Las Vegas Natives Eager for Crucial Homecoming Tilt With Rebels
LARAMIE -- Yes, this game was circled the minute the Mountain West slate was announced.
Yes, ticket requests have already reached double-figures -- and then some.
Yes, UNLV offered both full-ride scholarships after standout prep careers at Arbor View High School, just 20 miles from campus.
Tanielu Maafala-Barbasa and Jayden Williams said they gave serious thought to wearing the scarlet and gray of their hometown university but, ultimately, the rookies were more interested in leaving the desert and charting their own college football path.
There were other reasons, too.
"It was down to those two at the end, but I already knew Wyoming was the place for me," said Maafala-Barbasa, a 6-foot-1, 281-pound defensive tackle. "I came here mainly because of coach (Deonte) Gibson and the program."
Since he arrived on the high plains last winter, Maafala-Barbasa, a three-star prospect who also fielded offers from Central Michigan, New Mexico State and conference rival Air Force, among others, has packed on nearly 50 pounds. That has also thrust him into action along a Cowboy front loaded with seasoned veterans.
"Tani," as he's known to his coaches and teammates, has appeared in all eight games during his freshman campaign. He's been on the field for 169 snaps, tallying five tackles. One of those was his first-career sack, which came in a 41-23 rout of Northern Illinois.
Williams, a small but mighty 5-foot-8, 171-pound wide receiver, caught the attention of Wyoming's staff after hauling in 162 career catches for 2,898 yards and 35 touchdowns, breaking nearly every school record in the process.
UNLV and its former play-caller, Brennan Marion, also took notice. The creator of the "Go-Go" offense likely pictured the speedy, shifty Williams becoming a headache for opposing defenses.
He was all in.
When former UNLV head coach Barry Odom landed the gig at Purdue, Sacramento State took the opportunity to scoop up Marion and hand him the keys to the program.
Williams was all set to follow him, too.
Fast-forward one year -- and a 7-5 record later -- Marion abruptly left the program to join Deion Sanders' staff at Colorado. For Williams, it was on to Plan B.
His receivers coach in high school, Zach Van Leeuwen, was a wideout at Utah State under Jovon Bouknight. The connection was made. The rest is history.
"I didn't really feel that connection as much," Williams said of current UNLV head coach Dan Mullen taking the reins in 2025. "So that kind of went out the window from there. (Wyoming recruiting coordinator) Austin Maus and (wide receivers coach) Bouknight were very transparent through the whole thing. Everything I learned from (Van Leeuwen) came from Bo, and there was just a click from there."
Williams, who has appeared in six games and been on the field for 42 plays this fall, said he expects 30-to-50 family members to be in attendance Saturday night inside Allegiant Stadium. Along with Maafala-Barbasa, the duo has played inside this $2 billion venue three times. Unfortunately for them, they ran into national powerhouse Bishop Gorman in those state title tilts.
A step toward a Mountain West championship, though, is very much in play in Sin City. The winner of this game between the Cowboys (5-3, 4-1) and Rebels (5-3, 3-1) will take over sole possession of second place, all but eliminating the other from contention.
Winning, as always, is the goal, Williams added, but this night will be a special one no matter what transpires.
"Just being able to go back home and play in that stadium again, see my family, and play in front of them, is going to be an awesome experience," he added.
BJ Inmon, a junior cornerback at Wyoming, also hails from Las Vegas.
Smiley and soft-spoken, Maafala-Barbasa said he's received "at least 20" requests for tickets. The 17-year-old grew up in Hawaii and never considered himself a UNLV fan. There's a healthy level of respect for that program, he added, but it just wasn't for him.
He is looking forward to visiting, though.
"I can't wait to go back because all my family's going to be there," he added. "A lot of people told me that they're going to be there."
Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
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