The UNLV offense hasn’t missed a beat since quarterback Matthew Sluka left the team in late September, allegedly because of unfulfilled promises of an NIL deal.
The Rebels have gone 3-1 and averaged 45.7 points a game since Campbell transfer Hajj-Malik Williams took over at quarterback. They cruised to a 59-14 win over Fresno State in his first start, and UNLV (6-1, 2-0 Mountain West) is an overtime loss to Syracuse away from being undefeated.
Williams has posted 838 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air and added 302 yards and four more touchdowns on the ground in the past four games. He leads a unit that ranks No. 2 in the Mountain West with 43.6 points a game and No. 2 in the conference with 251.4 rushing yards a game.
Williams has thrown three touchdown passes in three of the past four games, and he totaled three touchdowns (two rushing and one passing) last week to lead the Rebels to a 33-25 win over Oregon State. He threw 58 touchdown passes in five seasons at Campbell and left as the program’s all-time leader with 8,236 career passing yards.
The sixth-year senior from Marietta, Georgia, will lead UNLV against No. 17 Boise State at 10:30 p.m. ET tonight in what could be the Group of Five game of the year at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The winner will be one of the favorites to host the Mountain West Championship game and have a strong case to earn one of the five automatic berths in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Boise State is a 3.5-point college football betting odds favorite, and the Over/Under is 63.5 points.
Ricky White Shines In Mountain West’s Crowded WR Class
Williams has given UNLV’s offense a boost, but it seems none of his teammates have benefited more from his presence than wide receiver Ricky White.
White, who began his college career at Michigan State, has caught at least seven passes and one touchdown in each of the Rebels’ past four games. He caught a season-high 10 passes in back-to-back games, posting 127 yards and two touchdowns against Fresno State and 135 yards and a touchdown against Syracuse. He also caught seven passes for 128 yards and two scores against Utah State and hauled in three touchdowns early this season against Utah Tech.
White leads UNLV with 46 catches for 614 yards, and he ranks No. 2 in the Mountain West with nine receiving touchdowns. He has emerged as Williams’ favorite target, especially in the red zone, having caught six of the quarterback’s 10 touchdown throws.
White hasn’t just excelled as a pass-catcher this season. He has also blocked three punts, two of which came against Syracuse and Oregon State.
The Mountain West is stacked with talented wide receivers this year. Colorado State’s Tory Horton and Utah State’s Jalen Royals are likely NFL Draft picks. San Jose State’s Nick Nash leads the conference with 72 catches for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hawaii’s Pofele Ashlock is a threat to score every time he touches the ball, and Fresno State’s Mac Dalena has a team-high 30 catches and is averaging more than 20 yards per catch.
White has proven he belongs in the conversation for best wide receiver in the Mountain West. He has racked up 2,342 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns the past three seasons, which makes it likely his name is popping up on more than one NFL team’s draft board, too.
