UNLV and Kansas Football will square off Tuesday evening in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in a game that is almost sure to feature plenty of points and momentum swings.
UNLV (9-4) is coming off two consecutive losses to San Jose State and Boise State while Kansas comes in having lost two of their last three, but a win over Cincinnati in the regular season finale. This is important to note because oftentimes teams carry momentum into the postseason, but it appears that neither team will be able to do that.
Kansas is clearly the favorite in this game, and should win this game if they take care of the ball and if backup quarterback Jason Bean stays healthy, but they can’t overlook the Rebels. Oftentimes, P5 programs overlook G5 programs or have many players either not play or appear to give everything in hopes of a win.
Given Kansas’ recent rise to success (last year was their first bowl game since 2008), it’s hard to imagine that Kansas will be overlooking UNLV the same way that a team accustomed to yearly bowl games may overlook a G5 opponent.
Players Not Playing in the Bowl Game
Kansas Football will be without a few starters, offensive lineman Dominik Puni and defensive lineman Austin Booker. Their loss probably won’t be noticed unless injuries start to stack up and depth becomes a clear issue. Kansas does have a few players in the transfer portal, but none of them were likely to make a major contribution.
As common among G5 programs who have success, UNLV has quite a few players in the transfer portal. Running back Courtney Reese will be the player most missed. Reese averaged 3.9 yards per carry and scored four touchdowns this season.
How to Watch:
Tuesday, December 26th, 9:00 PM ET on ESPN or ESPN+
Prediction for UNLV vs Kansas Football
Had you told me two years ago that these two teams would be meeting in a bowl game, I would have probably laughed and only believed you if it was a bowl game between 5-7 teams only playing due to a lack of bowl eligible teams.
The fact that these teams won eight and nine wins is a huge win as it is, and neither team should feel disappointed in their season regardless of the result.
Kansas hasn’t won a bowl game since 2008, so their motivation to get a win won’t be an issue, regardless of the opponent. Kansas had a real shot at being a 10-win P5 team this year, but with injuries to Jayden Daniels and Jason Bean, the Jayhawks were forced to play in a few games that were just a bit too difficult to adjust to without a QB ready to play. UNLV on the other hand, felt like they lucked into a few wins on their way to an excellent nine win year.
In the end, Kansas is just too good for UNLV and the game should be decided early in the second half.
Final Score: Kansas 38, UNLV 21