For a team playing in just its second bowl in 11 years, Wednesday's game sure has 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 have had plenty of excuses to neglect their X's and O's leading up to their LA Bowl matchup against Cal (6 p.m., ESPN). But according to interim head coach Del Alexander, that hasn't been the case.
On the contrary, Alexander has seen his players lock in as the final game of the season draws closer.
"It's a difficult time on our side of the ball, but our guys have done a great job," Alexander said. "They're full of energy, they're focused, they're giving the coaches every bit of their attention and they want this reward."
You could hardly blame the players for letting up a bit as the season reaches its conclusion. After losing the Mountain West championship game and getting shut out of the College Football Playoff, the bowl game itself has taken a backseat to the coaching news and other off-the-field developments. The team's leaders have fought against that mindset, making a point to redirect the focus toward Cal -- and picking up their 11 win of the season.
That win total is a particularly strong motivator for the players, as it would set a school record for single-season victories. (UNLV went 11-2 in 1984, but the use of an ineligible player led the NCAA to officially vacate those wins in the record book.)
Senior receiver Casey Cain said closing the season with a victory is driving the team.
"As a team, collectively we want to finish the season strong and get that last win, get that 11 win and make history," Cain said. "It's a great motivational factor. We want to come out with a win, always. I think we came together as a group and said let's finish this."
Alexander credited former head coach Barry Odom for instilling that workmanlike approach over his two years at the helm. Odom left last week to become the head coach at Purdue, and on Tuesday, offensive coordinator Brennan Marion left to become the head coach at Sacramento State.
Even with all the upheaval behind the scenes, Alexander has seen no slippage 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 across the finish line.
"They come to work. There's outside influences, but they're locked into playing in this bowl game, having success and going out for their seniors," Alexander said.
The matchup with Cal figures to be a good one. UNLV enters the contest as a 3-point favorite, largely because the roster has remained mostly intact despite the coaching departures. Only four UNLV players had entered the transfer portal as of Tuesday, with senior cornerback Tony Grimes and freshman running back Greg Burrell being the only significant contributors testing the market.
Alexander noted that other teams around the country have seen waves of players enter the portal -- even playoff teams. But UNLV's nucleus of leaders has kept the roster together.
"It speaks to their character and integrity," Alexander said. "We talk about respecting each other, respecting everyone's option to choose. I think that word, respect, in our locker room has to do with let's stick around and let's finish what we started."
So where does that leave UNLV? The offseason figures to bring plenty of change, but for now the players that engineered the program's turnaround are focused on going out on a high note.
"The focus is to win," Cain said. "Dominate this game and leave a legacy of a winning team. Our head coach left early for a great opportunity, but this team wants to go and finish with 11 wins and make history."