Here's who is playing in the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field

PHOENIX — Bowl season has arrived for college football and the matchup for the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix has been revealed! 

The Kansas Jayhawks (8-4, 5-4 Big XII) are headed to the Valley to take on the UNLV Rebels (9-4, 6-2 Mountain West Conference). 

This will be the second straight trip to a bowl game for the Jayhawks, who won at least eight games for just the 11th time in program history. In 2022, the Jayhawks lost to the Arkansas Razorbacks, 55-53, in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. 

This will also be Kanas' second trip to play in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. They beat Minnesota in 2008, when the game was known as the Insight Bowl and played at ASU's Mountain America Stadium, which was then known as Sun Devil Stadium.  

The Jayhawks finished 8th in the Big XII this season. Their best win this season came on Oct. 28 when they upset the then-No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners. That was Kansas' first win over a top-10 team since 2008. 

Kansas is 6-7 all-time in bowl games. 

This will be just the fifth trip to a bowl game in the history of UNLV football and their first trip to the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. 

This will be the first trip to a bowl game for the Rebels since the 2013-14 season when they lost to North Texas in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. UNLV won their other three bowl appearances (2000 Las Vegas Bowl, 1994 Las Vegas Bowl and 1984 California Bowl). 

UNLV lost to Boise State in the Mountain West Conference Championship game.  

This is just the second time these teams will play each other in football. The last time was in 2003, when Kansas beat UNLV, 46-24. 

"We are thrilled to host Kansas and UNLV at the Guaranteed Rate Bowl," Erik Moses, the executive director and CEO of the Fiesta Bowl, which runs the Guaranteed Rate Bowl said. "As we celebrate the passion and excitement of college football, this matchup marks a significant milestone in the bowl's legacy. Together, we look forward to creating unforgettable moments, exposing visitors to the Valley of the Sun, and delivering unparalleled hospitality to fans and players alike." 

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH 

• Kansas 
  • Quarterback Jason Bean: 11 games played, 105/171, 1,681 yards, 12 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 41 rushes, 259 yards, 3 touchdowns 
    • Stepped in as starter in Week 4 after injury to Jalon Daniels
  • Running back Devin Neal: 12 games played, 183 rushes, 1,209 yards, 15 touchdowns, 24 catches, 214 yards, 1 touchdown 
  • Wide receiver Lawrence Arnold: 12 games played, 38 catches, 650 yards, 3 touchdowns
  • Safety Kenny Logan Jr.: 12 games played, 86 tackles (56 solo), 6 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 5 passes broken up, 1 forced fumble
  • Cornerback Cobee Bryant: 12 games played, 30 tackles (28 solo), 4 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 5 passes broken up, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery 
• UNLV 
  • Quarterback Jayden Maiava: 13 games played, 200/318, 2,794 yards, 14 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 69 rushes, 261 yards,  3 touchdowns 
    • Mountain West Freshman of the Year
  • Wide receiver Ricky White III: 13 games played, 81 catches, 1,386 yards, 7 touchdowns 
    • First-Team All-Mountain West
  • Running back Vincent Davis: 13 games played, 132 attempts, 722 yards, 6 touchdowns, 10 catches, 99 yards, 1 touchdown
  • Linebacker Jackson Woodard: 13 games played, 113 tackles (52 solo), 8 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 interception, 3 passes broken up, 1 quarterback hit 
    • First-Team All-Mountain West

COACHES 

• Kansas: Lance Leipold  
  • Third season with Kansas 
  • 16-21 overall record 
  • 0-1 in bowl games with Kansas, 2-2 overall 
  • Head coach at University of Buffalo from 2015-20, 53-54 career record 
  • 2018 and 2019 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year
• UNLV: Barry Odom 
  • First season with UNLV 
  • Mountain West Coach of the Year 
  • Led UNLV to first winning season since 2013 and best record since 1984 when the Rebels won 11 games

The 34th Guaranteed Rate Bowl will be played at 7 p.m. on Dec. 26, 2023, at Chase Field. It will be broadcast on ESPN. 

You can purchase tickets at tickets.guaranteedratebowl.com or by calling (480) 350-0911. As of Dec. 3, tickets range from $88-$588 (including fees). 

Arizona sports

The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.   

The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.  

The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.  

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