UNLV Conquers After All

This year’s Art of Sports LA BOWL was headed by will, adversity, and straight-up desire. UNLV football players were asked to overcome a lot and they did with a 24-13 win over CAL at So-Fi Stadium.

Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer

This year’s Art of Sports LA BOWL was headed by will, adversity, and straight-up desire. UNLV football players were asked to overcome a lot and they did with a 24-13 win over CAL at So-Fi Stadium.

Interim head coach Del Alexander was all smiles after the game, headed to the podium  press conference and asking, “How’s that for a substitute teacher?”

Alexander was thrown into a tough situation, not only stepping in for departed head coach Barry Odom who ‘got out of DODGE’ to take the Perdue job but also having to piece together an offensive game plan without coordinator Marion, who left the team this week to become the head coach at Sacramento State.

Alexander, normally the team’s wide receivers coach, made it all come together game night and post-game he gave credit to the players for putting in a serious week of prep despite all the potential distractions.

It was a homecoming for Alexander he played prep ball at University High, West Los Angeles College, and USC.  He was coached by the legendary Trojan Coach John Robinson. Robinson also coached at UNLV and was at the helm the last time the REBELS won a Bowl game twenty years ago. Alexander wore a JR sticker on his coach’s uniform in remembrance of Coach ROB.

Robinson gave Alexander his start in coaching, hiring him first as a video assistant at USC, then promoting him to grad assistant before taking him to UNLV as wide receivers coach in 1998. Robinson passed in November, and UNLV has worn a helmet sticker commemorating him since then.

“They (UNLV players) gave me every piece of the motivation that I needed to work tirelessly as a first-time interim head coach and to give them everything that I’ve got,” Alexander said.

Senior linebacker Jackson Woodard pointed the success right back at Alexander. “Coach Del in this game, I don’t think he’s getting enough credit for what he did,” Woodard said. “He was the right man for the job. He just went to work. He’s gritty, he’s tough and he’s a phenomenal coach.”

20 Kylin James rushes for yards against  CAL in LA BOWL Photo – Earl Heath

The defense stymied Cal (6-7) holding them scoreless in the second half. Eight second-half drives for the Golden Bears resulted in five punts, a lost fumble, and two turnovers on downs. The Bears started the game down to their No. 3 quarterback, CJ Harris, who was escorted to the locker room early in the fourth quarter with an injury. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 109 yards and added 23 yards rushing.

Woodard was named defensive MVP with 11 tackles. He had help from sophomore Fisher Camac was tough as well, with four tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Woodard is the REBELS’ first All-American linebacker. He was also named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year

UNLV also went without Ricky White the team’s top receiver who opted out of the game to protect himself against injury as he readies for the NFL Draft. Jacob De Jesus multi-tasked by catching a touchdown pass and racking up 102 return yards.

“Ricky is a huge part of our team, man, and we would not be in this position without him,” De Jesus said. “I respect his decision of sitting out. I think it’s a smart decision for him. I believe he’s going to be a first-round, second-round pick and it would be dumb for him to come play in this game and get hurt. We have nothing but love and respect for him.”

The REBELS finished the season 11-3 the most wins ever in a season by the team.

The team will be working with a new head coach Dan Mullen from now on. He will presumably install new systems on both sides of the ball.