UNLV, Ohio bring excitement, full rosters to Frisco Bowl

FRISCO, Texas – The great debate about the demise of the bowl game and the future of postseason college football might be on hold for a few hours on Tuesday night.

While viewers tuning into many of these contests spend much of their time just taking account of who is playing — and who has opted out and who has already announced an intention to transfer — the Frisco Bowl between UNLV and Ohio might be an anomoly in the modern world of college football.

“You turn on the TV and the discussion on our game is going to be, ‘Wow, these are two big-time football teams,” UNLV coach Dan Mullen said in a Monday news conference at Ford Center at The Star, where the 6 p.m. game will be played. “Great programs that have won a lot over the last couple years that are full of young men who enjoy playing football, enjoy being a college football player and the experience of what that’s all about.

“You see basically the entire roster of both teams playing because they love to play football. They love the game and that’s what it’s really all about.”

That includes UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who gave Rebels fans an early Christmas present by earlier this week reaffirming his commitment to the program for his senior season despite what would have surely been a great deal of interest and NIL opportunity after a spectacular season that saw him earn Mountain West offensive player of the year honors.

“Everyone wants to play,” he said. “The biggest thing is just getting this last win in the last game of the season. My biggest takeaway this week is just all the guys want to play and want to get a win.”

Mullen, who also could have explored other opportunities this offseason, hopes it’s indicative of what he is trying to build at UNLV (10-2). He performed a massive overhaul of the roster through the transfer portal upon taking the job last December. Not only has the group returned to a bowl game with double-digit victories, but the Rebels that appear fully committed to him going forward if the buy-in for this game is any indication.

“I think it says a lot about the team and I think it says a lot about the program, the type of players who come to UNLV,” he said. “I think it’s one of the things I want to make sure that we do in our approach to recruiting in today’s world.

“No. 1 is, ‘Do you love playing football?’ There’s a lot of reasons guys go play football today. But No. 1 in our program, we want guys who love playing the game and who love what it’s all about. If we can get a program full of guys like that, we’re going to be really successful.”

Guys like senior linebacker Marsel McDuffie, a holdover from two previous regimes who has been a foundational piece for UNLV football’s transformation from occasional bowl game participant to an expectation of annual appearances.

He’s proud of the level to which he has helped raise the program and isn’t about to take for granted the opportunity considering where things stood when he arrived at UNLV.

“It means everything,” he said of helping set a new standard as the Rebels play in a third-straight bowl game for the first time in school history. “I came as a true freshman and during the 2-10 season, I just saw how demoralized guys were. They cared about everything but ball. I was just like, ‘Man, this is not what I’m used to.’

“Now to be in my fifth year and to see the complete transformation of the program to be expected to win 10 games, to be expected to go to a bowl game and play for championships year after year after year. It’s a great feeling and I’m so glad I was able to be a part of that process and excited to see what the future holds and I know it will be in great hands with Coach Mullen and (Colandrea).”

While the overwhelming majority of players from both teams will be in action on Tuesday, Ohio coach Brian Smith won’t be present after getting fired for cause due to alleged inappropriate behavior.

Mullen said he doesn’t expect much to change from the Bobcats (8-4) because both coordinators are still in place.

“I do think we’ll see things we haven’t seen because you can’t take plays into the offseason,” he said. “You can’t take them with you. So you may as well let it all roll and go out there for the bowl game.”

Ohio has a chance to set a program record with 40 victories in a four-year stretch and will also put its six-game bowl winning streak on the line, numbers Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro indicated were important to the players and have kept them focused through the turmoil.

“There’s been some adversity but they haven’t blinked,” interim coach John Hauser said. “We’ve prepared as well as I’ve seen us prepare.”

While the circumstances are quite different around each of the teams, Mullen believes there is one overarching theme pushing both toward Tuesday night’s clash.

“Bowl games are still special experiences,” he said.

Up next

■Who: UNLV (10-3) vs. Ohio (8-4)

■What: Frisco Bowl

■When: 6 p.m. Tuesday

■Where: Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas

■TV: ESPN

■Radio: KWWN (1100 AM, 100.9 FM)

■Line: UNLV -6½; total 65½