Tag: rebels

Sep 13, 2024; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Barry Odom looks on during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Children's Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

No. 25 UNLV begins tough stretch by hosting Syracuse

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Every team faces challenges over the course of a long season, but No. 25 UNLV absorbed a major dose of adversity last week.

The Rebels passed their first test following the departure of starting quarterback Matthew Sluka and will look to ace another challenge Friday when Syracuse visits Las Vegas for an intriguing nonconference matchup.

UNLV (4-0) is ranked for the first time in program history, but it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the Rebels.

They won their first three games behind Sluka, who racked up six passing touchdowns while running for a team-high 253 yards. However, Sluka left the team last Tuesday after a disagreement over unfulfilled NIL promises.

The sudden departure left UNLV coach Barry Odom scrambling to get Hajj-Malik Williams ready to start against Fresno State, although that contest turned into a one-sided affair with the Rebels prevailing 59-14. Williams, a transfer from Campbell, threw three touchdowns and ran for a score. He finished 13-of-16 for 182 yards and added 12 carries for 119 yards.

“It’s tough any time you’re playing against someone like Hajj who can run and throw,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “It’s a nightmare for the defensive coordinator and the head coach. You think about it all week.”

Odom, meanwhile, does not want his team to be satisfied with sitting at the end of the rankings. After Friday’s contest, the Rebels play three of their next four games on the road with the only home date being a matchup against No. 21 Boise State.

So UNLV has little margin for error with the tough stretch looming.

“I think it is exactly where UNLV football should be,” Odom said, referring generally to the national rankings. “That’s our goal — one of our goals — is to be in the top 25 and continue to climb and have a position where every single week, on the national stage, we have a place (in the rankings).”

Ricky White has been up and down through UNLV’s first four contests. In Weeks 1 and 3 against Houston and Kansas, respectively, he totaled five catches for 15 yards without a score. In the other two games vs. Utah Tech and Fresno State, he racked up 15 catches for 238 yards and five touchdowns.

White certainly will be part of the focus as Syracuse (3-1) develops its game plan defensively. The Orange limited Holy Cross to 203 total yards and 2-of-14 third-down conversions in last week’s 42-14 romp.

Still, Brown — like his UNLV counterpart — isn’t close to satisfied.

“I don’t think we’re nowhere near where we can be,” Brown said postgame. “We’ve just got to keep growing.”

Kyle McCord has been picked off twice in each of the last two games, but he has generally been impressive in his first season with Syracuse. The Ohio State transfer had 1,459 passing yards and 14 touchdowns through four contests, throwing for at least 339 yards in every game.

Trebor Pena leads the team in catches (26), receiving yards (316) and touchdown grabs (five), although various Syracuse receivers have taken turns shining offensively over the last month.

Jackson Meeks was in the spotlight against Holy Cross, registering 10 grabs for 161 yards and a score.

“My mentality is always the same — attack, attack, attack,” Meeks said.

This is the first ever meeting between the teams.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) passes the ball for a touchdown as Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Zxavian Harris (51) pursues during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Kentucky knocks off No. 6 Ole Miss

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff completed a 63-yard pass on fourth down, Josh Kattus scored the game-winner on a fumble recovery, and the Wildcats shocked No. 6 Ole Miss 20-17 in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Miss.

With Kentucky trailing 17-13 with 3:51 left and backed up at its own 20, Vandagriff heaved a 63-yarder to Barion Brown.

Gavin Wimsatt then fumbled on a keeper and tight end Kattus caught the ball and fell two yards for the winning TD with 2:25 left.

Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis hooked a 48-yard field goal with 48 seconds left that would have forced overtime.

In their first road game this season, the 17-point underdog Wildcats (3-2, 1-2 SEC) won for the first time in Oxford since 1978 but had to rally.

Vandagriff was 18 of 28 for a career-high 243 yards with a touchdown. Dane Key caught eight passes for 105 yards and a score.

The FBS’ top-scoring squad at 55 points per game, Ole Miss (4-1, 0-1) saw Jaxson Dart go 18 of 27 for 261 yards and a TD, with receiver Tre Harris notching 176 yards and a score on 11 receptions.

