Game day: UNLV falls to San Jose State, will play in MWC title game

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Updated Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023 | 3:01 p.m.

UNLV did not clinch the outright Mountain West regular-season championship today, as San Jose State staved off a late comeback attempt and held on for a 37-31 victory at Allegiant Stadium.

A final desperation drive ended with a turnover on downs in the closing seconds, snapping UNLV's three-game win streak. The Scarlet and Gray are now 9-3 overall, with a date in the conference championship game next week.

Now, the question is, who will UNLV play in the title game?

With all games in the books, UNLV, San Jose State and Boise State are all tied for first place in the conference standings at 6-2. Because of the three-way tie, computer rankings will determine which two teams advance to the title game. UNLV is safely entrenched as the top MWC team in the rankings, so Barry Odom's squad is in.

If Boise State finishes second, UNLV will host the Broncos on Saturday. If San Jose State overtakes Boise, the Spartans will host UNLV.

So while this isn't the way UNLV wanted to close out the regular season, it's really just a precursor to the big game next week.

Ricky White recorded his fifth straight 100-yard game, catching five balls for 111 yards. Freshman running back Jai'Den Thomas scored three times and totaled 48 rushing yards.

UNLV trails San Jose State heading into fourth quarter

Heading into the fourth quarter, UNLV is running out of time to clinch the Mountain West regular-season championship.

San Jose State increased its lead to 30-17 on a short field goal late in the third quarter, and the Spartans have the ball again near midfield to begin the fourth.

UNLV had a chance to close the gap on its last possession, but facing a 4th-and-3 from the San Jose State 30-yard line, Barry Odom elected to kick. Jose Pizano hooked the attempt wide left, his first miss after 19 consecutive makes.

If UNLV is going to come back in dramatic fashion, it will have to begin with a defensive stop here. San Jose State has mostly had its way with the Scarlet and Gray defense today, averaging 7.6 yards per play while possessing the ball for nearly 30 minutes.

San Jose State leads UNLV, 27-17

UNLV is trying to mount a comeback, but it's going to take some work on the defensive side. After trading touchdowns out of the half, San Jose State maintains a 27-17 lead.

UNLV opened the half with a bang. After receiving the opening kick, Jayden Maiava hit Ricky White with a play-action bomb. White made a pair of defenders miss after the catch and was finally dragged down inside the 10-yard line after a 68-yard gain.

Three plays later, freshman running back Jai'Den Thomas scored on a 3-yard run to bring the home team within 20-17.

The momentum didn't last long. San Jose State quarterback Chevan Cordeiro went deep on the ensuing drive, and receiver Nick Nash leaped over two UNLV defensive backs to pull down a highlight 51-yard catch. That was quickly followed by a 3-yard touchdown pass from Cordeiro to Isaac Jernagin to restore the Spartans' double-digit advantage.

Trading scores is not going to close the gap for UNLV. Can the defense generate enough stops to get back in this one?

UNLV trails San Jose State at half, 20-10

At halftime, UNLV trails San Jose State, 20-10, and the Scarlet and Gray have to feel fortunate the deficit isn't greater.

It was a tough half in all phases for UNLV, with multiple miscues on defense, special teams and offense combining to spot San Jose State a 17-0 lead.

Defensively, UNLV has struggled to get SJSU's skill players on the ground. Running back Kairee Robinson has broken tackles on just about every touch, and his teammates have accounted for some big gains as well. As a team, the Spartans are averaging more than seven yards per play.

A big issue for UNLV is its passing attack. Freshman quarterback Jayden Maiava has missed on a couple open deep-ball opportunities, and he finished the first half 2-of-5 for just 19 yards through the air. It's tough to mount a double-digit comeback without picking up chunks via the passing game, so it will be up to Maiava and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion to figure it out in the second half.

As of now, star receiver Ricky White has just one catch for 15 yards.

UNLV will receive the kick after the half.

UNLV down 10, trying to chip away against San Jose State

After trading field goals, San Jose State still holds a 20-10 lead over UNLV with 3:38 left in the first half.

It looked like UNLV might get closer than that when running back Vincent Davis broke through the line on the first play of the last drive and raced into the open field. Davis went down the left sideline and cut back across the middle of the field, and for a moment it looked like he might take it all the way to the end zone. He was caught from behind at the 20-yard line, however, and the offense stalled from there.

Jose Pizano came on to kick a short field goal, and UNLV is treading water.

Now, can they get into the locker room at halftime without allowing any more points? That's been the biggest issue today, as SJSU is averaging 7.3 yards per play while scoring on four of five offensive possessions.

UNLV on the board, trails San Jose State 17-7

San Jose State came ready to play, but UNLV is finally getting in on the action. After one quarter of play, the Spartans have a 17-7 lead.

SJSU running back Kairee Robinson made it 17-0 with a sweet 25-yard touchdown run, and it looked like the rout might be on. But UNLV put together a sustained drive, and Jai'Den Thomas finished it off with a 7-yard touchdown to get the Scarlet and Gray on the board.

