2024 LA Bowl
{{Short description|Postseason college football bowl game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game
| game_name = LA Bowl
| subheader = 4th LA Bowl
| title_sponsor = Art of Sport
| title_sponsor_suffix = {{nowrap|Hosted by Gronk}}
| image =
| caption =
| date_game_played = December 18
| year_game_played = 2024
| football_season = 2024
| stadium = SoFi Stadium
| city = Inglewood, California
| visitor_school = University of California, Berkeley
| visitor_name_short = California
| visitor_nickname = Golden Bears
| visitor_record = 6–6
| visitor_conference = ACC
| visitor_rank_AP =
| visitor_rank_coaches =
| visitor_rank_CFP =
| visitor_coach = Justin Wilcox
| visitor_1q = 10
| visitor_2q = 3
| visitor_3q = 0
| visitor_4q = 0
| home_school = University of Nevada, Las Vegas
| home_name_short = UNLV
| home_nickname = Rebels
| home_record = 10–3
| home_conference = Mountain West
| home_rank_AP = 24
| home_rank_coaches = 24
| home_rank_CFP = 24
| home_coach = Del Alexander (interim)
| home_1q = 7
| home_2q = 7
| home_3q = 7
| home_4q = 3
| MVP = Off.: Jacob De Jesus (WR, UNLV)
Def.: Jackson Woodard (LB, UNLV){{cite tweet |user=LABowlGame |number=1869622606875517118 |title=Our 2024 Offensive MVP |date=December 18, 2024 |access-date=December 19, 2024}}{{cite tweet |user=LABowlGame |number=1869628204115460451 |title=Our 2024 Defensive MVP |date=December 18, 2024 |access-date=December 19, 2024}}
| odds =UNLV by 3.5
| anthem =
| halftime =
| referee = Ted Pitts (Sun Belt){{cite web|url=https://www.footballzebras.com/2024/12/2024-25-bowl-officiating-assignments/|title=2024-25 bowl officiating assignments|website=footballzebras.com|first=Ben|last=Austro|date=December 9, 2024|access-date=December 18, 2024}}
| attendance = 24,420
| payout =
| us_network = ESPN
ESPN Radio
| us_announcers = Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), and Kris Budden (sideline) (ESPN)
Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play) and Max Starks (analyst) (ESPN Radio)
| ratings =
| intl_network =
| intl_announcers =
| different_previous =
}}
The 2024 LA Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 18, 2024, at SoFi Stadium located in Inglewood, California. The fourth annual LA Bowl game featured California and UNLV. The game began at approximately 6:00 p.m. PST and aired on ESPN.{{cite web |last1=Cobb |first1=David |title=2024-25 college football bowl schedule, games, dates, locations, kickoff times, TV channels |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2024-25-college-football-bowl-schedule-games-dates-locations-kickoff-times-tv-channels/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=2 July 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Kelley |first1=Kevin |title=College football bowl schedule for 2024-25 season released |url=https://fbschedules.com/college-football-bowl-schedule/ |website=FBSchedules.com |access-date=2 July 2024}} The LA Bowl was one of the 2024–25 bowl games concluding the 2025 FBS football season. Through a marketing agreement with former National Football League player Rob Gronkowski, and sponsorship by Art of Sport, a Starco Brands subsidiary, the game was officially known as the Art of Sport LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk.{{cite web |url=https://bowlseason.com/news/2024/11/13/general-art-of-sport-to-be-title-sponsor-of-2024-la-bowl-hosted-by-gronk.aspx |title=Art of Sport To Be Title Sponsor of 2024 LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk |access-date=November 13, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://sofistadiumsuites.com/events/2024-LA-Bowl--Hosted-by-Gronk-96482/ |title=2024 LA Bowl - Hosted by Gronk Suites |website=sofistadiumsuites.com |access-date=October 18, 2024}}
Teams
The bowl featured the California Golden Bears of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the UNLV Rebels of the Mountain West Conference; California was selected due to being a former Pac-12 Conference school.{{cite web|url=https://sunbowl.org/news/409-pac-12-legacy-schools-to-play-in-pac-12-bowl-games|title=Pac-12 Legacy Schools to Play in Pac-12 Bowl Games|website=Sun Bowl Association|date=July 16, 2024|access-date=December 6, 2024}}
This was the second meeting between California and UNLV, the first coming in 2022, a 20–14 victory for the Golden Bears in Berkeley.{{cite web |title=Winsipedia – California Golden Bears vs. UNLV Rebels |url=https://www.winsipedia.com/california/vs/unlv |website=Winsipedia.com |access-date=December 8, 2024}} Neither team had appeared in a previous LA Bowl.
