UNLV wide receiver Jacob De Jesus flips after running for a touchdown during the first half of the LA Bowl against Cal on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal tight end Jack Endries lunges short of the goal line during the first half of the LA Bowl against UNLV on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal wide receiver Josiah Martin (17) celebrates with fellow receiver Mavin Anderson after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the LA Bowl against UNLV on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV wide receiver Jacob De Jesus catches a pass during the first half of the LA Bowl against Cal on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV fans cheer during the first half of the LA Bowl against Cal on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal tight end Jack Endries, center, catches a pass for first down before being wrapped up by several UNLV players during the first half of the LA Bowl on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal wide receiver Josiah Martin (17) celebrates with fellow wide receiver Mavin Anderson after running for a touchdown during the first half of the LA Bowl against UNLV on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV wide receiver Jacob De Jesus catches a pass and runs for a touchdown during the first half of the LA Bowl against Cal on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV wide receiver Jacob De Jesus catches a pass and tumbles into the end zone for a touchdown during the first half of the LA Bowl against Cal on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal wide receiver Josiah Martin runs for a touchdown during the first half of the LA Bowl against UNLV on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV running back Kylin James, center, is tackled for a loss of yards by several Cal defenders during the first half of the LA Bowl on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV tight end Kaleo Ballungay, top, leaps for yardage as Cal linebacker Liam Johnson (15) tries to bring him down during the first half of the LA Bowl on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV tight end Kaleo Ballungay, top, leaps for yardage as Cal linebacker Liam Johnson (15) tries to bring him down during the first half of the LA Bowl on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal defensive back Matthew Littlejohn, left, knocks away a pass intended for UNLV wide receiver Jacob De Jesus during the first half of the LA Bowl on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal tight end Jack Endries catches a pass for a first down during the first half of the LA Bowl against UNLV on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal fans cheer and comment on LA Bowl host Rob Gronkowski during the first half of the LA Bowl between Cal and UNLV on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal quarterback CJ Harris scrambles with the ball during the first half of the LA Bowl against UNLV on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal quarterback CJ Harris scrambles during the first half of the LA Bowl against UNLV on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal wide receiver Josiah Martin runs for a touchdown during the first half of the LA Bowl against UNLV on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV running back Greg Burrell runs for a first down during the first half of the LA Bowl against Cal on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV wide receiver Kayden McGee catches a pass and runs for a touchdown during the first half of the LA Bowl against Cal on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV defensive back Jett Elad, left, knocks away a pass intended for Cal wide receiver Trevor Rogers, right, as defensive back Tony Grimes (0) looks on during the first half of the LA Bowl on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal running back Jaydn Ott runs for a first down during the first half of the LA Bowl against UNLV on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal quarterback CJ Harris, center, is sacked by UNLV defensive back Johnathan Baldwin, left, and defensive end Antonio Doyle Jr. during the first half of the LA Bowl on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cal quarterback CJ Harris, front, is sacked by UNLV defensive back Johnathan Baldwin (3) and defensive end Antonio Doyle Jr. (2) during the first half of the LA Bowl on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams scrambles during the first half of the LA Bowl against Cal on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams dives for yardage during the first half of the LA Bowl against Cal on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Show Caption1 of 27UNLV wide receiver Jacob De Jesus flips after running for a touchdown during the first half of the LA Bowl against Cal on Wednesday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
ExpandINGLEWOOD — Cal went into the LA Bowl down its starting and second-string quarterback, but fifth-year sophomore CJ Harris stepped in, keeping the Golden Bears afloat through 2½ quarters.
Then, on their third drive of the second half, freshman EJ Caminong took Harris’ place. Harris was seen walking to the locker room with a towel draped over his head. Caminong was unable to build on Harris’ momentum. He committed a turnover on his second drive when he threw a risky backward pass that UNLV recovered and, on the following play, cashed in with a 23-yard touchdown run.
Caminong was unable to led the Golden Bears to any points and a one-point deficit turned into a 24-13 loss.
Harris completed 13 of 20 passes for 109 yards before his departure. Caminong was 6 of 19 and only led the Golden Bears past midfield once.
The UNLV offense looked just as lifeless as Cal (6-7) did under Caminong, but the 24th-ranked Rebels (11-3) capitalized on his turnover and shut out the Golden Bears in the second half.
Hajj-Malik Williams completed just 5 of 18 attempts for 96 yards, but he threw two touchdowns in the first half and UNLV benefited from some special teams sparks.
The Rebels went ahead for good at 14-10 early in the second quarter when Jacob De Jesus took a shovel pass 12 yards and then did a backflip after scoring. The touchdown came a play after a successful fake punt when Marshall Nichols lobbed the ball to Cameron Oliver for a 52-yard gain to the Cal 9.
De Jesus helped his offense throughout with 123 return yards. His 38-yard punt return set the Rebels up for a Caden Chittenden field goal that put the game on ice.
De Jesus’ impact on special teams provided a much-needed spark for an offense that seemed to struggle in the absence of offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.
At the LA Bowl press conference on Tuesday, interim head coach Del Alexander explained that the Rebels were using a collaborative effort over the last week to try to cover for the loss of Marion. That patchwork had its kinks as a UNLV offense that had averaged 36 points per game, rarely strung drives together on Wednesday.
It didn’t help that the Rebels’ leading receiver, Ricky White, who was expected to play, didn’t suit up.
With White in street clothes on the sideline, and Cal leading receiver Nyziah Hunter in the transfer portal, underclassmen stepped up.
In the first quarter, UNLV freshman Kayden McGee hauled in a 49-yard touchdown pass on a post route for the game’s opening touchdown. Then Cal freshman Josiah Martin scored on a fake read-option turned end-around.
Neither McGee nor Martin had scored a touchdown before Wednesday’s game, but each player was heavily involved.
With 5:26 remaining in the second quarter, Harris found Martin on a fourth-and-1 to keep a Cal drive alive. Four plays later, he held onto a pass while surviving a simultaneous collision to set up a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. The drive concluded with a 30-yard field goal, but wouldn’t have resulted in any points if not for Martin’s reliability.
The emergence of younger players was expected, but with each team having fewer opt-outs than some bowl-bound teams there were...
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