After a thrilling win against the Oregon State Beavers, the Rebels are preparing to face the No. 17-ranked Boise State Broncos.
The Rebels look to push the Broncos and star running back Ashton Jeanty out of the rankings and possibly the college football playoff, taking their place.
The Rebels clinched their second bowl game in a row for the first time in school history after beating Oregon State 33-25.
UNLV kicker Caden Chittenden earned the Mountain West Player and Freshman of the Week, notching 15 points for the Rebels with his leg.
Rebel quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams added to his season total rushing yards with two touchdown runs, one being two yards and the other from nine yards out. Within his 13 carries, he gained 65 yards, including those 14 points.
Williams also recorded 15 completions out of 27 attempts, throwing for 196 yards. He threw for one touchdown and an interception in the offense’s final drive of the game.
Wide receiver Ricky White III added to his touchdown total as the Rebel’s top target recorded another touchdown. He also had nine catches for 88 yards.
Rebel safety Jalen Catalon earned the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week on the other side of the ball, making 10 tackles and forcing the only Beaver turnover of the game.
As the awards continued to roll in, linebacker Jackson Woodard was named a semi-finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award. This award is given to the FBS player who demonstrates courage, integrity, and sportsmanship on and off the field.
Boise State enters this game after a bye week. It most recently beat the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 28-7, and Jeanty had 31 carries for 217 yards and one touchdown.
Bronco quarterback Maddux Madsen completed 17 out of 25 passes for 217 yards, scoring two touchdowns with a pass to Jeanty and wide receiver Austin Bolt.
Jeanty is the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the top player in college football throughout the season.
During this season, in the six games Boise State has competed in, Jeanty has amassed 1,248 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns on 126 carries. Jeanty also has nine receptions for 39 yards and an additional touchdown.
In the game against fellow Mountain West Conference member, Hawaii, Boise State wide receiver Cameron Camper totaled seven catches for a total of 111 yards.
As the Broncos push themselves up in the rankings, the Rebels look to bring them down and re-enter the top 25 during the homecoming matchup.
The biggest matchup of the season will take place at Allegiant Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m., and the game will be aired on CBS Sports Network.
