The Art of Sport LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk will feature a matchup between California and UNLV at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 18. California, led by head coach Justin Wilcox, barely reached bowl eligibility with a 6-6 record in their first season after leaving the Pac-12. UNLV, with a 10-3 record, narrowly missed out on a College Football Playoff berth and will be playing under interim coach Del Alexander for the first time after their previous coach left for Purdue.
UNLV is playing in back-to-back bowl games for the first time in program history and is looking to secure their first bowl win since 2000. This season has already been historic for UNLV as they are the winningest team in school history and could reach 11 wins with a victory in the bowl game. Cal, on the other hand, is aiming to win their first bowl game since 2019 and finish the season with a winning record for the first time since that year.
The game marks the fourth edition of the LA Bowl and the second year it is being hosted by former NFL star Rob Gronkowski. Despite losing their starting quarterback to the transfer portal, Cal is favored to win the game. They will have to contend with UNLV’s quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams and their dynamic offensive style known as the “go-go” offense. The matchup is expected to be an exciting clash between two teams looking to end their seasons on a high note.
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