LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) –
DATE: Friday, Nov. 22, 2024
KICKOFF: 7:05 pm PT
SITE: CEFCU Stadium (19,000/Artificial) San Jose, CA
TV: FS1 (Trent Rush & Petros Papadakis)
RADIO: ESPN 1100 AM & 100.9 FM (Matt Neverett, Caleb Herring & Steve Cofield)
FRIDAY’S PREVIEW…
Looking to win on the road against the Spartans for the first time since 1993, No. 23/23 UNLV (8-2/4-1) makes its final regular-season road trip to San José State (6-4/3-3) Friday night on FS1.
The Rebels will be playing a road game as a ranked team for the first time ever after returning to the polls this week, including a best-ever No. 23 in the AP … UNLV made its first-ever appearance in the Coaches Poll on Sept. 15 and then joined the AP version for the first time two weeks later before an OT loss to Syracuse.
This will mark the last of a school-record five Friday games this fall.
The Rebels are attempting to start 9-2 overall for the second consecutive season under head coach Barry Odom and have won a school-record seven consecutive road games dating back to last season.
UNLV has won its first five road games in a season for the first time ever and a victory on Friday would make this the first Rebel squad ever to go 6-0 in away games.
The only seasons UNLV went undefeated on the road were its inaugural campaign in 1968 and its NCAA D-II semifinalist season of 1974 when the Rebels played just two away games apiece. At 17-7, Odom is the first UNLV coach to be 10 games over .500 at the school since Tony Knap retired with a 47-20-1 mark in 1981.
The 17 wins in 24 games under Odom represent the most victories over any two-season span since the Rebels went a combined 18-6 in 1983-84. The Rebels are 9-2 in true road games under Odom after only winning eight total road games in the previous six seasons (8-25). All-American WR Ricky White III leads the nation with his four blocked punts this season, which is more than any other FBS TEAM in 2024.
UNLV is tied for fourth in the nation in turnover margin at plus-13 as the Rebel D has forced at least one turnover in 22 of 24 games under DC Michael Scherer.
The Rebels, who have not committed more than one turnover in any game this fall, have scored an eye-popping 81 total points off TOs while allowing just 14 such points from opponents.
PK Caden Chittenden, who is tied for the national lead with 2.2 FG PG, has tied the league’s freshman single-season record of 22 set by frosh Matt Araiza of San Diego State in 2019.
REBELS vs. SPARTANS NOTES…
SJSU leads the all-time series 20-7-1 and has won four straight vs. the Rebels, including seven straight in San Jose … First-year SJSU HC Ken Niumatalolo coached TEs at UNLV under John Robinson from 1999-2001 … SJSU DL coach Bojay Filimoeatu was a member of the Rebel staff in 2022.
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