.Maximum Olson, ESPN Workers WriterSep 28, 2024, 08:48 PM ETCloseCovers the Large 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the College of NebraskaLAS VEGAS-- UNLV created a declaration Saturday in its initial game without previous starting quarterback Matthew Sluka: The Rebels are mosting likely to be merely fine.Rolling to a prevalent 59-14 draw Fresno State as well as transferring to 4-0, UNLV proved it'll be a challenger in the Mountain West race despite its quarterback change.Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 182 yards, rushed for 119 gardens and also represented four complete touchdowns in his very first beginning for the Rebels after Sluka decided to leave the course on Wednesday over a disagreement about his NIL payment." It was service customarily," UNLV train Barry Odom said. "Our company've acquired a quite mature group. ... Our gamers, our experts've obtained strong management. They recognize the mission that our team're on and they acquired it carried out." Williams, a sixth-year senior as well as FCS transfer coming from Campbell, joined the Rebels in January and dropped a close competitors with Sluka in autumn camp. The 24-year-old quarterback played in 41 games at Campbell, leaving as the program's career leader in passing yards and also touchdowns, and also awaited his opportunity." I thought he was effective, I assumed he was actually effective," Odom stated. "I believed the objectionable line carried out a significant work safeguarding him. I believed the receivers ran great paths. I thought the distance runners operated hard. Our team played properly as an outburst." UNLV pass receiver Ricky White III led the Rebels with a season-high 10 drawbacks for 127 yards and also two touchdowns and also stated the quarterback improvement was actually "certainly great for us."" He's merely a fantastic quarterback that us, as an offense, we can move at the back of as well as merely pass his pace," White said.After beginning 3 ready UNLV, Sluka chose to redshirt as well as is actually counted on to go into the transfer website in December. Sluka's father and also representative have declared he was actually verbally guaranteed $100,000 through UNLV outrageous planner Brennan Marion in the course of his employment but received simply $3,000 coming from the university's NIL aggregate. UNLV stated in a claim that Sluka's representatives created monetary demands for him to always keep playing that it interpreted as "a violation of NCAA pay-for-play regulations, in addition to Nevada condition rule." Editor's Picks2 RelatedOdom gone through from an equipped declaration throughout his postgame press conference and carried out certainly not take inquiries regarding Sluka. He pointed out UNLV abided by appropriate rules and also is dedicated to the development as well as success of every gamer in the course." Several have shared extremely sturdy point of views regarding the activities of recently without complete expertise of the simple facts, without total expertise of the celebrations of last week and without total know-how of the rules in the ever-changing, advancing NIL body," Odom pointed out. "And also sadly, some have actually even utilized this condition as a platform for their own schedules. I recognize everybody's right to a viewpoint, and I will not comment on others' opinions or even their incentives for expressing all of them." White also possessed a message for Circa Sports Chief Executive Officer Derek Stevens after the Las vega casino showed rate of interest in offering $100,000 to keep Sluka on the group, telling the Sin city Review-Journal that doing this would certainly deserve it "to maintain the Rebels' playoff really hopes active."" I would ask that a person communicate to the Circa CEO and also inquire him, keeping that $100,000 that he would like to contribute, inflict our O-line please," White said.The Rebels broke a six-game losing streak versus Fresno Condition and also accomplished the program's very first 4-0 begin considering that 1976 with a solid day with all three periods of the activity. Their defense generated 4 interceptions and four sacks while allowing merely 30 hurrying yards, and also their unique teams provided a shut out punting that White came back for a goal in the 1st fourth plus a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown through Jai'Den Thomas in the fourth quarter.The triumph always keeps UNLV in the competition for the increased 12-team College Football Playoff and concludes a disorderly week for an athletic division that was actually concurrently dealing with the current around of event adjustment in college athletics.UNLV officially decided to continue to be in the Hill West on Thursday, denying a move to the Pac-12 following that organization's enhancement of Boise Condition, Colorado State, Fresno Condition, San Diego State and Utah Condition for 2026. The 7 staying universities in the Hill West consented to a grant of rights that will certainly tie them to the conference via 2031-32. After already defeating Large 12 participants Houston and Kansas in nonconference play, UNLV obtains one more possibility to take down an Electrical power 4 rival and also reinforce its own CFP ru00e9sumu00e9 when it holds 3-1 Syracuse on Friday." Our people will definitely flip the web page definitely rapidly," Odom claimed. "I could possibly tell in the closet room our company prepare to do that as well as hop on to the next game.".