.Maximum Olson, ESPN Staff WriterSep 28, 2024, 08:48 PM ETCloseCovers the Big 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the Educational Institution of NebraskaLAS VEGAS-- UNLV created a declaration Sunday in its own 1st activity without former starting quarterback Matthew Sluka: The Rebels are heading to be actually merely fine.Rolling to a prevalent 59-14 gain Fresno State and relocating to 4-0, UNLV verified it'll be a competitor in the Mountain range West race irrespective of its quarterback change.Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 182 yards, rushed for 119 yards and represented 4 complete touchdowns in his 1st start for the Rebels after Sluka opted to leave the program on Wednesday over a dispute regarding his NIL remuneration." It was actually service customarily," UNLV trainer Barry Odom mentioned. "We have actually received an extremely mature team. ... Our gamers, we have actually received sturdy leadership. They understand the goal that our team perform and they acquired it carried out." Williams, a sixth-year elderly and FCS move from Campbell, participated in the Rebels in January and also shed a close competitors with Sluka in loss camping ground. The 24-year-old quarterback played in 41 activities at Campbell, leaving behind as the system's occupation leader in passing gardens as well as goals, as well as awaited his possibility." I assumed he worked, I believed he was actually dependable," Odom stated. "I presumed the objectionable line performed a significant project shielding him. I thought the recipients operated terrific paths. I assumed the joggers operated hard. Our company participated in well as an offense." UNLV wide receiver Ricky White III led the Rebels with a season-high 10 drawbacks for 127 gardens and also 2 touchdowns and also stated the quarterback modification was actually "definitely great for our company."" He's only a terrific quarterback that us, as an offense, our experts may move behind as well as simply go by his rate," White said.After starting 3 games for UNLV, Sluka chose to redshirt as well as is actually anticipated to enter the transmission website in December. Sluka's daddy and also broker have declared he was actually verbally assured $100,000 by UNLV repulsive organizer Brennan Marion during his recruitment yet got simply $3,000 from the institution's NIL collective. UNLV mentioned in a claim that Sluka's representatives made monetary demands for him to always keep playing that it took "an infraction of NCAA pay-for-play guidelines, along with Nevada state regulation." Editor's Picks2 RelatedOdom reviewed from a prepared statement during the course of his postgame press conference as well as performed certainly not take inquiries regarding Sluka. He mentioned UNLV complied with relevant regulations as well as is devoted to the growth as well as excellence of every player in the program." Many have actually revealed really powerful opinions regarding the celebrations of recently without full knowledge of the facts, without total understanding of the activities of last week and without total knowledge of the rules in the ever-changing, evolving NIL device," Odom said. "As well as unfortunately, some have also utilized this scenario as a platform for their personal schedules. I respect everybody's right to a viewpoint, and I won't talk about others' viewpoints or their motivations for showing them." White also possessed a notification for Circa Athletics Chief Executive Officer Derek Stevens after the Vegas gambling enterprise expressed rate of interest in giving $100,000 to always keep Sluka on the crew, saying to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that doing this would certainly be worth it "to maintain the Rebels' playoff really hopes alive."" I would ask that somebody connect to the Circa CEO as well as ask him, keeping that $100,000 that he wanted to donate, inflict our O-line satisfy," White said.The Rebels snapped a six-game losing touch versus Fresno State and accomplished the course's initial 4-0 beginning due to the fact that 1976 with a sturdy day in each 3 phases of the video game. Their defense created four interceptions as well as four sacks while permitting merely 30 rushing backyards, and their special groups provided a blocked out punting that White came back for a goal in the initial one-fourth plus a 90-yard first return touchdown by Jai'Den Thomas in the 4th quarter.The success keeps UNLV in the race for the grown 12-team University Football Playoff as well as wraps up a turbulent full week for a sports division that was simultaneously taking care of the most up to date around of event realignment in university athletics.UNLV formally decided to continue to be in the Mountain range West on Thursday, turning down a transfer to the Pac-12 following that organization's enhancement of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno Condition, San Diego Condition as well as Utah Condition for 2026. The 7 remaining colleges in the Hill West agreed to a give of legal rights that will bind all of them to the conference through 2031-32. After currently beating Significant 12 members Houston and Kansas in nonconference play, UNLV receives one more possibility to take down a Power 4 rival as well as boost its own CFP ru00e9sumu00e9 when it organizes 3-1 Syracuse on Friday." Our fellas will turn the webpage actually swiftly," Odom stated. "I can inform in the closet area our experts prepare to do that as well as jump on to the upcoming video game.".