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Las Vegas’ footprint is everywhere in sports and entertainment, and UNLV, a program with a handful of winning seasons since the Randall Cunningham days of the early 1980s, is having a run in the middle of it all.
How it reversed its fortune is not simply a big gamble gone right. The Rebels, ranked in a major poll for the first time, have quickly become a case study of finding immediate success with an open-minded veteran coach who can balance recruiting and the transfer portal.
Barry Odom is doing historic things just 17 games in. At No. 25, UNLV appeared in the Coaches Poll for the first time in its 46-year history. The 3-0 start is anchored by a blowout over Houston and a comeback at Kansas, which is (theoretically) good enough for No. 1 (2-0) in the Big 12 standings.
“We got a good thing going. We’ve made progress, but we’re so far away from playing our best ball,” Odom told CBS Sports.
There’s a difficult schedule still to navigate, but Odom has UNLV in contention for a second straight appearance in the Mountain West Championship Game — and perhaps more, with a roster of veteran holdovers complemented by transfers ranging from the SEC to the FCS.
“In the world of college football now, I don’t believe in rebuilds because of the way you can build a roster,” Odom said. “I believe the expectation is the kids don’t want to hear ‘rebuild.’ My vision for them from Day 1 is we’re going to go to work. There is a standard and expectation that UNLV should compete and win a championship ever year. That is our goal.”
The 3-0 start is the program’s first since the Cunningham-led team in 1984. This roster has benefited from FCS transfers in the offensive backfield and a linebacker from Arkansas, but there are several veterans who remained…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/unlv-stands-as-a-focal-point-in-las-vegas-sports-footprint-amid-undefeated-start-conference-expansion-hopes/
Author : Brandon Marcello
Publish date : 2024-09-19 19:23:16
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