Remember the Season Opener? Both Teams Are Happy Now

[Iceland12]

Hope they both get happier too! Oh and look at the temps. The Rebels may have been warmer than we're going be tomorrow.

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — Say aloha to bowl eligibility, UNLV.

For the first time in 13 years, the Rebels have qualified for the football postseason.

They did it in a game that began with a temperature of 11 degrees and a wind chill of minus-7.

They did it behind Tim Cornett, who rushed for career highs of 220 yards and four touchdowns to give the Rebels a 41-21 victory over Air Force on Thursday night at Falcon Stadium.

“I just told the guys, hell may have just frozen over — the Rebels are bowl eligible,” UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said. “I’m really excited for our guys. I’ve done this for a while, and I’ve had the chance to coach in bowl games and in the postseason and all that. I’m just really excited for our kids that they’re going to get a chance to experience that.”

The Rebels (6-5, 4-3 Mountain West) won’t play in a bowl for sure, but the math is in their favor to find a spot. They could find themselves in one of five bowls with Mountain West tie-ins. The Las Vegas Bowl, which owns the first selection of the Mountain West, is the one exception.

Whether that means spending Christmas Eve in Hawaii, the day after Christmas in San Diego or in some other location probably won’t be known until Dec. 8.

UNLV would be happy to go anywhere after having to wait since the 2000 Las Vegas Bowl, a game the Rebels beat Arkansas 31-14, to participate in the postseason. This also is the first time the Rebels have hit six victories in a season since going 6-6 in 2003.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/rebels-rock-air-force-become-bowl-eligible-first-time-13-years

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

The talk on the local radio this morning is that a bowl is NOT a given this year. There are plenty of teams that win 6 games and don't get invited to bowls. The discussion was essentially, they need to beat San Diego State next weekend to guarantee a bowl bid, which is certainly a possibility.

Very happy for Hauck and UNLV. As many as they had coming back for this season, they STILL have a lot coming back next season in 2014. Maybe he's building a nice little foundation, I hope so.

I do recall some on here after the Gophers win that UNLV was one of the worst teams in the country. I guess they were wrong.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Wow. UNLV boat-races San Diego State to close out their season at 7-5 after winning 2 games in each of their last 3 seasons.

Nice work, Coach Hauck!!!

 

[gophmeister]

Some people like saying teams we beat are terrible based on nothing more than their bias. New Mexico State was terrible for sure but UNLV and SJSU were decent teams. Both are bowl eligible.

 

[husker70]

I just finished watching Idaho vs. New Mexico State battle for last place in FBS Independents. The commercials are still the same, and Aggie Vision has improved. The Aggies Won. It was their second win and finished the season 2-10. You have to give them some credit for the schedule. Texas, Minnesota, UCLA, Boston College, San Diego State.

 

[fryguy22]

Some people like saying teams we beat are terrible based on nothing more than their bias. New Mexico State was terrible for sure but UNLV and SJSU were decent teams. Both are bowl eligible.

Yeah - not to mention SJSU just had a VERY impressive win over Fresno St. Fales is incredibly legit.

 

[50PoundHead]

Hauck is a very good coach. Glad to see he had a nice season.

 

[Gopher in Qatar]

Hauck finally started the QB who could play, instead of the one he wanted to play. I often wonder why coaches are so hard headed with their QB's? Sticking with an ineffective signal caller, almost costing them their jobs.

 

[ruppertflywheel]

Glad to see it. Really like Hauck.