After a season full of ups and downs marked by departures that tested a program that was still poised for success, the UNLV Rebels rallied toward their goal of earning their 11th win.

It took nearly 40 years, but No. 24 UNLV (11-3) secured an 11-win season on Wednesday, tying the program’s Football Bowl Subdivision single-season record at 24-13 -Victory over Cal (6-7). LA Bowl was played at SoFi Stadium.

The Rebels were led by dual-three quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams in the bowl game, just as they were in their best season decades ago when Randall Cunningham led the UNLV offense.

Described as a winner by teammates and coaches, Williams – a Football Championship Subdivision transfer in his first and only season at UNLV – took over the starting quarterback role three games into the season and led the Rebels to their first bowl victory in 24 years .

Although his performance wasn’t as dominant as expected, Williams did enough to secure the victory for the Rebels. He got the offense going by completing five of 18 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns and adding 27 yards on 10 carries.

While UNLV entered the game clearly at quarterback, Cal weighed two options: veteran CJ Harris and true freshman EJ Caminong.

Golden Bears coach Justin Wilcox opted to start Harris, but switched signal callers in the third quarter. The move proved costly as a reverse pass from Caminong led to a turnover later in the quarter, setting up a rushing touchdown from UNLV’s Kylin James that extended the Rebels’ lead to 21-13.

UNLV added a 48-yard field goal from Caden Chittenden in the fourth quarter and continued to play strong defense to secure the win.

Harris completed 13 of 20 passes for 109 yards and added 23 yards on 12 carries before being benched. Caminong was sixth of 19 passing for 57 yards and had a costly fumble.

California tight end Jack Endries (87) is tackled by UNLV’s Antonio Doyle Jr. (2) and Johnathan Baldwin (3) during the LA Bowl on Wednesday at SoFi Stadium.

(Ryan Sun/Associated Press)

Cal opened the scoring with a 43-yard field goal from kicker Derek Morris, whose attempt bounced off the upright before falling through, giving the Bears an early 3-0 lead.

UNLV responded with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Kayden McGee. McGee sprinted past the Cal secondary to land the deep strike, giving the Rebels a 7-3 lead.

The Golden Bears got back into the swing of things on their next possession, marching down the field with a series of big plays. Tight end Jack Endries made two critical catches on passes from Harris – one for 16 yards and another for 22 yards on a screen pass.

Endries proved to be a reliable security blanket for Harris, who had him in his sights throughout the game. Endries was Cal’s leading receiver with 61 yards on seven receptions.

The drive culminated in a reverse to wide receiver Josiah Martin, who stormed into the end zone, giving Cal a 10-7 lead.

The Rebels were aggressive on their next drive. Marshall Nichols connected with Cameron Oliver on a 52-yard fake punt to put UNLV in the red zone.

Williams switched to a rush offense and connected with Jacob De Jesus for a nine-yard touchdown pass.

UNLV worked to establish the run, carrying the ball 18 times in the first half to allow Williams to pass.

Cal struggled to keep up with the Rebels’ pace. Kicker Derek Morris missed the 41-yard field goal wide in the second quarter. He was replaced by Ryan Coe, who hit a 30-yard field goal just before halftime. It was the last points of the game for the Golden Bears.

After a hot start to the season, Cal finishes with a losing record in its first ACC season. The program has now lost 13 straight games against opponents ranked in the top 25.

UNLV capped off one of the best seasons in school history on a high note. LA native Del Alexander secured the win as interim coach before new head coach Dan Mullen takes over the program.