If UNLV is going to chip away, however, it's going to take a defensive effort like the one we saw in the second half of last week's comeback win at Air Force. So far, San Jose State has had no problem moving the ball, racking up 9.1 yards per play while scoring on all three of its possessions.

SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeir has hit 9-of-12 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown.

As the second quarter begins, the Spartans are again driving across midfield.

UNLV falls behind San Jose State early

UNLV is down 10-0 before taking its first offensive snap, as miscues on defense and special teams have put the Scarlet and Gray in an early hole.

San Jose State took the opening kickoff, and on a 3rd-and-2 play, UNLV blitzed two defensive backs from the right side. SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro recognized it and found his tight end in the vacated space; Sam Olson then ran 56 yards for a quick touchdown.

UNLV return man Jacob De Jesus fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and San Jose State ended up getting a field goal out of that possession, making it 10-0 with 10:05 left in the first quarter.

If UNLV is going to win today, it's going to take a second double-digit comeback in as many weeks.

Jerrae Williams warming up for UNLV, could play today

The game hasn't started yet, but UNLV fans have already received some good news today, as senior cornerback Jerrae Williams appears to be active.

Williams was one of the Scarlet and Gray's best defensive players over the first four weeks of the season, until a foot injury sidelined him for the second half of the schedule. A slot corner with coverage and blitzing skills, Williams is a crucial piece in Barry Odom's defense.

UNLV may also have junior corner Johnathan Baldwin today. Baldwin was hurt against Fresno State and hasn't played since Oct. 28, but he was suited up for warmups along with Williams.

Williams has 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown; Baldwin has two interceptions on the year.

UNLV football eyeing Mountain West title vs. San Jose State

Saturday is shaping up to be an historic day in the history of the UNLV football program, as the Scarlet and Gray can clinch their first Mountain West regular season championship with a win over San Jose State.

It would be a terrific cap to the nation’s best turnaround story this season, but San Jose State is no pushover.

Can Barry Odom and his squad finish the job? Three keys to watch:

Stakes

As far as pure stakes, this is not exactly a life-or-death scenario for the Scarlet and Gray. With a win, they’ll host Boise State in the Mountain West championship game. With a loss, they’ll…host Boise State in the Mountain West championship game.

That’s all but certain due to UNLV’s advantage in the computer rankings, which are used for multi-team tiebreakers in the MWC. So there’s not as much riding on this contest as last week’s epic showdown at Air Force.

Still, a victory would allow UNLV to claim an outright regular-season title, and also keep their late-season momentum going into the big game. So look for Odom to have his guys ready to fire out of the gates, playing as though everything is on the line.

Early strike

Three games in a row, UNLV has cashed in with an early deep ball to Ricky White (and that’s not counting the 41-yard catch-and-run touchdown he had in the first quarter against Fresno State on Oct. 28). And it hasn’t stopped there.

Over the last six games, White has 878 yards and seven touchdowns. He hasn’t had fewer than seven catches in any of those contests as he makes his case for All-Mountain West and even All-American honors.

With the way White and quarterback Jayden Maiava have been vibing lately, it wouldn’t be a shock to see offensive coordinator Brennan Marion go for another quick strike against San Jose State.

Ground test

Odom’s top priority on defense this year has been to field a unit that can reliably stop the run, and he has largely succeeded. UNLV is No. 43 in yards allowed (141.0 per game) and No. 44 in yards per carry (3.9).

It took a half last week, but the Scarlet and Gray eventually found their footing and stuffed Air Force, one of the nation’s top rushing attacks, holding them to 87 yards in the second half. It was an impressive showing, and they’ll need to do it again this week.

San Jose State’s offense is spearheaded by senior running back Kairee Robinson, who is on the verge of a 1,000-yard season (959 yards) while averaging a ridiculous 6.8 yards per attempt. He’s also got 16 touchdowns on the ground and two more receiving, making him an all-around weapon out of the backfield.

If Robinson runs wild, the Spartans have a good chance of spoiling UNLV’s celebration. Expect Odom to have a scheme in place designed to keep him hemmed in as much as possible.

What: UNLV (9-2, 6-1 MWC) vs. San Jose State (6-5, 5-2 MWC)

When: Saturday, 12 p.m.

TV: Mountain West Network, Silver State Sports & Entertainment

Radio: 1100AM, 100.9FM

Line: UNLV -2.5

UNLV leaders

Passing

Jayden Maiava: 64.0%, 2,397 yards, 13 TDs, 6 INTs

Rushing

Jai’Den Thomas: 453 yards, 4.7 yards per carry, 9 TDs

Receiving

Ricky White: 71 receptions, 1,197 yards, 7 TDs

Defense

Jackson Woodard: 93 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 1 INT

San Jose State leaders

Passing

Chevan Cordeiro: 61.4%, 2,309 yards, 17 TDs, 4 INTs

Rushing

Kairee Robinson: 959 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, 16 TDs

Receiving

Nick Nash: 44 receptions, 606 yards, 8 TDs

Defense

Tre Smith: 48 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.