UNLV Football: Barry Odom is Him

By: Brock Vierra

In previous years, when the Rebels would throw that inevitable interception late in the fourth quarter, that usually would end the chances for a UNLV victory. Today it was the catalyst. Jayden Maiava was called into service after Doug Brumfield was knocked out of the game early in the first. At one point, UNLV was down 17-0 but two quick scores cut the lead to 17-10 in the second quarter. Barry Odom’s defense came up big like they did all night by forcing a fumble that Ray Williams took for six. UNLV would get the ball back late in the second and put up a field goal to take a 20-17 lead into the locker room.

At one point, UNLV led 30-17 before Vanderbilt came storming back to tie things at 30 all. However, Jayden Maiava proved why he was so heavily recruited by Marcus Arroyo as he connected with speedster and special teams ace Jacob De Jesus for a 47-yard touchdown to go up 37-30 with 2:23 left in the fourth. Vanderbilt would then drive and score to tie the game up. On the next Rebels possession, Maiava threw said interception. That sets us up for this program-defining moment.

Vanderbilt has the ball. They want to get a first down to set up a game-winning field goal as time expires. Barry Odom’s defense comes up big. Despite not having team captain and Arkansas transfer linebacker Jackson Woodard on the field as he was ejected earlier, the defense held and with the use of timeouts, UNLV would get a shot after the Vandy Field Goal attempt. The ball was snapped, and the 33-yard kick was up and no good! The kick didn’t hook as needed and UNLV had the ball under 30 seconds. A deep ball to Ricky White put the Rebels in field goal range with 0:07 seconds left and a Jose Pizano kick gave UNLV a 40-37 lead. A kickoff and a failed lateral play later and UNLV improves to 2-0 against the Commodores. They also got their second win of the season. This game was the Rebel’s chin check and they passed with flying colors.

Before when talking about UNLV, I said this team will go as far as Doug Brumfield takes them. Today proved to me that they can win without him. This team, this UNLV squad is a genuine threat for the Mountain West title. Yes, Fresno State, Colorado State, and Boise State all put in top efforts this week but there’s something about this Rebels team that you can’t ignore. Barry Odom has coached this team right and it shows that UNLV never lost their belief or their will throughout the ballgame. Now UNLV got off to a hot start last year and we all saw how that ended but their next three games are against struggling opponents so I have hope it will be a different story in 2023.

They visit the Sun Bowl to play 1-3 UTEP before hosting 1-3 Hawaii and 0-3 Nevada. The last is for the Freemont Cannon, something UNLV currently possesses. Should they win all these games, they would be at 5-1 with only one more win needed to become bowl-eligible, their first potential bowl appearance since 2013.

Now why do I believe in the Rebels. Here are three reasons.

1. Barry Odom’s multiple D defense has given UNLV its most creative and effective defensive unit the school has seen in almost a decade. His versatile looks fit his personnel perfectly and passing offenses are often times guessing on which defenders come on rushes and which ones bail out. They create and capitalize off of turnovers. They control the line of scrimmage and they are improving game by game. Yes, they have gotten exposed across the middle with their zone packages but it is a work in progress. However, this defense excites me.
2. When Brennan Marion was hired to be what UNLV fans thought Bobby Petrino was supposed to be, some questions were raised. Well, Marion’s offense is averaging over 35 points per game at home. He’s shown that his scheme works with Doug Brumfield and Jayden Maiava and his offense has a nice run to pass balance. A consistent offense combined with a flustering defense is the recipe for success.
3. Mindset. As mentioned earlier, UNLV teams have folded for far less than what today’s team had to overcome. These kids believe in their head coach and his message, the sidelines are lit with enthusiasm and the effort shown on the field speaks for itself. Barry Odom and the boys are not waiting for an invitation to be good, they’re getting it done their own way. It’s time to buy into UNLV, a gamble worth taking.

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