.Maximum Olson, ESPN Staff WriterSep 28, 2024, 08:48 PM ETCloseCovers the Huge 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the College of NebraskaLAS LAS VEGA-- UNLV created a declaration Saturday in its own very first game without former starting quarterback Matthew Sluka: The Rebels are visiting be just fine.Rolling to a leading 59-14 get Fresno State as well as moving to 4-0, UNLV confirmed it'll be actually a contender in the Mountain range West race irrespective of its quarterback change.Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 182 lawns, hurried for 119 yards and also made up 4 complete goals in his very first begin for the Rebels after Sluka decided to leave behind the program on Wednesday over an issue regarding his NIL remuneration." It was business customarily," UNLV instructor Barry Odom stated. "Our company've obtained a really fully grown staff. ... Our players, we've acquired strong management. They understand the goal that we perform and they got it carried out." Williams, a sixth-year senior and FCS move from Campbell, joined the Rebels in January as well as shed a near competitors along with Sluka in autumn camp. The 24-year-old quarterback played in 41 activities at Campbell, leaving as the system's profession leader in passing backyards and also touchdowns, and also was ready for his opportunity." I assumed he was effective, I thought he was actually reliable," Odom said. "I believed the repulsive line performed a significant project securing him. I presumed the recipients managed excellent options. I assumed the distance runners operated hard. Our company participated in well as an offense." UNLV wide receiver Ricky White III led the Rebels with a season-high 10 catches for 127 backyards and also two goals and also mentioned the quarterback adjustment was actually "absolutely suitable for our team."" He is actually merely a great quarterback that our company, as an outburst, we may move at the back of and just pass his rate," White said.After starting 3 games for UNLV, Sluka opted to redshirt and also is actually counted on to go into the transfer site in December. Sluka's dad as well as agent have actually affirmed he was actually vocally assured $100,000 by UNLV annoying coordinator Brennan Marion in the course of his employment but acquired simply $3,000 coming from the school's NIL collective. UNLV claimed in a declaration that Sluka's agents made economic demands for him to maintain participating in that it interpreted as "an offense of NCAA pay-for-play rules, along with Nevada condition legislation." Publisher's Picks2 RelatedOdom reviewed coming from a prepared claim throughout his postgame press conference as well as performed certainly not take concerns relating to Sluka. He stated UNLV followed applicable rules and is actually dedicated to the progression as well as results of every gamer in the program." A lot of have expressed extremely strong viewpoints regarding the activities of recently without full know-how of the facts, without complete know-how of the activities of recently and without total know-how of the rules in the ever-changing, developing NIL system," Odom claimed. "And also sadly, some have even used this instance as a system for their personal schedules. I recognize everybody's right to a point of view, and I won't comment on others' opinions or even their incentives for showing them." White additionally had an information for Circa Sports Chief Executive Officer Derek Stevens after the Las vega casino site shared rate of interest in supplying $100,000 to always keep Sluka on the staff, informing the Sin city Review-Journal that doing so will cost it "to keep the Rebels' playoff hopes to life."" I will ask that somebody reach out to the Circa chief executive officer and also ask him, with that $100,000 that he would like to contribute, give it to our O-line please," White said.The Rebels broke a six-game losing touch against Fresno State as well as attained the program's first 4-0 start since 1976 with a powerful time with all three phases of the activity. Their defense made four interceptions and also 4 sacks while enabling merely 30 hurrying lawns, and their exclusive teams delivered an obstructed punting that White returned for a touchdown in the first one-fourth plus a 90-yard kickoff profit touchdown through Jai'Den Thomas in the 4th quarter.The success keeps UNLV in the race for the grown 12-team College Football Playoff and also concludes a turbulent week for an athletic department that was actually simultaneously handling the latest sphere of event adjustment in college athletics.UNLV officially made a decision to continue to be in the Hill West on Thursday, turning down a move to the Pac-12 following that league's addition of Boise Condition, Colorado Condition, Fresno Condition, San Diego Condition as well as Utah Condition for 2026. The seven staying colleges in the Hill West accepted to a grant of legal rights that will tie them to the conference with 2031-32. After presently beating Large 12 participants Houston as well as Kansas in nonconference play, UNLV receives another chance to remove a Power 4 rival and reinforce its own CFP ru00e9sumu00e9 when it holds 3-1 Syracuse on Friday." Our individuals are going to flip the webpage really promptly," Odom said. "I might tell in the storage locker area our experts prepare to perform that as well as hop on to the next activity.".