Mississippi’s high-powered offense struck right away on an 83-yard drive that Dart set up with a 39-yard catch-and-run to Harris to the 1. Parrish then tallied his eighth rushing TD just 2:09 in.

Kentucky answered impressively, traveling 66 yards in 15 plays as Alex Raynor connected with 5:13 left on a 27-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

The visitors took a 10-7 lead on Vandagriff’s 5-yard scoring pass to Key with 27 seconds left to end a penalty-aided drive.

Like it did against then-No. 1 Georgia two weeks ago at home, the Wildcats’ defense frustrated Dart and the offensive unit and held a 21:39-8:21 time of possession edge in the half.

The 10-7 deficit marked only the second time fifth-year coach Lane Kiffin trailed at halftime at Ole Miss, the other occurring in his Rebels’ debut against Florida in 2020.

After Davis’ 31-yard field tied it at 10 early in the second half, Raynor stretched his consecutive field goal streak to 14 by nailing one from 48 yards with 6:31 left in the third quarter.

With seconds remaining in the quarter, Kiffin gambled on fourth-and-7 at midfield and hit Harris on a slant. The received then dashed 48 yards for a 17-13 lead.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons linebacker Aiden Hall (39) upends Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Jaxson Dart, elite defense lead No. 5 Ole Miss vs. Georgia Southern

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ole Miss Heisman Trophy candidate Jaxson Dart and his 11 total touchdowns created many of the headlines during a 3-0 start, but the team’s defensive showing has produced the Southeastern Conference school’s best stat.

Off to an outstanding start in a less-than-challenging nonconference schedule, the No. 5-ranked Rebels will host the Georgia Southern Eagles in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday night in their final game before eight straight SEC matchups.

And when the opposition has had the ball against Ole Miss in 2024, it has been lights out play by the Rebels’ defense.

In three victories and 180 minutes of football, defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s unit has not allowed one opponent to cross the goal line as the squad has dominated the other side on the scoreboard by a 168-9 margin.

No TDs surrendered. No garbage score late in one of the three blowouts, no freak play like a tipped ball or player slipping, no broken coverage or backups wearing unfamiliar numbers showing why they are where they are down the depth chart.

It’s the first time since 1961 that an Ole Miss squad has done that.

The Landshark defense is tied with Ohio State in scoring defense (3.0 points per game), leads in rushing defense (33.3 yards) and is tied for third in tackles for loss (10.0).

Linebacker TJ Dottery said the success stems from stopping the run.

“Our D line. Our backers and even our safeties have been coming down, hitting and being physical,” said Dottery, a sophomore who played for Clemson in 2022. “We say it a lot, ‘On our road games, we pack our defense and our run game.’ It’s really hard to win without running the ball.”

Coach Lane Kiffin said the current defensive front is a major upgrade.

“(This group) is completely different than any time we’ve been here. Since the Georgia game, that was a priority,” the coach said, citing the Bulldogs’ 52-17 home rout of the then-8-1 Rebels last Nov. 11.

Transfer linebacker Chris Paul Jr., who played for Arkansas last year, tops the team with 19 tackles and shares the lead for tackles for loss (4) with defensive tackle JJ Pegues. Safety Trey Washington has a unit-best three pass breakups.

After this Saturday, the Rebels’ attention will turn to the conference opener at home against Kentucky.

First, the Sun Belt Conference’s Eagles (2-1) have next in the Grove.

After losing a home-opening 56-45 shootout with Boise State, coach Clay Helton’s group has rallied with wins over Nevada (20-17) and South Carolina State (42-14).

Against the latter, running back OJ Arnold ran for a score and caught a TD pass while fellow backfield mate Jalen White rushed for a pair.

A fifth-year senior from Daleville, Ala., White is a reliable workhorse for Helton, who is in his third season as head coach in Statesboro, Ga.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound running back has carried the ball 31 times for a team-high 97 yards and five touchdowns.

Helton considers White his most reliable option in short-yardage situations.

