.Maximum Olson, ESPN Personnel WriterSep 28, 2024, 08:48 PM ETCloseCovers the Huge 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the College of NebraskaLAS VEGAS-- UNLV brought in a declaration Sunday in its first activity without former beginning quarterback Matthew Sluka: The Rebels are actually mosting likely to be actually merely fine.Rolling to a prevalent 59-14 win over Fresno Condition and transferring to 4-0, UNLV proved it'll be actually an opponent in the Mountain range West race regardless of its own quarterback change.Hajj-Malik Williams tossed for 182 lawns, rushed for 119 backyards and also represented four complete goals in his 1st start for the Rebels after Sluka chose to leave behind the course on Wednesday over a dispute concerning his NIL payment." It was actually business as usual," UNLV trainer Barry Odom claimed. "Our team've got an incredibly fully grown crew. ... Our players, our experts've got solid leadership. They comprehend the objective that we're on as well as they received it carried out." Williams, a sixth-year elderly and also FCS transactions from Campbell, joined the Rebels in January as well as dropped a near competitors with Sluka in loss camp. The 24-year-old quarterback played in 41 video games at Campbell, leaving behind as the program's job forerunner in passing lawns and also touchdowns, and also was ready for his possibility." I believed he worked, I presumed he was reliable," Odom claimed. "I believed the offensive line did an enormous task shielding him. I believed the receivers operated excellent routes. I assumed the runners operated hard. We played properly as an outburst." UNLV pass receiver Ricky White III led the Rebels with a season-high 10 catches for 127 yards as well as 2 touchdowns and also said the quarterback improvement was "certainly good for our company."" He's only a wonderful quarterback that our company, as an offense, our company may rally at the back of and only go by his pace," White said.After starting three games for UNLV, Sluka chose to redshirt and also is actually counted on to get into the transfer gateway in December. Sluka's papa and agent have alleged he was verbally promised $100,000 through UNLV offending coordinator Brennan Marion throughout his recruitment but received simply $3,000 coming from the college's NIL cumulative. UNLV claimed in a statement that Sluka's representatives created economic requirements for him to keep playing that it interpreted as "a transgression of NCAA pay-for-play guidelines, and also Nevada condition regulation." Publisher's Picks2 RelatedOdom read through from a well prepared declaration throughout his postgame press conference and also performed certainly not take inquiries pertaining to Sluka. He mentioned UNLV complied with relevant rules and also is actually committed to the development as well as excellence of every gamer in the program." Many have conveyed really tough point of views regarding the celebrations of last week without complete know-how of the truths, without complete understanding of the celebrations of recently and also without complete knowledge of the rules in the ever-changing, advancing NIL unit," Odom pointed out. "As well as regrettably, some have actually also used this condition as a platform for their personal agendas. I recognize every person's right to a viewpoint, and I won't talk about others' viewpoints or their incentives for showing them." White additionally possessed a message for Circa Sports CEO Derek Stevens after the Las vega casino site expressed passion in offering $100,000 to keep Sluka on the team, telling the Sin city Review-Journal that doing so will cost it "to always keep the Rebels' playoff wishes alive."" I will ask that a person reach out to the Circa CEO as well as inquire him, keeping that $100,000 that he intended to give away, give it to our O-line please," White said.The Rebels popped a six-game losing touch versus Fresno State and also accomplished the program's very first 4-0 begin due to the fact that 1976 with a powerful day with all three periods of the activity. Their self defense generated four interceptions and also four sacks while permitting simply 30 hurrying backyards, and also their unique staffs supplied an obstructed punting that White returned for a goal in the first one-fourth plus a 90-yard first gain goal by Jai'Den Thomas in the fourth quarter.The victory keeps UNLV in the competition for the extended 12-team University Regulation football Playoff as well as ends a disorderly week for an athletic team that was actually simultaneously dealing with the latest round of conference adjustment in college athletics.UNLV officially chose to stay in the Mountain West on Thursday, declining a move to the Pac-12 following that league's addition of Boise Condition, Colorado State, Fresno Condition, San Diego State as well as Utah State for 2026. The 7 staying institutions in the Mountain range West accepted to a grant of legal rights that are going to bind all of them to the association through 2031-32. After currently beating Huge 12 participants Houston and also Kansas in nonconference play, UNLV receives another option to take down an Energy 4 opponent and enhance its CFP ru00e9sumu00e9 when it throws 3-1 Syracuse on Friday." Our people will certainly turn the web page truly promptly," Odom claimed. "I could tell in the storage locker area our experts prepare to accomplish that and climb on to the next game.".