UNLV Scouting Report: Cal's LA Bowl Foe Overcame Early-Season Exit

UNLV coach Barry Odom's exit to Purdue prior to the Rebels’ LA Bowl matchup against Cal it isn’t the first significant defection the program overcame on the way to a 10-win season.

Wide receivers coach Del Alexander on Sunday was named the Rebels’ interim head coach for the LA Bowl.

Back in September, three wins into the season, UNLV made headlines when starting quarterback Matthew Sluka quit the program, claiming NIL promises were not kept.

Sluka, a transfer from Holy Cross, had 253 rushing yards and 318 passing yards and totaled seven touchdowns with just one turnover through those three games when he bolted. How would the Rebels respond?

Stepping into the open QB spot, senior transfer Hajj-Malik Williams has been terrific, and he will be a challenge for the Cal defense.

A 6-foot-1, 205-pounder, Williams came to UNLV from FCS-level Campbell, where he set program records with 8,236 yards and 58 touchdowns over five seasons.

With the Rebels, Williams earned second-team All-Mountain West Conference honors after rushing for 824 yards and nine touchdowns and completing 62 percent of his pass attempts for 1,845 yards and 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

"He's a handful," Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. "He's a threat. They do a good job in how they use him in different formations. So they do a heck of a job."

The Atlanta native is just the second UNLV quarterback since 1996 to be named either first- or second-team all-conference at the position.

Williams pairs with running back Jai’den Thomas, also from Atlanta, who rushed for 846 yards and seven TDs to secure second-team All-MWC honors. That duo has powered the Rebels to 251 rushing yards per outing, which ranks fifth in FBS.

The receiving corp is led by All-MWC honoree Ricky White III, who hauled in 79 passes for 1,041 yards and 11 scores. White also was named the MWC Special Teams Player of the Year after blocking four punts. Cal coach Justin Wilcox promised the Bears will spend timeon punt protect during the run-up to the game..

The Rebels (10-3) are stout up front, anchored by 6-foot-3, 325-pound right tackle Tiger Shanks, the program’s first-ever offensive lineman to earn all-conference first-team honors twice.

UNLV is 14th nationally in scoring at 36.2 points per game, and 37th in scoring defense at 21.9.

The Rebels’ defense features linebacker Jackson Woodard, a Little Rock, Arkansas, native, who seemed an obvious choice as conference Defensive Player of the Year after stuffing the stat line.

The 6-3, 230-pounder totaled 124 tackles, 17 tackles for loss (tied for eighth nationally), four interceptions, nine pass breakups, four quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries.

Also named first-team all-conference was senior safety Jalen Catalon, who had 85 tackles, three interceptions and two sacks.

Placekicker Caden Chittenden was voted MWC Freshman of the Year after connecting on 25 of 32 field goals, with a long of 52 yards.

The Rebels scored road wins over Houston and Kansas during the first tree weeks of the season, losing for the first time in Week 5 when they came up short 44-41 in overtime against Syracuse.

UNLV won its next two games, including at Oregon State, before dropping a 29-24 home decision to eventual conference champion Boise State.

The Rebels won four in a row before losing again to Boise, 21-7, in Saturday’s MWC title game. UNLV entered the weekend at No. 19 in the CFP rankings before slipping to No. 24 in the final rankings.

The Bears (6-6) and Rebels (10-3) will square off Wedneday, Dec. 18 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Kickoff is 6 p.m. PT on ESPN.