“Just a warrior, and he’s not 100 percent,” the former Southern Cal coach said. “We need him, and you see what he brings to the table – not only in tough running but in goal-line runs where you’re always one short.

“I’ll bet my whole life on 25 (White) when it’s one-on-one.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin watches during a time-out during the second half against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Jaxson Dart helps No. 5 Ole Miss trounce Wake Forest

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jaxson Dart had two scoring passes and a touchdown run and Henry Parrish Jr. ran for two touchdowns as No.5 Mississippi rode a strong start to a 40-6 road victory against Wake Forest on Saturday night in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Rebels (3-0) scored 20 first-quarter points and that set the tone for another comfortable victory.

Dart completed 26 of 34 passes for 377 yards with an interception. Parrish gained 148 yards on the ground on 23 carries.

Quarterback Hank Bachmeier of Wake Forest was 22-of-39 passing for 239 yards, but couldn’t direct the Demon Deacons to the end zone.

Wake Forest (1-2) only scored on a pair of Matthew Dennis field goals. The Demon Deacons, who suffered a one-point home loss to Virginia a week earlier, finished with 46 yards on the ground.

It was the only power-conference nonconference opponent for Ole Miss and the only road game out of the Southeastern Conference, but the Rebels were certainly up to the task.

The Rebels stretched their lead to 30-6 with Dart plowing into the end zone on a 13-yard run late in the third quarter.

Earlier, Ole Miss needed less than three minutes to go 75 yards for the first touchdown, coming on Parrish’s 25-yard run.

The Rebels took their next possession inside the Wake Forest 20-yard line before Dart’s fumble. The Demon Deacons got on the board on Dennis’ 42-yard field goal later in the opening quarter.

Dart threw 75 yards to Jordan Watkins for one score and Parrish ran 22 yards for a touchdown as the Rebels built a 20-3 lead before the first quarter ended.

Ole Miss collected 282 yards of total offense in the opening quarter compared to Wake Forest’s 57.

It was 23-6 at halftime after Caden Davis’ 33-yard field goal for Ole Miss and Dennis’ 37-yarder accounted for the only points of the second quarter.

Ole Miss won for the first time in three all-time meetings with the Demon Deacons.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) drops back to pass during the second half against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

No. 5 Ole Miss finally gets power conference test vs. Wake Forest

Posted on | by Field Level Media

It will be a step up in competition for No. 5 Ole Miss when the Rebels visit Wake Forest on Saturday night.

Even with the way the Rebels have been rolling, there’s no telling what kind of challenge they’ll encounter for the game in Winston-Salem, N.C.

“I think it’s a really good measuring stick for where we’re at,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said.

The Rebels (2-0) will play their first road game and their first matchup with a power-conference team. This is the only power conference opponent on their nonconference schedule.

Wake Forest (1-1) is trying to recover from last Saturday night’s 31-30 home loss to Virginia in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener. The Demon Deacons led for most of that game.

The Demon Deacons aren’t uncomfortable being underdogs.

“We’re embracing the challenge,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. “We know it’s going to be hard.”

Ole Miss destroyed Middle Tennessee 52-3 on Saturday after flattening Furman 76-0 in the opener. This matchup is bound to have a different feel for the Rebels.

“We’re going to have our hands full,” Kiffin said. “We have done a really good job of not having lapses, no looking at the scoreboard.”

The road assignment will provide a different environment for Ole Miss, which might be equipped to handle it.

“A veteran team that has played a lot of road games, haven’t necessarily played together so there’s a challenge with that,” Kiffin said. “You got to just weather storms when you’re on the road. The challenges will get harder, the opponents will get harder.”

The Demon Deacons will want to slow down Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, who was two completions shy of an NCAA record when he completed his first 24 throws of the game against Middle Tennessee. The effort did set a SEC record.

For Ole Miss, there’s not much emphasis in mid-September on the national ranking.

“That means nothing,” Kiffin said. “They’ve been talked extensively from me about how rankings mean nothing. … Guys are in the right mindset.”

That message seems to be clear and accepted by the players.

