.Max Olson, ESPN Team WriterSep 28, 2024, 08:48 PM ETCloseCovers the Significant 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the College of NebraskaLAS VEGAS-- UNLV made a claim Sunday in its initial game without previous beginning quarterback Matthew Sluka: The Rebels are actually heading to be just fine.Rolling to a dominant 59-14 gain Fresno State as well as moving to 4-0, UNLV confirmed it'll be a competitor in the Mountain West competition no matter its own quarterback change.Hajj-Malik Williams tossed for 182 lawns, rushed for 119 lawns and also represented four total touchdowns in his first beginning for the Rebels after Sluka decided to leave behind the course on Wednesday over a conflict about his NIL settlement." It was service as usual," UNLV trainer Barry Odom pointed out. "Our experts've got an extremely fully grown staff. ... Our players, our company have actually got strong management. They comprehend the mission that our team perform and also they got it performed." Williams, a sixth-year elderly as well as FCS move from Campbell, joined the Rebels in January and shed a close competitors with Sluka in loss camping ground. The 24-year-old quarterback played in 41 games at Campbell, leaving as the course's occupation forerunner in passing yards and goals, and awaited his opportunity." I presumed he worked, I assumed he was actually dependable," Odom pointed out. "I believed the outrageous line did an incredible work shielding him. I thought the receivers operated excellent options. I presumed the runners ran hard. We participated in well as an outburst." UNLV pass receiver Ricky White III led the Rebels along with a season-high 10 catches for 127 lawns as well as two touchdowns and also claimed the quarterback change was actually "most definitely great for us."" He's just a great quarterback that our company, as an offense, we can rally behind and also only go by his pace," White said.After beginning 3 games for UNLV, Sluka decided to redshirt and also is anticipated to enter into the transfer website in December. Sluka's daddy and also broker have declared he was actually vocally guaranteed $100,000 through UNLV repulsive coordinator Brennan Marion during his employment yet received just $3,000 coming from the school's NIL collective. UNLV stated in a statement that Sluka's representatives made economic demands for him to always keep participating in that it interpreted as "a transgression of NCAA pay-for-play rules, in addition to Nevada state rule." Publisher's Picks2 RelatedOdom read coming from a ready claim in the course of his postgame news conference and did certainly not take inquiries concerning Sluka. He said UNLV complied with applicable guidelines and is committed to the advancement as well as results of every player in the course." Lots of have actually revealed really sturdy viewpoints about the occasions of recently without total know-how of the truths, without full know-how of the activities of last week as well as without total know-how of the rules in the ever-changing, growing NIL system," Odom mentioned. "As well as sadly, some have even utilized this circumstance as a system for their own programs. I value everyone's right to a viewpoint, and also I will not discuss others' viewpoints or their motivations for revealing them." White additionally possessed a notification for Circa Athletics Chief Executive Officer Derek Stevens after the Vegas gambling enterprise shared interest in giving $100,000 to maintain Sluka on the team, saying to the Sin city Review-Journal that doing this will cost it "to maintain the Rebels' playoff really hopes active."" I will inquire that somebody connect to the Circa chief executive officer and ask him, with that $100,000 that he wanted to contribute, give it to our O-line satisfy," White said.The Rebels snapped a six-game losing touch versus Fresno State and also achieved the course's 1st 4-0 begin due to the fact that 1976 along with a solid time with all three periods of the activity. Their defense created 4 interceptions as well as four sacks while allowing just 30 hurrying gardens, and also their unique staffs supplied a blocked punting that White returned for a goal in the initial quarter plus a 90-yard first return goal by Jai'Den Thomas in the fourth quarter.The victory maintains UNLV in the competition for the increased 12-team College Football Playoff and also wraps up a chaotic week for a sports team that was all at once coping with the latest round of association adjustment in university athletics.UNLV officially determined to remain in the Hill West on Thursday, disapproving a transfer to the Pac-12 observing that organization's add-on of Boise Condition, Colorado Condition, Fresno Condition, San Diego Condition and Utah State for 2026. The seven remaining institutions in the Mountain range West agreed to a give of civil rights that will bind them to the association through 2031-32. After actually defeating Significant 12 members Houston as well as Kansas in nonconference play, UNLV gets one more chance to take down an Electrical power 4 opponent and reinforce its CFP ru00e9sumu00e9 when it throws 3-1 Syracuse on Friday." Our men will flip the page actually swiftly," Odom claimed. "I could say to in the storage locker space we prepare to perform that as well as jump on to the upcoming activity.".