Williams accounts for 3 TDs, No. 21 UNLV beats Nevada 38-14 to make Mountain West title game

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The idea that UNLV would be one step away from competing in the College Football Playoff would have been preposterous two years ago.

But that's when Barry Odom took over a program with just four prior bowl appearances and none since the 2013 season.

Now Odom and the No. 21 Rebels — 22nd in the CFP — are in the Mountain West championship game for the second year in a row after defeating Nevada 38-14 on Saturday night behind quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams' three total touchdowns.

The Rebels (10-2, 6-1 MW) will face Boise State, ranked No. 11 in the AP and CFP polls, on Friday for the conference title and the Group of Five's spot in the College Football Playoff.

No. 18 Tulane's 34-24 loss to Memphis on Thursday night cleared the way for the Rebels to set up a win-and-you're-in showdown with the Broncos.

This isn't what Odom would have imagined when he was fired five years ago to the day by Missouri. He became teary recalling the moment and the journey since then, and he found a new home in Las Vegas and said what the Rebels are experiencing goes beyond him.

“There's got to be a vision and an alignment, and when you do those things, success is going to follow,” Odom said. “It's not always easy. It's not always perfect. Sometimes it's a long away from the arena when most of the work is done and most of the victories happen. We've been fortunate now that we've won 19 games in two seasons, and our guys are hungry.”

UNLV continues to rise under Odom, participating in its second consecutive postseason for the first time. It also reached double-digit victories for just the third time and the first since 1984 when Randall Cunningham was under center.

Four decades later, Williams is the quarterback, and against Nevada (3-10, 0-7) he passed for 168 yards and two TDs and rushed for 104 and another score.

Jai’Den Thomas rushed for 135 yards and a TD as UNLV outrushed the Wolf Pack 351-67.

“They stifled our run game,” Nevada coach Jeff Choate said. “We were able to get some perimeter runs going. That's a fast team. You could see their team speed really in all three phases, and that's an area where we've got to get better at.”

Nevada's Brendon Lewis passed for 292 yards and two TDs with an interception. He was sacked six times.

This was the 50th meeting of the in-state rivals, and UNLV gets to keep the Fremont Cannon for the third year in a row. That's the Rebels' longest winning streak against their northern neighbors since the John Robinson-coached teams won five in a row from 2000-04.

The Rebels blew it open in the second quarter when linebacker Jackson Woodard recovered a fumble for a touchdown, and Thomas scored from a yard out for a 24-7 halftime lead.

And now UNLV turns its attention to Boise State for the second time this season. The Broncos beat UNLV 29-24 on Oct. 25.

“Week in and week out, we've gotten extremely better, clicking on all cylinders,” Williams said. “I feel like that's the biggest thing, over time the team continued to grow and have an upward trajectory.”

Poll implications

With Tulane's loss, UNLV has a direct path to the CFP.

The takeaways

Nevada: The Wolf Pack were held more than 100 yards below their rushing average.

UNLV: The Rebels made national news earlier this year when quarterback Matthew Sluka quit three games into the season because of a dispute over name, imagine and likeness. His replacement, Williams, not only kept the offense humming but actually raised it a level.

Up next

UNLV play at Boise State in the Mountain West championship on Friday, while Nevada's season is over.

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Mark Anderson, The Associated Press