Tag: LA Bowl

Everything you need to know about the LA Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Here’s everything you need to know about the LA Bowl:

LA BOWL
Washington Huskies (8-4) vs. Boise State Broncos (9-4)
Saturday, Dec. 13, 8 p.m. ET
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.
Consensus odds: Washington -9, Total 52.5
Bowl history: Washington’s 44th appearance, 21-21-1 record; Boise State is 13-8 in 21 bowl games

Boise State won the Mountain West championship last week and plays in a bowl game for the 22nd time in the past 27 seasons when it battles Washington on Saturday night in the LA Bowl at Inglewood, Calif.

It marks the second time in three seasons that the Broncos (9-4) are competing in the LA Bowl. Boise State lost 35-22 to UCLA in the 2023 edition.

The Broncos have combined for only 45 total points in their past five games against Washington, but will attempt to extend momentum from their current streak.

The 38-21 victory over UNLV to earn the Mountain West championship was the Broncos’ third consecutive win.

“Obviously, this is a quick turnaround,” Broncos coach Spencer Danielson told reporters. “It’s really no time off. It’s nice that you stay in rhythm, obviously we’re going to have some guys banged up from the championship game that it’s going to be next man up, carry the flag. It is the first bowl game in the country, which is awesome.”

The Huskies did not play last week and are part of a bowl game for the 14th time in the past 16 seasons.

This will be the seventh time Washington has faced Boise State – and third in a bowl matchup – and the Huskies have either won by blowout or lost close while claiming four of the six previous meetings.

Washington’s four victories have come by an average of 28.5 points, while the Broncos two wins have been by an average of 2.5 points.

Huskies coach Jedd Fisch is wrapping up his second season at the school and isn’t concerned about past matchups. He is fully intent on making sure his team doesn’t lose for the fifth time this season.

“We’re out here to win the game,” Fisch told reporters. “We’re out here to play our best football, we’re going to challenge our team to play better than we have and see how good we can play on Saturday, and hope that we can channel all of that energy and enthusiasm up to play our best game.”

Washington’s season included Big Ten losses to Ohio State, longtime rival Oregon and Michigan. The top victory came against Illinois.

–Players to Watch
WASHINGTON
QB Demond Williams Jr. has passed for 2,850 yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He added 595 yards and six scores on the ground.

RB Jonah Coleman rushed for 673 yards and 14 touchdowns and was one of six finalists for the Paul Hornung Award given to the nation’s top running back. His versatility was never more obvious than a 104-yard receiving game against Washington State. Coleman had a receiving TD and two rushing scores.

S Alex McLaughlin registered 89 tackles and turned in some of his best work in the Apple Cup with a 47-yard pick-six in a two-INT game. He played big in big games, setting a season-high for the Huskies with 13 tackles against Ohio State.

BOISE STATE
QB Maddux Madsen passed for 2,283 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

RB Dylan Riley emerged to rush for 1,091 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I feel like it’s a better feeling, knowing I started at the bottom and came to the top to get 1,000 yards and be the lead rusher,” Riley said.

S Ty Benefield racked up 100 tackles and was All-Mountain West First Team in 2025 while playing a team-high 1,070 snaps.

DE Jayden Virgin-Morgan had 10 tackles for loss after posting 15 stops behind the line of scrimmage last season.

–Beyond the bowl
What’s Next for Boise State: Just knowing there is a trustworthy feature running back returning in Dylan Riley is big for the Broncos. Moving on from the Ashton Jeanty era wasn’t easy and Malik Sherrod and Sire Gaines got chances to be the main back before Riley erupted for 171 yards and four touchdowns in a mid-September game against Air Force. A 201-yard game on 15 carries against UNLV a month later solidified that Boise State had a new beast in the backfield.

Eye on the 2026 draft: Washington WR Denzel Boston will have a decision to make after continually moving up draft lists in recent months. The 6-foot-4 Boston is now seeing his name among the top 20 selections. Meanwhile, coach Jedd Fisch is trying to sell Boston on one more season at Washington. He had 10 touchdowns catches this season and stands eighth on the Huskies’ all-time list with 19 career scoring grabs. This season, Boston has 56 receptions for 755 yards plus a 78-yard punt return for touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Boise State, Washington kick off bowl season in LA Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Boise State plays in a bowl game for the 22nd time in the past 27 seasons when it battles Washington on Saturday night in the LA Bowl at Inglewood, Calif.

It marks the second time in three seasons that the Broncos (9-4) are competing in the LA Bowl. Boise State lost 35-22 to UCLA in the 2023 edition.

