.Max Olson, ESPN Team WriterSep 28, 2024, 08:48 PM ETCloseCovers the Big 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the Educational Institution of NebraskaLAS VEGAS-- UNLV made a claim Sunday in its initial activity without former beginning quarterback Matthew Sluka: The Rebels are actually mosting likely to be actually simply fine.Rolling to a dominant 59-14 get Fresno State as well as transferring to 4-0, UNLV verified it'll be an opponent in the Mountain West competition irrespective of its quarterback change.Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 182 yards, rushed for 119 lawns and made up 4 overall touchdowns in his 1st beginning for the Rebels after Sluka opted to leave behind the program on Wednesday over a conflict about his NIL payment." It was business as usual," UNLV coach Barry Odom stated. "Our experts've obtained a quite mature crew. ... Our players, our experts have actually obtained sturdy leadership. They understand the objective that our experts get on and they acquired it done." Williams, a sixth-year elderly and FCS transfer coming from Campbell, participated in the Rebels in January and lost a near competition with Sluka in loss camp. The 24-year-old quarterback played in 41 games at Campbell, leaving as the course's career innovator in passing backyards as well as touchdowns, and also was ready for his chance." I assumed he was effective, I believed he was reliable," Odom pointed out. "I believed the annoying line carried out a tremendous project defending him. I presumed the receivers ran fantastic routes. I thought the joggers managed hard. Our company participated in well as an offense." UNLV pass receiver Ricky White III led the Rebels with a season-high 10 drawbacks for 127 backyards as well as 2 touchdowns and claimed the quarterback modification was "most definitely great for our team."" He's only a fantastic quarterback that our team, as an outburst, our experts can move behind and also just go by his rate," White said.After beginning 3 ready UNLV, Sluka opted to redshirt as well as is actually expected to enter the transfer gateway in December. Sluka's dad as well as broker have actually declared he was verbally assured $100,000 by UNLV objectionable organizer Brennan Marion during the course of his recruitment but received merely $3,000 from the college's NIL aggregate. UNLV mentioned in a claim that Sluka's representatives made monetary demands for him to keep playing that it interpreted as "an offense of NCAA pay-for-play policies, and also Nevada condition regulation." Publisher's Picks2 RelatedOdom read through coming from an equipped claim throughout his postgame news conference and also carried out certainly not take questions regarding Sluka. He mentioned UNLV complied with appropriate policies and is committed to the progression and effectiveness of every gamer in the program." A lot of have expressed quite tough point of views about the activities of last week without total understanding of the truths, without complete knowledge of the occasions of last week as well as without total know-how of the rules in the ever-changing, advancing NIL system," Odom stated. "As well as unfortunately, some have even used this scenario as a system for their own plans. I value everyone's right to a viewpoint, as well as I will not comment on others' viewpoints or even their motivations for revealing them." White likewise had a notification for Circa Sports Chief Executive Officer Derek Stevens after the Las vega casino site expressed interest in supplying $100,000 to keep Sluka on the team, informing the Las Vegas Review-Journal that doing so will deserve it "to maintain the Rebels' playoff wishes active."" I would certainly inquire that somebody connect to the Circa CEO as well as inquire him, with that said $100,000 that he desired to give, inflict our O-line satisfy," White said.The Rebels snapped a six-game losing streak versus Fresno Condition and also obtained the program's very first 4-0 begin because 1976 along with a strong day with all 3 stages of the game. Their defense generated four interceptions and four sacks while making it possible for merely 30 hurrying gardens, and also their special staffs provided a blocked out punting that White returned for a goal in the initial one-fourth plus a 90-yard first return goal through Jai'Den Thomas in the fourth quarter.The victory keeps UNLV in the competition for the increased 12-team University Regulation football Playoff and wraps up a turbulent week for an athletic team that was concurrently taking care of the most recent sphere of association adjustment in university athletics.UNLV formally chose to stay in the Mountain West on Thursday, denying a transfer to the Pac-12 observing that organization's enhancement of Boise Condition, Colorado Condition, Fresno State, San Diego Condition and also Utah Condition for 2026. The 7 continuing to be universities in the Mountain range West accepted a grant of civil liberties that will definitely bind them to the event via 2031-32. After already beating Huge 12 participants Houston as well as Kansas in nonconference play, UNLV acquires one more opportunity to remove a Power 4 challenger and also enhance its own CFP ru00e9sumu00e9 when it hosts 3-1 Syracuse on Friday." Our individuals will definitely flip the webpage definitely rapidly," Odom mentioned. "I could tell in the storage locker space our experts're ready to carry out that as well as get on to the following video game.".