.Maximum Olson, ESPN Staff WriterSep 28, 2024, 08:48 PM ETCloseCovers the Significant 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the College of NebraskaLAS VEGAS-- UNLV created a claim Saturday in its own 1st video game without former beginning quarterback Matthew Sluka: The Rebels are actually heading to be actually merely fine.Rolling to a leading 59-14 get Fresno Condition as well as relocating to 4-0, UNLV proved it'll be a competitor in the Hill West race despite its own quarterback change.Hajj-Malik Williams tossed for 182 gardens, rushed for 119 yards and accounted for four overall touchdowns in his 1st beginning for the Rebels after Sluka chose to leave the system on Wednesday over a disagreement about his NIL payment." It was organization customarily," UNLV instructor Barry Odom mentioned. "Our experts have actually obtained an incredibly fully grown staff. ... Our players, our company have actually got solid leadership. They know the goal that our company perform and they got it done." Williams, a sixth-year elderly and FCS transmission coming from Campbell, participated in the Rebels in January and lost a close competitors along with Sluka in loss camping ground. The 24-year-old quarterback played in 41 games at Campbell, leaving behind as the system's career leader in passing backyards and touchdowns, and also was ready for his opportunity." I thought he worked, I thought he was actually reliable," Odom mentioned. "I presumed the outrageous line carried out an incredible task shielding him. I believed the recipients managed fantastic paths. I believed the runners ran hard. Our company played well as an outburst." UNLV wide receiver Ricky White III led the Rebels along with a season-high 10 catches for 127 lawns and also pair of touchdowns and claimed the quarterback improvement was "most definitely great for us."" He's just an excellent quarterback that our company, as an outburst, our company can move at the rear of and also just go by his speed," White said.After beginning three ready UNLV, Sluka decided to redshirt as well as is expected to go into the transactions portal in December. Sluka's father and broker have actually affirmed he was actually verbally assured $100,000 through UNLV annoying planner Brennan Marion during his employment but acquired just $3,000 coming from the school's NIL aggregate. UNLV mentioned in a statement that Sluka's representatives created economic needs for him to maintain participating in that it took "an infraction of NCAA pay-for-play rules, and also Nevada condition legislation." Publisher's Picks2 RelatedOdom checked out from a ready claim throughout his postgame press conference as well as did certainly not take questions concerning Sluka. He stated UNLV abided by appropriate regulations and also is devoted to the development as well as results of every gamer in the system." Several have actually expressed incredibly solid point of views regarding the occasions of recently without complete expertise of the truths, without full expertise of the activities of last week and also without total expertise of the regulation in the ever-changing, growing NIL system," Odom said. "And also unfortunately, some have even utilized this instance as a platform for their very own programs. I appreciate everybody's right to a viewpoint, as well as I will not discuss others' point of views or even their motivations for showing them." White likewise possessed a notification for Circa Sports CEO Derek Stevens after the Vegas casino expressed rate of interest in offering $100,000 to maintain Sluka on the group, telling the Sin city Review-Journal that doing so will deserve it "to maintain the Rebels' playoff really hopes alive."" I will talk to that somebody communicate to the Circa CEO and also inquire him, with that $100,000 that he desired to give, give it to our O-line feel free to," White said.The Rebels snapped a six-game losing streak against Fresno State and obtained the system's first 4-0 begin since 1976 along with a tough time in all 3 periods of the video game. Their protection made four interceptions as well as four sacks while enabling just 30 rushing lawns, and also their special teams provided a blocked out punt that White came back for a goal in the 1st fourth plus a 90-yard first profit touchdown through Jai'Den Thomas in the 4th quarter.The victory maintains UNLV in the competition for the extended 12-team University Regulation football Playoff and also wraps up a turbulent week for a sports team that was actually concurrently taking care of the most up to date around of association realignment in university athletics.UNLV officially made a decision to stay in the Mountain West on Thursday, declining a move to the Pac-12 complying with that game's addition of Boise Condition, Colorado Condition, Fresno State, San Diego Condition and Utah State for 2026. The 7 staying schools in the Mountain West agreed to a give of legal rights that will bind all of them to the conference with 2031-32. After already defeating Huge 12 participants Houston and also Kansas in nonconference play, UNLV acquires another opportunity to take down an Energy 4 opponent and enhance its CFP ru00e9sumu00e9 when it throws 3-1 Syracuse on Friday." Our guys are going to flip the web page actually rapidly," Odom said. "I can tell in the storage locker room our company prepare to accomplish that and get on to the next activity.".