Kansas football vs. UNLV in Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Score prediction, scouting report

LAWRENCE — Kansas football has a chance to add to what's already been an impressive year for the Jayhawks, when they take on the UNLV Rebels later this season in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Kansas (8-4, 5-4 in Big 12 Conference) is coming in after wrapping up its regular season with a win on the road against Big 12 foe Cincinnati. UNLV (9-4, 6-2 in Mountain West Conference) is coming in after competing in its conference title game and leaving with a loss against Boise State. It’s a matchup Dec. 26 in Phoenix that will be between Power Five and Group of Five programs.

This is a significant opportunity for both programs

The Jayhawks are on a run of back-to-back seasons with bowl appearances for the first time in more than a decade. They haven’t won a bowl game since the 2008 Insight Bowl. This is a meaningful opportunity for them.

The Rebels are thriving in the first year of head coach Barry Odom’s tenure with the program. Not only can they win 10 games this season, but they haven’t played in a bowl game since they earned a chance to during the 2013 campaign. This is a meaningful opportunity for them, too.

Here are some names to watch for on each side

Kansas has an offense led by redshirt senior quarterback Jason Bean, junior running back Devin Neal and more. It has a defense with the likes of junior cornerback Cobee Bryant, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Austin Booker and others. Whether it’s in 2024 or the near future, there are a number of players on the Jayhawks side who could hear their names called in future NFL drafts.

UNLV redshirt freshman quarterback Jayden Maiava is approaching 3,000 yards passing this season. Junior linebacker Jackson Woodard leads the defense in tackles and had a sack in the Mountain West championship game. The Rebels have lost back-to-back games, but won’t be entering the bowl game bereft of talent by any means.

UNLV split its 2 games against Power Five teams earlier this season

Back in September, UNLV played a road game at Big Ten foe Michigan and a home game against SEC opponent Vanderbilt. The Rebels split those matchups, losing against Michigan but beating Vanderbilt. While Vanderbilt once again struggled this year in the SEC, that’s still a roster that’s being built to compete in one of the top conferences in the nation.

Kansas can’t overlook UNLV. The Rebels actually won on the road against Nevada by more points than the Jayhawks did when the two teams each visited the Wolf Pack earlier this fall. And considering UNLV is on Kansas’ non-conference schedule for the 2024 season, it’s interesting that the two programs are paired up to face each other at all.

Here is a prediction for who wins, and the final score

Kansas is still a team that’s building toward being a squad that can compete for Big 12 titles year after year. This is a game that, if the Jayhawks win, could do a lot to further their momentum as they dive fully into the offseason. Kansas 38, UNLV 24.

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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football vs. UNLV in Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Scouting report