.Max Olson, ESPN Staff WriterSep 28, 2024, 08:48 PM ETCloseCovers the Big 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the College of NebraskaLAS VEGAS-- UNLV made a declaration Saturday in its own 1st activity without past starting quarterback Matthew Sluka: The Rebels are visiting be only fine.Rolling to a leading 59-14 sway Fresno State and also relocating to 4-0, UNLV verified it'll be actually a challenger in the Mountain West race no matter its own quarterback change.Hajj-Malik Williams tossed for 182 gardens, rushed for 119 backyards and also represented 4 total goals in his very first start for the Rebels after Sluka decided to leave the course on Wednesday over a dispute concerning his NIL settlement." It was business as usual," UNLV train Barry Odom mentioned. "Our company've received a very mature team. ... Our gamers, our experts have actually acquired powerful leadership. They recognize the purpose that our team perform and they obtained it carried out." Williams, a sixth-year elderly and FCS move coming from Campbell, participated in the Rebels in January and lost a close competitors along with Sluka in loss camp. The 24-year-old quarterback played in 41 video games at Campbell, leaving behind as the plan's occupation forerunner in passing lawns as well as touchdowns, and was ready for his possibility." I believed he was effective, I presumed he was actually effective," Odom said. "I thought the annoying line performed an incredible project shielding him. I believed the recipients ran wonderful courses. I assumed the joggers managed hard. Our team participated in well as an outburst." UNLV wide receiver Ricky White III led the Rebels with a season-high 10 drawbacks for 127 lawns and also 2 touchdowns and mentioned the quarterback change was "definitely helpful for our team."" He is actually just a fantastic quarterback that us, as an outburst, our team can move behind as well as simply go by his speed," White said.After starting 3 ready UNLV, Sluka opted to redshirt and is actually counted on to get into the transactions gateway in December. Sluka's dad and broker have declared he was actually verbally guaranteed $100,000 through UNLV repulsive planner Brennan Marion during the course of his recruitment but received just $3,000 coming from the college's NIL collective. UNLV pointed out in a statement that Sluka's reps made economic requirements for him to maintain participating in that it took "an offense of NCAA pay-for-play regulations, along with Nevada state regulation." Publisher's Picks2 RelatedOdom read through coming from a well prepared claim throughout his postgame news conference and also did not take questions concerning Sluka. He pointed out UNLV complied with suitable policies as well as is devoted to the advancement as well as effectiveness of every player in the system." Several have shown quite tough opinions regarding the events of recently without total knowledge of the facts, without full knowledge of the occasions of recently and also without total expertise of the rules in the ever-changing, growing NIL system," Odom claimed. "And unfortunately, some have actually also used this scenario as a platform for their personal agendas. I recognize everybody's right to a point of view, as well as I won't talk about others' point of views or their inspirations for showing them." White additionally possessed a message for Circa Sports CEO Derek Stevens after the Las vega casino site revealed rate of interest in supplying $100,000 to always keep Sluka on the group, telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal that doing so will cost it "to keep the Rebels' playoff wishes to life."" I will talk to that a person communicate to the Circa CEO and also ask him, with that $100,000 that he would like to give, give it to our O-line feel free to," White said.The Rebels popped a six-game losing streak versus Fresno State as well as accomplished the course's very first 4-0 begin due to the fact that 1976 with a solid time in every three phases of the activity. Their self defense generated 4 interceptions as well as four sacks while enabling merely 30 hurrying gardens, as well as their exclusive crews delivered a blocked punt that White returned for a touchdown in the very first fourth plus a 90-yard kickoff yield touchdown by Jai'Den Thomas in the fourth quarter.The victory maintains UNLV in the competition for the broadened 12-team College Regulation football Playoff and concludes a chaotic week for an athletic team that was actually concurrently taking care of the most up to date around of conference realignment in university athletics.UNLV officially chose to remain in the Hill West on Thursday, rejecting a relocate to the Pac-12 following that league's enhancement of Boise State, Colorado Condition, Fresno Condition, San Diego State and Utah Condition for 2026. The seven remaining schools in the Mountain West accepted a give of legal rights that will definitely tie them to the conference through 2031-32. After currently beating Large 12 members Houston and Kansas in nonconference play, UNLV acquires another option to remove an Electrical power 4 opponent and enhance its CFP ru00e9sumu00e9 when it organizes 3-1 Syracuse on Friday." Our men will certainly flip the webpage truly quickly," Odom claimed. "I could possibly inform in the locker area our team prepare to accomplish that as well as jump on to the following game.".