The Broncos enter the contest with three straight wins, including last weekend’s 38-21 victory over UNLV to earn the Mountain West championship.

Washington (8-4) was resting last weekend while Boise State was winning its third straight conference title.

“Obviously, this is a quick turnaround,” Broncos coach Spencer Danielson told reporters. “It’s really no time off.

“It’s nice that you stay in rhythm, obviously we’re going to have some guys banged up from the championship game that it’s going to be next man up, carry the flag. It is the first bowl game in the country, which is awesome.”

The Huskies are part of a bowl game for the 14th time in the past 16 seasons.

This will be the seventh time Washington has faced Boise State — the third in a bowl — and the Huskies have either won by blowout or lost close while claiming four of the six previous meetings.

Washington’s four victories in that span have come by an average of 28.5 points, while the Broncos two wins have been by an average of 2.5 points.

Huskies coach Jedd Fisch is wrapping up his second season at the school and isn’t concerned about past matchups. He is fully intent on making sure his team doesn’t lose for the fifth time this season.

“We’re out here to win the game,” Fisch told reporters. “We’re out here to play our best football, we’re going to challenge our team to play better than we have and see how good we can play on Saturday, and hope that we can channel all of that energy and enthusiasm up to play our best game.”

Washington’s season included Big Ten losses to Ohio State, longtime rival Oregon and Michigan. The top victory came against Illinois.

Demond Williams Jr. has passed for 2,850 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions for the Huskies. He added 595 yards and six scores on the ground.

Jonah Coleman rushed for 673 yards and 14 touchdowns and Denzel Boston had 56 receptions for 755 yards and a career-high 10 touchdown grabs and also added a punt-return score. Safety Alex McLaughlin registered 89 tackles.

Boise State’s season lacked the pizzazz that came with Ashton Jeanty’s magical 2024 campaign that included a College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Penn State.

The Broncos were derailed by South Florida in the season opener and easily handled by Notre Dame in early October. Their two best wins came against UNLV, both at home on the famed Blue Turf.

Maddux Madsen passed for 2,283 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Dylan Riley emerged to rush for 1,091 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I feel like it’s a better feeling, knowing I started at the bottom and came to the top to get 1,000 yards and be the lead rusher,” Riley told reporters.

Defensively, safety Ty Benefield racked up 100 tackles, defensive end Jayden Virgin-Morgan had 10 stops for loss, defensive tackle Braxton Fely had 5.5 sacks and cornerbacks Jeremiah Earby and A’Marion McCoy each had four interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Dec 18, 2024; Inglewood, CA, USA; UNLV Rebels quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams (6) throws a touchdown pass to wide receiver Kayden McGee (not pictured) in the first half against the California Golden Bears at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

No. 24 UNLV defeats Cal in LA Bowl, secures 11-win season

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Jacob De Jesus caught a touchdown and gained 142 all-purpose yards to lead No. 24 UNLV to a 24-13 win over Cal in the LA Bowl on Wednesday in Inglewood, Calif.

UNLV clinched their first 11-win season since 1984 with the victory, although all those wins were later vacated after the NCAA penalized the Rebels for using ineligible players. It was the program’s first bowl win since beating Arkansas in the 2000 Las Vegas Bowl.

De Jesus tallied 75 yards on punt returns, 27 yards on punt returns and 38 yards receiving in his final collegiate game. Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Jackson Woodard also closed his career with a strong performance, racking up 11 total tackles.

Ricky White was a gametime scratch, presumably because the wide receiver expects to be an NFL draft pick in April.

UNLV’s Jai’Den Thomas ran for 72 yards on 18 carries, while Kylin James ran for a touchdown and 37 yards on seven carries.

UNLV took a 14-10 lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter when DeJesus hauled in a 9-yard touchdown reception from Hajj-Malik Williams. The Rebels executed a fake punt on the previous play, as punter Marshall Nichols hit a wide-open Cameron Oliver with a shuffle pass for 52 yards.

Cal was faced with a goal-to-go situation at the two-minute warning in the first half, trailing 14-10. UNLV’s defense held firm and forced Cal to kick a 30-yard field goal after Johnathan Baldwin sacked CJ Harris for a loss of nine on third down.

Harris was replaced by EJ Caminong on Cal’s second drive in the first quarter before eventually going to the locker room with an undisclosed injury. Caminong served as the Golden Bears’ fourth-string signal caller during the regular season but was given reps with Cal starter Fernando Mendoza in the transfer portal and the second- and third-stringers unavailable due to injury.

