After an up-and-down season, marred by departures that tested a program still adjusting to success, the UNLV Rebels bounced back with the goal of earning their 11th victory.
It took nearly 40 years, but No. 24 UNLV (11-3) put together an 11-win season, tying the program’s Football Bowl Subdivision single-season record, with a 24-13 victory over California (6-7 ) on Wednesday during the LA Bowl was played at SoFi Stadium.
The Rebels were led by a dual-threat quarterback, Hajj-Malik Williams, in the bowl game just as they were decades ago during their previous best season, when Randall Cunningham led the UNLV offense.
Described by teammates and coaches as a winner, Williams, a Football Championship Subdivision transfer in his first and only season at UNLV, took over as starting quarterback three games into the season and led the Rebels to their first bowl victory in 24 years.
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Although his performance was not as dominant as expected, Williams did enough to secure the Rebels’ victory. He sparked the offense, completing five of 18 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns while gaining 27 yards on 10 carries.
While UNLV entered the game clearly at quarterback, Cal weighed two options: veteran CJ Harris and true freshman EJ Caminong.
Golden Bears coach Justin Wilcox opted to start Harris, but switched signal-callers in the third quarter. The move proved costly when a Caminong backpass later in the quarter led to a turnover, setting up a rushing touchdown by UNLV’s Kylin James that extended the Rebels’ lead to 21-13.
UNLV added a 48-yard field goal by Caden Chittenden in the fourth quarter and continued to play strong defense to secure the victory.
Harris completed 13 of 20 passes for 109 yards, gaining 23 yards on 12 carries before being benched. Caminong completed six of 19 passes for 57 yards and had a costly fumble.
Cal opened the scoring with a 43-yard field goal by kicker Derek Morris, whose attempt bounced off the upright before missing to give the Bears an early 3-0 lead.
UNLV responded with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Kayden McGee. McGee ran past the Cal secondary to deliver the deep shot, giving the Rebels a 7-3 lead.
The Golden Bears regained momentum on their next possession, moving down the field with a series of big plays. Tight end Jack Endries made two critical catches on passes from Harris: one for 16 yards and another for 22 yards on a screen pass.
Endries emerged as a reliable security blanket for Harris, who attacked him throughout the game. Endries finished as Cal’s leading receiver with 61 yards on seven receptions.
The drive culminated in a reverse to wide receiver Josiah Martin, who entered the end zone to give Cal a 10-7 lead.
The rebels were aggressive in their next attack. Marshall Nichols connected with Cameron Oliver on a 52-yard fake punt, putting UNLV in the red zone.
Switching to a hustle offense, Williams connected with Jacob De Jesus for a nine-yard touchdown pass.
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UNLV worked to establish the run, carrying the ball 18 times in the first half, to open up the passing game for Williams.
Cal struggled to keep up with the rebels. Morris missed a 41-yard field goal attempt wide left in the second quarter. He was replaced by Ryan Coe, who connected on a 30-yard field goal just before halftime. They were the last points of the game for the Golden Bears.
After a strong start to the season, Cal closes out with a losing record during its first ACC season. The program has now lost 13 straight games against top-25 ranked opponents.
UNLV closed out one of the best seasons in school history on a high note, with Los Angeles native Del Alexander earning the win as interim coach before new head coach Dan Mullen takes over the program.
This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.