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The UNLV football program stays undefeated after beating Fresno State Saturday, 59-14, even without quarterback Matthew Sluka who redshirted and won't play the rest of the season due to NIL complications. With the story surrounding Sluka that the UNLV football program allegedly didn't pay him $100,000 that they promised, there is still a season ahead for the team as head coach Barry Odom discusses the victory per ESPN.
“It was business as usual,” Odom said. “We've got a very mature team. … Our players, we've got strong leadership. They understand the mission that we're on and they got it done.”
While Sluka had been exceptional through the first three games of the season, Hajj-Malik Williams filled in and led the team to victory as he threw for 182 yards to go along with three touchdown passes. Odom would discuss Williams' performance while also giving credit to the offense as a whole in the win over Fresno State.
“I thought he was effective, I thought he was efficient,” Odom said. “I thought the offensive line did a tremendous job protecting him. I thought the receivers ran great routes. I thought the runners ran hard. We played well as an offense.”
The main star on offense likely had to be wide receiver Ricky White III who caught 10 passes for 127 yards and two touchdown passes. Speaking of the quarterback position, he sung the praises of Williams who looks to lead the Rebels down the line.
“He's just a great quarterback that us, as an offense, we can rally behind and just go by his pace,” White said.
UNLV football's Barry Odom has prepared statement on Matthew Sluka
Back to the controversial situation with the program, people were wondering how the football team would respond not having their quarterback as there was even a failed attempt by Circa Sports to give Sluka the money, but the school wouldn't oblige. Odom would not take any questions regarding Sluka, but had a prepared statement on the matter according to ESPN.
“Many have expressed very strong opinions about the events of last week without full knowledge of the facts, without full knowledge of the events of last week and without full knowledge of the rules in the ever-changing, evolving NIL system,” Odom said. “And regrettably, some have even used this circumstance as a platform for their own agendas. I respect everyone's right to an opinion, and I won't comment on others' opinions or their motivations for expressing them.”
When White was asked about the casino wanting to give the money to Sluka to keep the Rebels' playoff hopes alive, he would instead say that if he is still offering, he should give it to a certain position group.
“I would ask that somebody reach out to the Circa CEO and ask him, with that $100,000 that he wanted to donate, give it to our O-line please,” White said.
While being unranked, the dominant win kept the Rebels postseason chances alive as Odom is confident the team has the mindset to do so.
“Our guys will flip the page really quickly,” Odom said. “I could tell in the locker room we're ready to do that and get on to the next game.”
The UNLV football team next faces the Syracuse Orange next Friday night in the hopes of being 5-0.
