom to Purdue shortly after the Mountain West championship game. Odom, the man who turned UNLV around, left because Purdue offered him a significant salary increase. Vacating the head coaching role, UNLV hired former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen to take over the program. In their hiring process, the school and AD Erick Harper interviewed OC Brennan Marion but decided to go in a different direction. Marion, who was with UNLV through bowl week, left the program to pursue other opportunities and will not be participating in the LA Bowl. He is expected to be named the head coach at Sacramento State in the coming days.

As a result, interim head coach Del Alexander has yet to name an offensive play-caller. UNLV will be with its star players, as Hajj-Malik Williams, Ricky White, Jackson Woodard, Tiger Shanks, and Jalen Catalon are all expected to play, closing out their UNLV and collegiate careers on Wednesday.

For Cal, Justin Wilcox is expected to return for his ninth season next year but will be coaching in the LA Bowl without a bunch of his star players. Offensively, QB Fernando Mendoza and WR Nyziah Hunter have entered to portal and will not be playing. Expect Cal to rely on RB Jaydn Ott. Ott, a star ball carrier, has had a down year plagued by injuries but if he can flash his 2023 form, the Rebels are in trouble.

Cal will have the majority of their defensive starters including star cornerback Nohl Williams. For Williams, the LA Bowl means a bit more. The current NCAA leader in interceptions, Williams has had a phenomenal year and career at Cal. The LA Bowl will be his final collegiate game. It will also be the first time he has played his former team since he transferred after the 2022 season. Williams played for the Rebels from 2020 to 2022.

The game also has a bit more significance as Williams currently has seven interceptions. Jalen Catalon is third on the leaderboard with five. With Cal’s QB situation unknown, we could have even more drama in this game.

UNLV already has a win over a former Pac-12 team with their regular season win in Corvallis and considering their losses are to Boise State (twice) who is in the playoff and Syracuse who has a nine-win season and just knocked off Miami in the regular season finale, I’m giving the game to the Rebels, 31-17.

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