LAS VEGAS — The idea that UNLV would be one step away from making the College Football Playoff would have been absurd two years ago.

But then Barry Odom took over a program with just four previous bowl appearances and none since the 2013 season.

Now Odom and the No. 21 Rebels — 22nd in the CFP — are in the Mountain West championship game for the second straight year after defeating Nevada 38-14 on Saturday night behind quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams by a total of three touchdowns.

The Rebels (10-2, 6-1 MW) will face Boise State, ranked No. 11 in the AP and CFP polls, on Friday for the conference title and the Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff.

No. 18 Tulane’s 34-24 loss to Memphis on Thursday night paved the way for the Rebels to a win-and-win showdown with the Broncos.

This is not what Odom imagined when he was fired by Missouri five years ago to the day. He cried as he recalled the moment and the journey since, and he found a new home in Las Vegas and said what the Rebels are experiencing goes beyond him.

“There has to be a vision and a direction, and if you do those things, success will follow,” Odom said. “It’s not always easy. It’s not always perfect. Sometimes it’s far from the arena when most of the work is done and most of the victories occur. We are now fortunate to have won 19 games in two seasons and our boys are hungry.”

UNLV continues to rise under Odom, making its second straight postseason appearance for the first time. It also reached double-digit wins for just the third time and the first time since 1984, when Randall Cunningham was under center.

Four decades later, Williams is the quarterback, and against Nevada (3-10, 0-7) he passed for 168 yards and two TDs and rushed for 104 and another score.

Jai’Den Thomas rushed for 135 yards and a TD as UNLV outscored the Wolf Pack 351-67.

“They stifled our running game,” Nevada coach Jeff Choate said. “We were able to get some perimeter runs going. This is a fast team. In all three phases you could really see how fast the team is and that is an area where we need to improve.”

Nevada’s Brendon Lewis passed for 292 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. He was fired six times.

This was the 50th meeting of the in-state rivals, and UNLV gets to retain the Fremont Cannon for the third straight year. This is the Rebels’ longest winning streak against their northern neighbors since the John Robinson-coached teams won five straight from 2000 to 2004.

The Rebels opened the scoring in the second quarter when linebacker Jackson Woodard recovered a fumble for a touchdown and Thomas scored from a yard out for a 24-7 halftime lead.

And now UNLV turns its attention to Boise State for the second time this season. The Broncos defeated UNLV 29-24 on Oct. 25.

“We got extremely better week after week and worked at full speed,” said Williams. “I think that’s the biggest thing. Over time, the team continued to grow and see an upward trend.”

Impact on the survey

Losing Tulane gives UNLV a direct path to the CFP.

The takeaways

Nevada: The Wolf Pack was held more than 100 yards below its rushing average.

UNLV: The Rebels made national headlines earlier this year when quarterback Matthew Sluka retired three games into the season due to a dispute over name, image and likeness. His replacement, Williams, not only kept the offense going, but took it up a notch.

Next

UNLV plays Boise State in the Mountain West championship on Friday while Nevada’s season is over.

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