LAS VEGAS – UNLV gave Boise State all it could handle, but, in the end, it still wasn’t enough on Friday.
The Rebels lost 29-24 to the No. 17 Broncos in front of an announced gathering of 42,228 fans at Allegiant Stadium – the largest in UNLV football history.
THANK YOU REBEL NATION ♥️ pic.twitter.com/TLm6yFcV4O
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) October 26, 2024
“I’m frustrated as a head coach that I couldn’t get us in the position to go win that,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “We poured a lot into it.”
Hajj-Malik Williams went 12-for-29 for 179 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 105 yards with a touchdown.
“We feel Hajj is a weapon in the run game. He’ll continue to have that workload,” Odom said. “We’re better as an offense when he has the ball in his hands. We’ll continue to build on it.”
The Rebels did a good job of containing Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty carried the ball 33 times for 128 yards and a touchdown. However, he was unable to break off long runs, limiting him to less than four yards a carry.
“(Jeanty’s) a terrific player. Obviously, one of the best ones in college football,” Odom said. “For the most part, we contained him. He made some good runs. He’s a tough runner. We have a lot of respect for him. Defensively, they accepted the challenge. We tackled overall pretty well.”
While Odom said there is “no consolation” to losing that game, it displayed the immense growth a year had made since the last time these two teams met in the Mountain West Championship game – a game Boise State won 44-20.
“Last year in the championship game, I don’t know if we were ready for that, honestly,” Odom said. “We were ready for that tonight. That’s the growth of our team and program. We’ve been in the arena enough times to be battle-tested. I knew that we were going to come out swinging.”
Swinging UNLV did, jumping out to an early 10-3 after the first quarter behind Williams’s arm and legs.
The Broncos were unfazed, however.
After a Jonah Dalmas field goal and Maddux Madsen touchdown put Boise State up 13-10, Williams threw the game’s lone interception, giving Boise State prime field position at UNLV’s 7.
The Broncos took advantage, scoring four plays later to take a 20-10 lead into the half.
UNLV cut the lead to 20-17 after Williams scored on a five-yard run in the quarter’s first drive.
SIX FOR SIX! ????
5th rushing touchdown on the season for Hajj
????: CBSSN pic.twitter.com/E9ygtfzjDO
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) October 26, 2024
A Dalmas field goal made it 23-17, but Williams responded throwing a picture-perfect 34-yard pass to Jaden Bradley to take a 24-23 lead entering the fourth quarter.
REBELS TAKE THE LEAD
First touchdown as a Rebel for Jaden Bradley ???? pic.twitter.com/VCuzmwzlXK
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) October 26, 2024
Boise State captured the 29-24 lead after an eight-play, 75-yard drive, which was capped off by Jeanty’s one-yard touchdown run.
UNLV punted its last possession, allowing Boise State to put on a clinic to run out the final 8:07 of the game.
“To come up short in a game of that magnitude, it hurts,” Odom said.
The game acted as a de-facto College Football Playoff eliminator game. Boise State, who some have projected entering the field, kept its hopes of making the playoff alive, while UNLV is all but gone from the conversation.
Odom said after the game that he and the team will focus on winning games in November and ending the season on the right note.
Despite the loss, UNLV can still make it to the Mountain West Conference Championship game, but they will need a little help to get back into that position.
“That’s always one of our goals. To compete and win a conference championship,” Odom said. “Time will tell. There will be a lot of ball will be played in the next five weeks.”
Ultimately, the game highlighted two things: 1) how far UNLV has come as a program and 2) how far it still needs to go if it hopes to be considered a legitimate threat in the Mountain West.
First up on accomplishing those goals? Winning on Nov. 9 against Hawaii on the islands.
“There are a lot of things we can attain goal-wise as a program,” Odomo said. “I gave my team my word that I will pour my soul into everything we can do to win in November.”
Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_.
