.Max Olson, ESPN Team WriterSep 28, 2024, 08:48 PM ETCloseCovers the Huge 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the Educational Institution of NebraskaLAS LAS VEGA-- UNLV created a claim Sunday in its own initial game without former starting quarterback Matthew Sluka: The Rebels are mosting likely to be just fine.Rolling to a leading 59-14 sway Fresno State and also moving to 4-0, UNLV showed it'll be a challenger in the Mountain range West competition despite its own quarterback change.Hajj-Malik Williams tossed for 182 gardens, rushed for 119 gardens and represented four complete touchdowns in his first begin for the Rebels after Sluka decided to leave behind the program on Wednesday over a dispute regarding his NIL compensation." It was actually business customarily," UNLV trainer Barry Odom said. "Our experts have actually obtained a quite fully grown crew. ... Our players, our company have actually acquired solid management. They comprehend the objective that our company perform and also they obtained it carried out." Williams, a sixth-year senior and also FCS transfer from Campbell, joined the Rebels in January and also dropped a near competition with Sluka in autumn camp. The 24-year-old quarterback played in 41 video games at Campbell, leaving as the system's career leader in passing lawns and touchdowns, and also was ready for his option." I thought he worked, I believed he was actually effective," Odom claimed. "I believed the offensive line carried out an incredible work defending him. I presumed the receivers managed wonderful courses. I presumed the distance runners operated hard. Our team participated in well as an offense." UNLV wide receiver Ricky White III led the Rebels along with a season-high 10 drawbacks for 127 lawns and 2 goals as well as claimed the quarterback adjustment was actually "absolutely great for our company."" He's just a terrific quarterback that our company, as an offense, we may move behind and also just go by his pace," White said.After starting 3 ready UNLV, Sluka opted to redshirt and is actually counted on to enter the transactions portal in December. Sluka's daddy as well as agent have actually declared he was verbally promised $100,000 through UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion throughout his recruitment yet got only $3,000 coming from the institution's NIL collective. UNLV said in a claim that Sluka's representatives created economic demands for him to maintain participating in that it interpreted as "an infraction of NCAA pay-for-play guidelines, in addition to Nevada condition law." Publisher's Picks2 RelatedOdom read through coming from a well prepared declaration during the course of his postgame news conference and also performed certainly not take inquiries relating to Sluka. He claimed UNLV complied with suitable policies and also is actually committed to the growth and success of every player in the system." Numerous have conveyed extremely powerful viewpoints regarding the occasions of last week without full understanding of the simple facts, without full know-how of the events of last week as well as without total knowledge of the regulation in the ever-changing, progressing NIL device," Odom stated. "And unfortunately, some have even used this circumstance as a system for their very own programs. I respect every person's right to a viewpoint, and I will not talk about others' point of views or even their motivations for revealing all of them." White also had a notification for Circa Sports Chief Executive Officer Derek Stevens after the Las vega gambling establishment showed interest in supplying $100,000 to keep Sluka on the team, telling the Sin city Review-Journal that doing this would deserve it "to always keep the Rebels' playoff wishes active."" I would certainly ask that a person connect to the Circa chief executive officer and inquire him, keeping that $100,000 that he intended to give away, give it to our O-line feel free to," White said.The Rebels popped a six-game losing touch versus Fresno State and also accomplished the course's very first 4-0 begin due to the fact that 1976 with a sturdy time with all three phases of the activity. Their defense produced 4 interceptions and also 4 sacks while enabling merely 30 rushing gardens, and their special staffs provided a blocked out punt that White returned for a touchdown in the 1st quarter plus a 90-yard first yield touchdown through Jai'Den Thomas in the fourth quarter.The success keeps UNLV in the race for the grown 12-team College Football Playoff and ends a chaotic full week for a sports division that was simultaneously managing the latest around of event adjustment in college athletics.UNLV officially chose to continue to be in the Hill West on Thursday, refusing a relocate to the Pac-12 following that organization's enhancement of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno Condition, San Diego State and Utah State for 2026. The 7 continuing to be colleges in the Mountain range West consented to a give of liberties that will tie all of them to the association by means of 2031-32. After presently beating Significant 12 members Houston and also Kansas in nonconference play, UNLV obtains one more option to remove a Power 4 challenger and also strengthen its own CFP ru00e9sumu00e9 when it holds 3-1 Syracuse on Friday." Our guys will definitely turn the webpage really swiftly," Odom mentioned. "I could possibly tell in the closet space our company're ready to carry out that and hop on to the following game.".