“Keeping our heads down and working, and not looking too far ahead and not looking too far back,” Ole Miss running back Henry Parrish Jr. said. “Grinding every day, putting work in day in and day out with my guys.”

The Rebels have rolled on offense by scoring on 20 of 27 possessions this season, racking up 17 touchdowns.

“A lot of good things we did to get to 2-0,” Kiffin said. “I think we’re relatively healthy and actually looked good.”

From Wake Forest’s perspective, it’s difficult to detect flaws in how Ole Miss operates on offense.

“As fast as they play and as wide open as they play, (they rarely have turnovers),” Clawson said. “They’re that efficient.”

Neither Furman nor Middle Tennessee have reached the 50-yard rushing mark against the Rebels. Yet Kiffin said there’s a need for Ole Miss to address some mental lapses that have been evident in pass coverage.

“This will be the best passing team, by far, that we’ve played,” he said.

Hank Bachmeier, a transfer who spent time at Louisiana Tech and Boise State, became Wake Forest’s starting quarterback last week after entering in relief in the opener. He has thrown for four touchdowns without an interception this year.

Clawson’s Wake Forest teams are 4-0 all-time against SEC opponents (defeating Vanderbilt twice plus bowl victories vs. Texas A&M and Missouri).

The Demon Deacons have won both previous meetings with Ole Miss, prevailing in 2006 on the road and in 2008 at home.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Henry Parrish Jr. (21) runs the ball for a for a touchdown as Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders defensive back Abdul Muhammad (21) attempts to make the tackle during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

No. 6 Ole Miss roars past Middle Tennessee

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Henry Parrish Jr. romped for four rushing touchdowns, Jaxson Dart set a school record for completions, and the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels roared past the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 52-3 Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Miss.

In his second stint at Ole Miss (2-0), Parrish toted the ball 14 times for 165 yards but left briefly after getting shaken up early in the second half following a 42-yard dash.

Dart completed his first 24 passes — 30 straight going back to last Saturday’s 76-0 rout of Furman — and fell two short of tying the NCAA’s FBS game-record of 26.

The senior went 25 of 27 for 377 yards and a score. Tre Harris recorded nine receptions for 130 yards as the squad had 655 yards of offense.

The Rebels used a pair of first-quarter scores from Parrish and a dominant defense to create a 17-0 lead and put to rest any notion that it would not start the season 2-0 for the fourth straight season.

John Saunders Jr. notched an interception, while TJ Dottery recovered a fumble for Ole Miss.

In first-year coach Derek Mason’s return against an SEC opponent after a coaching sabbatical, the Blue Raiders (1-1), a 42 1/2-point underdog, saw quarterback Nicholas Vattiato go 21 of 33 for 209 yards and an interception.

Holden Willis had six catches for 93 yards, but the Conference USA school managed just 279 yards.

After Caden Davis’ 33-yard field goal to open the game, Parrish ripped off a pair of 11-yard scores for a 17-0 advantage.

Dart widened the margin by dropping back to pass, pulling it down and winding his way three yards early in the second quarter for his second rushing TD.

Capping an 11-play, 99-yard drive, Parrish tacked on his third score on a three-yard run with three minutes left to push it to 31-0, but Zeke Rankin’s 32-yard kick with 15 seconds left in the first half registered the first points against the Rebels this season.

After Parrish left, Matt Jones stepped in and produced a nine-yard run, but Parrish returned for his fourth score on a short run with 3:10 left in the third.

Dart’s 18-yard strike to Antwane Wells Jr. rounded out the scoring.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) reacts with running back Matt Jones (0) after a touchdown against the Furman Paladins during the second half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Fresh off 76-0 rout, No. 6 Ole Miss hosts Middle Tennessee

Posted on | by Field Level Media

As far as opening nights go, No. 6 Ole Miss had little to complain about in a perfect evening in northern Mississippi last week.

That’s how scoring a school-record-tying 76 points and having a defense record a shutout will make coach Lane Kiffin feel.

After blowing out Furman in its opener, the Rebels — of the Southeastern Conference — will be home again on Saturday afternoon when they host Middle Tennessee in Oxford, Miss.

