UNLV brushed off a drama-filled week surrounding a NIL controversy with quarterback Matthew Sluka, showing no signs of slowing down in their 59-14 win against Fresno State on Saturday.
Sluka left the program this week, saying that UNLV failed to follow through on a $100,000 NIL promise. The Rebels’ NIL collective — Friends of UNLV — has denied that the offer was part of the deal to get Sluka to transfer from Holy Cross.
Sluka had completed 43.8 percent of his passes for 318 yards, six touchdowns and one interception, adding 253 yards and one touchdown on the ground. But the team did not miss a beat without Sluka in the mix.
The Rebels entered halftime on Saturday with a 21-0 lead in their Mountain West opener against the Bulldogs. Hajj-Malik Williams took over for Sluka and accounted for two first-half touchdowns — one passing and one rushing.
UNLV finished with 450 yards of total offense. Williams accounted for four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) and a passer rating of 225.3.