Harris finished with 109 yards through the air, completing 13 of his 20 attempts. In his college debut, Caminong struggled in relief, completing only 6-of-19 pass attempts for 57 yards. Jaydn Ott ran for 79 yards on 11 carries.

Cal opened the scoring with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter on a 43-yard field goal by Derek Morris. UNLV responded quickly with a 43-yard touchdown connection from Williams to Kayden McGee for McGee’s first career touchdown. He entered with just three receptions on the season.

Josiah Martin capped a nine-play, 89-yard drive with a 29-yard touchdown run to give Cal a 10-7 lead late in the first quarter.

–Field Level Media

Dec 6, 2024; Boise, ID, USA; UNLV Rebels quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams (6) throws down field against the Boise State Broncos at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

No. 24 UNLV, Cal aim to focus on LA Bowl amid upheaval

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The LA Bowl on Wednesday in Inglewood, Calif., will feature two teams in flux, as No. 24 UNLV aims to secure an 11-win season against Cal after losing its head coach — and hiring a new one in the same week.

Purdue announced Dec. 8 that UNLV’s Barry Odom would become the Boilermakers’ 38th head coach. The news broke less than 48 hours after the Rebels’ College Football Playoff dreams died in a 21-7 loss to Boise State in the Mountain West championship game.

UNLV (10-3) responded Thursday by announcing the head-coaching hire of Dan Mullen, the former Florida and Mississippi State coach who spent 13 years leading teams in the SEC.

Del Alexander, a former Southern California receiver and Los Angeles native, will be the Rebels’ interim coach in the bowl game after spending the last two seasons as UNLV’s wide receivers coach.

“I’ve been around some great coaches,” Alexander said. “I think I have a winning record in being a part of teams that have won bowl games. The influence from those experiences is what I’m using. You know, short and sweet. Make sure the guys have fun. Make sure they’re locked in on the details for the situations, and then bring it all together in the end.”

Things have gone awry in Bear Territory as well, as Cal star quarterback Fernando Mendoza elected to enter the transfer portal. Leading receiver Nyziah Hunter also chose to enter the portal after hauling in 578 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season.

Cal (6-6) also chose to part ways with offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch, hiring former Auburn and Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin to take Bloesch’s place.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox confirmed this week that quarterbacks CJ Harris and EJ Caminong were splitting reps in practice in the lead-up to the bowl game with Chandler Rogers working to make his way back from injury.

Wilcox explained how the coaching staff will delegate play-calling on Wednesday after overhauling the offensive staff, saying it will be “a collaborative effort.”

“We got a couple guys on our staff who work and practice run and pass games, so we got some great support there,” Wilcox said. “Right now (Harris) and (Caminong) are taking the majority of the reps, Chandler’s day-to-day, so we’ll see how he’s doing.”

UNLV lost its coach but has only one notable opt-out as running back Greg Burrell entered the transfer portal. Cornerback Tony Grimes also entered the portal but will play in Wednesday’s game regardless.

Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams will make his final start after a six-year career at Campbell and UNLV. He threw for 17 touchdowns and 1,845 yards this season while rushing for a career-high 824 yards in 10 starts.

UNLV stalwart and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Jackson Woodard will play in Wednesday’s game, closing a career that saw him end as a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on.

It was a full-circle moment for Woodard, who grew up in Arkansas and started his career at Brandon Burlsworth’s SEC alma mater.

Rebels star receiver Ricky White is also expected to cap off his collegiate career in Wednesday’s game before graduating in the spring and heading to the NFL draft.

White enters the LA Bowl 352 yards short of UNLV’s all-time receiving record despite spending only three of his four seasons at the school. He tallied a career-high 11 touchdowns this season after racking up career highs in receptions (88) and receiving yards (1,483) in 2023, the latter of which was a program record.

–Field Level Media

Dec 2, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Boise State Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson celebrates with running back Ashton Jeanty (2) after 44-20 victory over the UNLV Rebels in the Mountain West Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Boise State rides late-season surge into LA Bowl battle with UCLA

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Boise State’s reward for winning the Mountain West Conference championship is a matchup against UCLA on Saturday in the LA Bowl at Inglewood, Calif.

The Broncos (8-5) rallied from the Nov. 12 firing of head coach Andy Avalos to win the program’s fifth Mountain West title.

At the time of Avalos’ firing, the Broncos were 5-5 and in danger of missing the postseason altogether for the first time in a full season since 2001. The prospect of enduring the program’s first losing campaign since 1997, when it was just one year removed from moving up to the present-day Football Bowl Subdivision, also loomed.