For 60 minutes, Kiffin and his staff had the kind of night coaches dream of to open a new season, with everything going their way and little pushback from the FCS visitors from South Carolina.

In playing only the first half, senior Jaxson Dart entered the Heisman fray by completing all but five of his 27 passes for 418 yards and five touchdowns. He also set the night’s tone with a 15-yard TD scramble to cap the season’s first drive.

On defense, linebacker Chris Paul Jr. had a team-high eight tackles — 2 1/2 for losses — and a shared sack.

Ole Miss (1-0) became the first FBS team in 40 years to post a 75-plus-point shutout and exceed 750 yards of total offense.

After the final whistle had blown on the 76-0 pasting, Kiffin’s bunch owned a 600-yard advantage over Furman – 772-172 – and a 37-7 lead in first downs.

“That (performance) is not always the case in these games when they go your way this early,” said Kiffin, who is 35-15 overall in his fifth season in Oxford. “Our players really came out with a great intensity. They played like it was an elite SEC game.”

Kiffin liked the tidiness, too.

“Also playing clean, we ran 82 plays with no turnovers and a combined three penalties in all three phases of the game. That is enjoyable for a coach for that to happen,” he added.

In coach Derek Mason’s Middle Tennessee debut, the Blue Raiders (1-0) had to scramble against Tennessee Tech and already are more battle-tested affair than the Rebels.

Leading 21-0, Mason’s Conference USA team witnessed a shocking comeback by its in-state rival, which led 25-24 with 66 seconds remaining. However, quarterback Nicholas Vattiato led a final charge, and Frank Peasant had a game-winning 30-yard TD run with 16 seconds left for the 32-25 win.

“You look early and you think you’re going to have an opportunity to go boat race somebody a little bit and just keep going,” said Mason, who led Vanderbilt from 2014-20. “And then all of a sudden you sputter out. Football is a game of momentum. I thought we had it early, Tennessee Tech marched back, they took it.

“I don’t think this group panicked. We wanted to play better. What you saw from this team was growth. A lot of new faces, some adversity. And you have to learn how to win in a lot of different ways in college football.”

Peasant rushed for two scores for Middle Tennessee, while Vattiato was 20 of 35 for 210 yards and a TD, with one interception.

During his seven years in the SEC with Vanderbilt, Mason went 2-5 against the Rebels.

–Field Level Media

Dec 30, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin after a victory against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss massive favorite at home in opener vs. Furman

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Expectations in the quaint town of Oxford, Miss., have soared to astronomical heights.

That’s because the town’s Southeastern Conference football team, headed by coach Lane Kiffin, is coming off a milestone season with the hopes of even more to come.

Kiffin’s fifth season with No. 6 Ole Miss will begin Saturday night when the Rebels host Furman.

With Ole Miss coming off its first-ever 11-win season, the opener likely will be about giving the home fans a big victory, especially considering that Kiffin’s bunch opened as a 42 1/2-point favorite over the FCS club.

Plenty of returning talent is at Ole Miss, including star quarterback Jaxson Dart, leading receiver Tre Harris and running back Ulysses Bentley IV.

Dart passed for 3,364 yards last season, with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Kaysville, Utah, senior rushed for 375 yards and seven scores.

But the SEC team has some newness around it that could create some uncertainty.

Quinshon Judkins, Kiffin’s prized recruit from the 2021 recruiting class, transferred to Ohio State after producing 2,725 yards and 31 TDs in two outstanding first-team All-SEC seasons.

Bentley and senior Henry Parrish, who played two seasons at Miami to start his career before playing the past two at Ole Miss, will shoulder the backfield production in replacing Judkins after 2023’s 11-2 mark.

“I’m really excited to face adversity,” said Dart, who will start for the third straight season after transferring from USC. “I felt like last year what made our team what it was was being able to block out the noise and storms and weather it all.”

They braced the storm the best in the Peach Bowl against Penn State’s No. 1-rated defense.

The Dart-led attack shredded the Nittany Lions 38-25, with 540 yards of offense, its second consecutive bowl game eclipsing the 500-yard plateau.

