Why wouldn't UNLV's collective find $100,000 to keep starting quarterback Matthew Sluka happy amid the program's first 3-0 start since 1984? Hajj-Malik Williams provided the answer on Saturday. In UNLV's first game since an NIL dispute made it the talk of college football,

UNLV made a statement Saturday in its first game without former starting quarterback Matthew Sluka, as Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 182 yards and rushed for 119 more, as the Rebels rolled to a dominant 59-14 victory over Fresno State,

New quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams piloted the UNLV Rebels to a 59-14 pasting of Fresno State in their Mountain West opener Saturday afternoon. The win came after a week of distraction when starting QB Matthew Sluka abruptly left the team after an NIL dispute on Wednesday.

Former starting quarterback for the UNLV Rebels, Matthew Sluka, surprised a lot of folks Wednesday when he decided to suddenly leave the program over an NIL dispute. Sluka alleged an assistant coach offered him $100,000 upon committing to transfer to UNLV but ultimately reneged on that promise.

Barry Odom opened his post-game press conference on Saturday by reading a prepared statement, explaining in the tersest of terms that he wasn’t going to answer any questions about Matthew Sluka’s departure from the team over an NIL dispute

Hajj-Malik Williams threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score, Ricky White III returned a blocked punt for a score and caught two touchdown passes, and Jai’Den Thomas returned a kickoff 90 yard

The whole country was asking, how will UNLV’s offense be without Matthew Sluka and with Hajj-Malik Williams. We now know the answer, UNLV will be fine without Sluka and they are arguably better with Williams at the helm.

Playing its first game after losing former staring QB Matthew Sluka mid-week to an NIL dispute, UNLV played -- easily -- its best game of the season thus far.