Victories over Utah State and Air Force to close the regular season, however, and a 44-20 rout of UNLV in the conference championship game at Las Vegas sends Boise State into the LA Bowl on a four-game winning streak.

Under coach Spencer Danielson — elevated to the full-time position on Dec. 3 after his tenure as interim head coach — the Broncos aim to extend another streak. The Mountain West champion is 2-0 in the brief history of the LA Bowl.

Utah State beat Oregon State 24-13 in the inaugural edition in 2021, and Fresno State blew out Washington State 29-6 last season.

UCLA (7-5) heads to the Inglewood looking to end the program’s futility in bowl games. A 37-35 loss to Pitt in the 2022 Sun Bowl extended UCLA’s losing streak in the postseason to three games, with the Bruins’ latest bowl win coming over Kansas State in the Alamo Bowl to cap the 2014 season.

The Bruins’ 2021 Holiday Bowl matchup with North Carolina State was canceled due to positive COVID-19 results on the UCLA roster.

This year’s Bruins lineup heads into its bowl game without defensive end Laiatu Latu. The Pac-12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Lombardi Award winner as the nation’s top lineman opted out to begin preparations for the NFL draft.

UCLA will also be without defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who accepted the same position at crosstown rival Southern California on Dec. 1.

“Our entire (defensive coaching staff) will put together the game plan like we normally do,” Bruins head coach Chip Kelly said this week. “It’s the same thing with us on offense. I call the plays on game day, but our coaching staff has huge input on it. It’s not just one person coming in and saying, ‘Hey, we’re doing this.’

“So they’ll all game-plan together, and (defensive line and outside linebackers coach) Ikaika Malloe will call the plays on game day.”

As for the UCLA offense, the problems that plagued the Bruins at quarterback during their 1-3 finish to the regular season persist. Freshman Dante Moore entered the transfer portal, leaving Collin Schlee and Ethan Garbers as options. Both are listed as probable, with Garbers recovering from a forearm injury and Schlee’s injury undisclosed.

Boise State, meanwhile, replaces its starting quarterback, Taylen Green, who transferred to Arkansas earlier this week. Green was selected the Mountain West Freshman of the Year after completing 121 of 212 passes for 1,752 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His nine rushing touchdowns ranked second on the team to running back Ashton Jeanty’s 14.

True freshman CJ Tiller, who has yet to throw a pass this season, is in line to start against the Bruins.

“CJ Tiller’s going to get the majority of (first-string) reps,” Danielson said regarding preparation for the LA Bowl. “He’s a smart football player, great kid to be around, but he preps his tail off. …

“No doubt, a big stage. The LA Bowl against UCLA, big stage. And I know he’s going to prep and be ready for those moments.”

–Field Level Media

Feb 24, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Jimmy Kimmel addresses the audience during a memorial to celebrate the life of Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

No joke: TV host Jimmy Kimmel title sponsor of LA Bowl

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The new LA Bowl has found its title sponsor: late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel.

SoFi Stadium and Kimmel agreed to “an unprecedented multi-year partnership” that gives Kimmel the naming rights for the game, according to a news release from the bowl. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The inaugural game is scheduled for Dec. 18 at the new stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The 2020 game was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Never before has a bowl game been named after a human being (as far as I know, I didn’t check),” Kimmel said in the release. “On December 18, my dream of being forever enshrined alongside orange, rose, cotton and peach comes true.”

He announced the name on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Wednesday night.

“It’s like an early Christmas gift for all of us,” Kimmel, 53, said.

The game will benefit local charities and feature the No. 1 team from the Mountain West and the No. 5 Pac-12 school.

Kimmel attended UNLV of the Mountain West and Arizona State of the Pac-12.

“We cannot think of a better way to bring sports and entertainment together than by collaborating with celebrated late-night host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel on our collegiate bowl game,” said Jason Gannon, executive director of the bowl. “Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl will not only bring an incredible game day experience to fans, but it will also focus on supporting our community 365 days a year.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; A general view of SoFi Stadium exterior prior to the NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

LA Bowl latest bowl game called off

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The inaugural LA Bowl was rescheduled for December 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bowl committee announced on Monday.

The game was to be played Dec. 30 at the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. — home of the NFL’s Rams and Chargers — and feature the No. 1 team in the Mountain West Conference against the No. 5 team in the Pac-12.

“The inaugural LA Bowl has been postponed to 2021,” the game’s official Twitter account posted Monday. “While the Covid-19 pandemic has prevented us from having the game this year, we look forward to hosting teams from the Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences at SoFi Stadium next December.”

The LA Bowl became the 11th bowl game canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.

–Field Level Media