=California Golden Bears=
{{main|2024 California Golden Bears football team}}
California entered the game with an 6–6 record (2–6 in the ACC), tied for 14th place in their conference. The Golden Bears faced and lost to three ranked FBS teams during the regular season: Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, and SMU.
=UNLV Rebels=
{{main|2024 UNLV Rebels football team}}
UNLV entered the game with an 10–3 record (6–1 in the MW), tied for second place in their conference and ranked 24th in both the AP poll and the College Football Playoff (CFP) final rankings. The Rebels became the first ranked team to play in an LA Bowl. Their most recent prior bowl victory was in the 2000 Las Vegas Bowl.
The Rebels faced and lost to one ranked team during the regular season, Boise State by a 29–24 score. UNLV qualified for the Mountain West Conference Championship Game but again lost to Boise State, 21–7. For the LA Bowl, UNLV named Del Alexander interim head coach, following Barry Odom leaving the program to accept the head coaching position at Purdue.{{cite press release |url=https://unlvrebels.com/news/2024/12/8/del-alexander-named-unlv-football-interim-head-coach.aspx |title=Del Alexander Named UNLV Football Interim Head Coach |website=unlvrebels.com |date=December 8, 2024 |access-date=December 18, 2024}}
With the Rebels win, UNLV won its first bowl game since 2000.
{{clear}}
Game summary
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle= background:#151b33; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #e79537; text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|bg=#fff
|bg2=#eee
|title=2024 LA Bowl
|date=Wednesday, December 18, 2024
|time=6:11 p.m. PST
|road=California
|R1=10 |R2=3 |R3=0 |R4=0
|home=No. 24 UNLV
|H1=7 |H2=7 |H3=7 |H4=3
|stadium= SoFi Stadium • Inglewood, California
|attendance=24,420
|weather=Clear • Temperature: {{convert|72|F|C}} • Wind: {{convert|4|mph|kph|abbr=on}} northwest (fixed roof)
|referee=
|TV=ESPN
|TVAnnouncers=Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), and Kris Budden (sideline)
|reference= [https://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=401677081 Box score]
|scoring=
;First quarter
- (7:45) CAL – Derek Morris 43 yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:13; California 3–0)
- (5:04) UNLV – Kayden McGee 49 yard pass from Hajj-Malik Williams, Caden Chittenden kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:41; UNLV 7–3)
- (0:19) CAL – Josiah Martin 29 yard run, Derek Morris kick (Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 4:45; California 10–7)
;Second quarter
- (13:17) UNLV – Jacob De Jesus 9 yard pass from Hajj-Malik Williams, Caden Chittenden kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:02; UNLV 14–10)
- (1:50) CAL – Ryan Coe 30 yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 32 yards, 5:40; UNLV 14–13)
;Third quarter
- (2:13) UNLV – Kylin James 23 yard run, Caden Chittenden kick (Drive: 1 plays, 23 yards, 0:06; UNLV 21–13)
;Fourth quarter
- (6:01) UNLV – Caden Chittenden 48 yard field goal (Drive: 4 play, -5 yards, 2:08; UNLV 24–13)
}}
=Statistics=
{{AmFootballGameStatistics
| Float = left
| Visitor = California Golden Bears
| VisitorDisplay = CAL
| Home = UNLV Rebels
| HomeDisplay = UNLV
| VisFirsts = 21
| VisPlaysYds = 82–348
| VisRushing = 43–182
| VisPassYds = 166
| VisPassing = 19–39–0
| VisTOP = 36:09
| HomeFirsts = 12
| HomePlaysYds = 60–291
| HomeRushing = 41–143
| HomePassYds = 148
| HomePassing = 6–19–0
| HomeTOP = 23:51
}}
{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers
| Float = right
| Visitor = California Golden Bears
| VisitorDisplay = California
| Home = UNLV Rebels
| HomeDisplay = UNLV
| VisPasser = CJ Harris
| VisPassStats = 13/20, 109 yards
| VisRusher = Jaydn Ott
| VisRushStats = 11 carries, 84 yards
| VisReceiver = Jack Endries
| VisReceivingStats = 7 receptions, 61 yards
| HomePasser = Hajj-Malik Williams
| HomePassStats = 5/18, 96 yards, 2 TD
| HomeRusher = Jai'Den Thomas
| HomeRushStats = 18 carries, 72 yards
| HomeReceiver = Cameron Oliver
| HomeReceivingStats = 1 reception, 52 yards
}}
{{clear}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- Game statistics at [https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/index.html?id=560454 statbroadcast.com]
{{2024 bowl game navbox}}
{{LA Bowl navbox}}
{{California Golden Bears bowl game navbox}}
{{UNLV Rebels bowl game navbox}}