Not even a little bit of rain was going to stop the No. 23 UNLV Rebels from taking care of the business it has to stay alive in the Mountain West Championship hunt.
The Rebels picked up a gritty 27-16 victory against the San Jose State Spartans on Friday night in San Jose.
“I’d like to give a lot of credit to our team for staying in the game through ugly and terrible conditions. We showed really good resolve and toughness, and they stood together,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “We overcame some things that didn’t go our way, and to find a way to go win against what I think is very good team in San Jose, shows a lot about who we are — what our character is — within the team. There were a lot of guys who stepped up and made huge plays in the second half when we needed it.”
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Road Rebels
UNLV finished the season 6-0 on the road, marking the eighth consecutive win away from Allegiant dating back to last year.
The win also marked the first time UNLV had won in San Jose since 1993.
“To find a way to go 6-0 on the road this year — it’s a big thing for us,” Odom said. “It’s our first win here since 1993. Those are all things that just keep breaking down walls and things that good programs do.”
UNLV Dominant Defensively
The Rebels defense came out big, limiting the San Jose State offense to just 112 yards of total offense.
They also kept standout wide receiver Nick Nash in check. Nash had one catch on seven targets for nine yards.
‘Jet’ Setter
Jai’Den Thomas led a dominant running game for the Rebels. He rushed for 135 yards with a touchdown. It was his third 100-yard game of the season, and his touchdown at 1:44 of the third quarter gave the Rebels a lead it wouldn’t surrender.
Rebels looking to make ‘big things’ happen against San Joe State
Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_.
