The UNLV Rebels finished off their historic 2024 season with a 24-13 victory against the California Golden Bears in the LA Bowl at So-Fi Stadium on Wednesday.
The Rebels finish the season 11-3.
Jacob De Jesus was named the game’s offensive MVP with 38 yards on two catches with a touchdown. Jackson Woodard earned defensive MVP honors with 11 tackles and three pass breakups.
Here are the takeaways from the game:
Special Teams Shines
Hardly anyone will mention the punter, but Rebels punter Marshall Nichols did a fantastic job in the LA Bowl with his punting. He averaged 42.7 per punt and had three downed inside the 20, including one at the one-yard line.
But the night’s highlight that made social media rounds was his 52-yard pass to Cameron Oliver, which set up a Jacob De Jesus touchdown later in the drive.
https://twitter.com/ojhodgkinson/status/1869696542472622287
No Ricky White
Senior Ricky White did not play in the LA Bowl, choosing to opt out in preparation for the NFL Draft.
He traveled with the team and took part in warm-ups but ended up not playing in the game.
White ended his UNLV career with 218 catches for 3,143 yards with 23 touchdowns. He was also named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year with fourblocked punts.
Rebels End An Era
White was one of 29 seniors on the team, which won 20 games in the past two seasons.
The seniors left a mark on the program. They won 11 games for the first time in school history at the FBS level. The Rebels were ranked and will finish ranked for the first time in school history. It was also UNLV’s first bowl victory since 2000.
The question now is if UNLV can sustain its recent success? That’s a question that will be answered over time in the Dan Mullen era.
Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_.