In the offseason, the team struck oil in the portal with 25 talented acquisitions, many on the defensive side.

Kiffin added top skill such as five-star defensive tackle Walter Nolen from Texas A&M, defensive end Princely Umanmielen from Florida, linebacker Chris Paul Jr. from Arkansas, and wide receiver Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. from South Carolina.

The opposition, Furman, went 10-3 last season, losing 35-28 in overtime in the FCS quarterfinals at Montana.

The South Carolina school was ranked No. 9 in the FCS preseason Top 25 national poll by the American Football Coaches Association.

“I think they’re extremely well-coached,” Kiffin said. “They played really hard in a lot of games last year — they were 14-14 in the second (quarter) against South Carolina. They’re very physical and play with a lot of intensity. It’s going to be a really good challenge for us.”

The Paladins feature a pair of returning 2023 All-Conference players in defensive end Luke Clark and kicker Ian Williams.

One of three FCS teams to notch double-digit wins over the last two seasons — South Dakota State and North Dakota State did it, too — Furman earned its league-record 15th conference title last year.

“We’ve recruited well as a coaching staff, so I don’t like the term rebuild,” said coach Clay Hendrix, whose squad returns just six starters, three on each side. “The rebuild term is something you use when you’ve torn something down.

“We’ve done a good job of bringing in guys that we think can help us.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Henry Parrish Jr. (21) carries the football against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports

Former Miami RB Henry Parrish Jr. returns to Ole Miss

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Miami Hurricanes running back Henry Parrish Jr. committed to Ole Miss on Monday, returning to the school where he started his college career in 2020.

Parrish entered the transfer portal last Tuesday, the first day of the spring transfer window, and announced his decision to join the Rebels on social media Monday.

Parrish gained 625 yards on the ground and scored six touchdowns for the Hurricanes in 2023. Across four seasons with Ole Miss (2020-21) and Miami (2022-23), Parrish amassed 2,057 rushing yards, 56 receptions for 384 yards and 17 total touchdowns (15 rushing).

He has one year of eligibility remaining.

Coach Lane Kiffin adds Parrish to the mix of potential running backs to replace starter Quinshon Judkins, who went to Ohio State via the transfer portal. The Rebels’ second-leading rusher last season, Ulysses Bentley IV, returns after posting 540 yards rushing and five rushing and receiving touchdowns, and the team also added transfers Jacory Croskey-Merritt from New Mexico and Logan Diggs from LSU.

–Field Level Media

Dec 26, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Barry Odom reacts against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

UNLV coach Barry Odom gets contract upgrade after big 2023

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UNLV coach Barry Odom received a one-year extension through the 2028 season on Friday after the school posted its best win total in 39 years last season.

Odom also had retention bonuses added to his contract after the Rebels went 9-5. UNLV shared the Mountain West regular-season crown before losing 44-20 to Boise State in the conference title game.

The Rebels also played in a bowl game for the first time since the 2013 season, losing 49-36 to Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Odom, 47, was named Mountain West Coach of the Year after leading UNLV to just its second winning season since 2000.

“We are obviously thrilled about what Barry Odom and his staff did in year one leading Rebel football,” UNLV athletic director Erick Harper said in a news release. “The program is on an upward trajectory and we could not be more excited about him leading the way.

“Barry continues to be a man of his word, focusing on growing all phases of the program the right way. He is committed to his players, coaches and staff and with the newly expanded CFP he is laying a foundation that gives Rebel Football a chance to compete at the highest level.”

Odom received a five-year, $9.75 million deal when hired by UNLV in December 2022. He reportedly made $1.75 million last season.

Odom’s retention bonuses reportedly line up this way: $200,000 in March 2026 and 2028 and $100,000 in February 2029.

“I’m excited about the foundation we have built in the past 16 months and I certainly look forward to our strong future,” Odom said in the news release. “I’m thankful for our staff and our student-athletes — they are on a mission to win a championship.”

Odom previously served as coach of Missouri from 2016-19 and compiled a 25-25 record.

–Field Level Media