Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 | 2:08 p.m.
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One of the most bizarre seasons in UNLV football history has finally concluded, nearly a full week after the team played its last game.
Buffalo rallied late to defeat Akron, 23-22, in a makeup game on Friday afternoon. That victory improved the Bulls to 6-6 on the season and earned them the 82nd and final bowl spot while knocking UNLV out of contention.
Had Akron won, UNLV would have claimed the final bowl slot due to its superior APR score, which is the tiebreaker among teams with a 5-7 record.
That seemingly farfetched scenario nearly came to pass, as Akron jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first half. The Zips held a 22-16 advantage late in the fourth quarter and they looked to be in the driver’s seat after intercepting Buffalo with less than four minutes to play.
UNLV had to like its chances at that point, but Akron’s next play after the turnover saw the quarterback and running back fumble a handoff exchange. Buffalo recovered at midfield and had new life.
On a 4th-and-10 play, Buffalo quarterback Cole Snyder hit Quian Williams for a 16-yard touchdown, and the PAT put the Bulls in front with 1:45 remaining.
Akron had one more chance to play spoiler, but the final drive never really got going — Buffalo came up with an interception on the second play to seal the game.
UNLV controlled its own destiny and could have played its way into a bowl with wins over Hawaii and UNR to close the season, but the Scarlet and Gray were upset by Hawaii, 35-31. After barely scraping by UNR, head coach Marcus Arroyo was fired.
Had Akron managed to win, UNLV would have accepted a bowl bid under interim coach Kenwick Thompson. Instead, the season has reached its official end, and all eyes turn to the coaching search, which athletic director Erick Harper said is already underway.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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