For a team playing for just the second time in 11 years, Wednesday’s game has certainly become an afterthought for UNLV football.

Between losing their head coach, losing their offensive coordinator, hiring a new head coach, navigating the transfer portal and dealing with finals, the Scarlet and Gray had plenty of excuses to get their Xs and Os ahead of their LA Bowl game against Cal to be neglected (6 p.m., ESPN). But according to interim coach Del Alexander, that wasn’t the case.

On the contrary, Alexander has seen his players become more committed as the final game of the season approaches.

“It’s a difficult time for us, but our guys did a great job,” Alexander said. “They’re full of energy, they’re focused, they’re giving the trainers their full attention and they want that reward.”

It’s hard to blame the players for slacking off a bit towards the end of the season. After losing in the Mountain West championship game and being eliminated from the College Football Playoff, the bowl game itself has taken a backseat to coaching news and other off-the-field developments. The team leaders fought against this mindset and shifted the focus specifically to Cal – and took over their 11^Th Win of the season.

This win total is particularly motivating for the players as it would set a school record for wins in a single season. (UNLV went 11-2 in 1984, but the use of an ineligible player led to the NCAA officially removing those victories from the record book.)

Senior receiver Casey Cain said finishing the season with a win energizes the team.

“As a team, we want to finish the season strong together and get the last win, the eleventh^Th win and make history,” Cain said. “That’s a great motivating factor. We always want to come out of it with a win. I think we came together as a group and said, let’s finish this.”

Alexander praised former head coach Barry Odom for instilling that expert approach during his two years at the helm. Odom left last week to become head coach at Purdue, and on Tuesday offensive coordinator Brennan Marion left to become head coach at Sacramento State.

Despite all the turmoil behind the scenes, Alexander has seen no compromise in his players’ approach on the field, with senior captains Jackson Woodard, Ricky White, Jacob De Jesus, Johnathan Baldwin and Hajj-Malik Williams pulling the team over the finish line.

“They come to work. There are outside influences, but they are determined to play in this bowl game, succeed and commit to their seniors,” Alexander said.

The matchup with Cal should go well. UNLV enters the contest as a 3-point favorite, largely because the roster has remained mostly intact despite the coaching departures. As of Tuesday, only four UNLV players had entered the transfer portal, with senior cornerback Tony Grimes and freshman running back Greg Burrell the only significant contributors to test the market.

Alexander noted that other teams across the country have seen waves of players entering the portal — even playoff teams. But the core of UNLV leaders held the roster together.

“It speaks to her character and her integrity,” Alexander said. “We’re talking about respecting each other and respecting each individual’s freedom of choice. I think that word ‘respect’ in our locker room has to do with sticking around and finishing what we started.”

So where does that leave UNLV? The offseason numbers will bring a lot of changes, but for now, the players who turned the program around are focused on coming into the game with a strong performance.

“The focus is on winning,” Cain said. “Dominate this game and leave a legacy of a winning team. Our head coach left early to take advantage of a great opportunity, but this team wants to finish with 11 wins and make history.”

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