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Big 12 Football: Guaranteed Rate Bowl Preview- Kansas vs. UNLV

Kansas Looks to cap off an 8-4 Season with a bowl-game win

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Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks
UNLV Rebels
UNLV Rebels

After going 8-4 in the regular season, the Kansas Jayhawks will be one of the nine teams representing the Big 12 in bowl games this season. The Jayhawks (8-4) will take on the UNLV Rebels (9-4) on Tuesday, December 26th in Phoenix, Arizona at 7:00 pm. The home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chase Field, will host the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Kansas is currently favored by 13 points against the Rebels and is projected to win by 79% of the country.

Oct 28, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks running back Devin Neal (4) scores the final touchdown against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

Kansas Jayhawks running back Devin Neal (4) scores the final touchdown against the Oklahoma Sooners.

Kansas’ best win of the 2023 season was against the Oklahoma Sooners, who finished the season 10-2. Their only other loss was to the Big 12 title-contending Oklahoma State Cowboys. UNLV’s best win of the 2023 season was against an exciting Air Force team that ended the season 9-4 despite starting the season 8-0.

UNLV lost in the Mountain West Conference Championship to Boise State 44-20. While some may reason that Kansas should win because they’ve had longer to rest, some say having fresher legs is better against an opponent you haven’t seen in 20 years. The last time these two teams met, Kansas thrashed the Rebels in a 46-24 victory. The year before in 2002 UNLV beat the Jayhawks 31-20.

There are players on both teams to keep an eye on in this game. Devin Neal for the Jayhawks has been a force in the running game the entire season, averaging around 100 yards/game with 15 touchdowns on the year. On the flip side, the Rebels will look to the passing game with QB Jayden Maiava and his top WR, Ricky White. Maiava has 14 TDs on the year averaging around 215 passing yards/game, with around 100 of those passing yards going to White every game. 

Nov 20, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard R.J. Davis (4) reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center

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Nov 20, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard R.J. Davis (4) reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center

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