.Maximum Olson, ESPN Team WriterSep 28, 2024, 08:48 PM ETCloseCovers the Significant 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the College of NebraskaLAS VEGAS-- UNLV brought in a claim Sunday in its very first game without former beginning quarterback Matthew Sluka: The Rebels are actually visiting be just fine.Rolling to a dominant 59-14 gain Fresno Condition and also transferring to 4-0, UNLV verified it'll be actually a challenger in the Hill West competition regardless of its quarterback change.Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 182 gardens, hurried for 119 lawns as well as made up 4 complete goals in his 1st beginning for the Rebels after Sluka decided to leave the plan on Wednesday over an issue regarding his NIL remuneration." It was actually company as usual," UNLV train Barry Odom stated. "Our experts have actually got an incredibly fully grown staff. ... Our gamers, our experts have actually received solid leadership. They recognize the mission that our company get on and also they received it carried out." Williams, a sixth-year senior and FCS transfer from Campbell, participated in the Rebels in January and shed a close competitors along with Sluka in fall camp. The 24-year-old quarterback played in 41 activities at Campbell, leaving as the system's job forerunner in passing gardens and goals, and also awaited his option." I presumed he worked, I thought he was actually dependable," Odom claimed. "I believed the repulsive line performed a tremendous job securing him. I presumed the receivers managed great paths. I thought the runners managed hard. Our company played effectively as an offense." UNLV pass receiver Ricky White III led the Rebels along with a season-high 10 catches for 127 gardens as well as 2 goals as well as stated the quarterback change was actually "most definitely helpful for our company."" He's merely a great quarterback that us, as an offense, our company may move at the back of and merely go by his speed," White said.After starting 3 games for UNLV, Sluka decided to redshirt as well as is actually anticipated to enter the transactions portal in December. Sluka's father and broker have actually alleged he was actually verbally guaranteed $100,000 by UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion throughout his recruitment however got simply $3,000 from the school's NIL cumulative. UNLV said in a declaration that Sluka's representatives created monetary needs for him to always keep participating in that it interpreted as "a violation of NCAA pay-for-play guidelines, along with Nevada condition legislation." Editor's Picks2 RelatedOdom read through coming from a prepared declaration during his postgame news conference and also performed not take questions regarding Sluka. He claimed UNLV adhered to appropriate rules as well as is committed to the advancement as well as excellence of every gamer in the program." A lot of have expressed very tough point of views regarding the events of last week without total understanding of the realities, without full knowledge of the occasions of recently and also without total expertise of the regulation in the ever-changing, developing NIL body," Odom mentioned. "As well as unfortunately, some have actually even utilized this situation as a platform for their personal plans. I appreciate everyone's right to an opinion, and also I will not talk about others' viewpoints or even their inspirations for sharing all of them." White likewise had a notification for Circa Athletics CEO Derek Stevens after the Las vega casino expressed interest in providing $100,000 to always keep Sluka on the staff, informing the Las Vegas Review-Journal that doing this would cost it "to keep the Rebels' playoff really hopes to life."" I will inquire that someone communicate to the Circa chief executive officer and also ask him, keeping that $100,000 that he would like to donate, inflict our O-line satisfy," White said.The Rebels broke a six-game losing streak versus Fresno Condition and attained the system's initial 4-0 beginning given that 1976 with a strong day in each three phases of the game. Their protection created four interceptions as well as 4 sacks while enabling merely 30 hurrying yards, and also their special teams delivered a blocked punting that White returned for a goal in the 1st one-fourth plus a 90-yard kickoff profit goal through Jai'Den Thomas in the fourth quarter.The success maintains UNLV in the competition for the extended 12-team University Soccer Playoff and concludes a disorderly full week for a sports department that was actually simultaneously managing the most up to date around of association adjustment in university athletics.UNLV officially chose to remain in the Hill West on Thursday, denying a transfer to the Pac-12 following that league's enhancement of Boise Condition, Colorado State, Fresno Condition, San Diego State as well as Utah Condition for 2026. The 7 remaining colleges in the Hill West consented to a grant of liberties that will bind them to the conference with 2031-32. After currently beating Large 12 members Houston and also Kansas in nonconference play, UNLV receives another option to remove an Electrical power 4 challenger and strengthen its CFP ru00e9sumu00e9 when it holds 3-1 Syracuse on Friday." Our people are going to flip the webpage definitely promptly," Odom pointed out. "I might inform in the closet area our company're ready to do that and also climb on to the next activity.".