UNLV will play its most impactful game in program history on Friday.
The Rebels travel to Boise State for the Mountain West Championship at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. A win would not only net UNLV its first Mountain West title in program history, it would also likely ensure the Rebels a spot in the College Football Playoff and their first real shot at winning the national championship.
That’s huge for a program that posted just 10 winning seasons in its history before head coach Barry Odom showed up two years ago.
Friday’s game is a rematch of last season’s Mountain West title game, which Boise State won 44-20 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. It’s also a rematch of a regular season game the Broncos won 29-24 in Vegas earlier this year.
Here’s a look at three keys to victory in what could be a historic night for UNLV.
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Control The Clock
What’s the best way to slow down Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who leads the nation with 2,288 yards and 28 touchdowns? Keep him on the sideline.
UNLV’s focus needs to be on extending drives, winning on third down and eating as much clock as possible to limit Jeanty’s touches. If the Rebels can hold him to fewer than 20 carries, they have a real chance to win the game.
UNLV held Jeanty to a season-low 128 rushing yards and won the time of possession battle when the Rebels and Broncos met in the regular season. Wyoming also had success keeping Jeanty on the sideline. The Cowboys limited him to a season-low 19 carries and held on to the ball for more than 34 minutes in a game that Wyoming led in the fourth quarter a couple weeks ago.
UNLV has a backfield that can control the pace of Friday’s matchup. The Rebels rank No. 1 in the Mountain West with 254.08 rushing yards a game thanks to a trio of talented running backs, led by Jai’den Thomas, and quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, who is as dangerous with his legs as he is with his arm.
Put The Game In Hajj-Malik Williams’ Hands
For Williams, Friday’s title game will be the culmination of a six-year career that has included two stops, Campbell and UNLV, and more than 10,000 yards of offense and 80 touchdowns. He left Campbell as its all-time leader in passing yards (8,236) and touchdowns (58).
Williams has posted 2,503 yards and 26 touchdowns since taking over for former UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka in September.
The championship game will be the biggest stage he has ever played on, and UNLV’s coaches need to trust him to carry the team to a win, especially when it comes to the running game.
Williams has the arm talent to carve defenses up in a traditional manner, but he also has the athleticism and football IQ to do damage in a scheme that leans on RPO and speed option plays the way UNLV’s does.
He was all but unstoppable when the Rebels ran option plays in their regular season matchup against Boise State. UNLV’s coaches might want to lean into that on Friday, especially on third downs. That’s the best way to keep the offense on the field and Jeanty on the sideline.
Finish Drives With Touchdowns
UNLV is a 4-point college football betting odds underdog heading into the championship game, and the Rebels have to embrace that underdog mentality. That means finding a way to make a couple of big plays that swing the momentum in their favor, not giving the game away with mistakes and turnovers, and finishing drives with touchdowns – not field goals.
In their regular season meeting, the Rebels’ first drive ended at Boise State’s 10-yard line, where they were forced to settle for a field goal. UNLV also missed a 51-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter.
That can’t happen if they hope to win on Friday. Boise State has all the momentum right now. The Broncos know they will probably lock up a first-round bye in the CFP with a win. UNLV can’t leave points on the field if it hopes to spoil the Broncos’ playoff plans.
