Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams can prove he's an upgrade for No. 25 UNLV against Syracuse
UNLV running back Jai'Den Thomas (9) celebrates after running for a touchdown past Fresno State defensive back Jayden Davis (11) during the first half of a NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Las Vegas. Credit: AP/Steve Marcus
LAS VEGAS — If dual-threat quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams truly is an upgrade under center for No. 25 UNLV, the Rebels would certainly love for him to prove himself one step further than he did during last week’s 59-14 win over Fresno State.
The Rebels (4-0) will enter unchartered territory Friday night when they host Syracuse (3-1) as the 25th-ranked team in the nation.
UNLV had never been ranked in the AP Top 25, but after Williams threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score in the win against Fresno State, the Rebels are doing their best to prove they are becoming a football school. In turn, Williams is doing his best to make his predecessor a distant memory.
Williams took over UNLV‘s offense after Matthew Sluka announced through his agent last week that he would sit out the rest of the season over an alleged $100,000 NIL payment that was never paid.
A few days later, Williams completed 13 of 16 passes for 182 yards. He also carried 12 times for 119 yards.
“I thought we did a great job establishing the line of scrimmage with the offensive line play,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “I thought we were able to run the ball. You get over 250 yards rushing, (that) usually means your offensive line is blocking well. Receivers were blocking well on the perimeter, running backs ran well.”
UNLV already has two road wins at Big 12 schools Houston (Aug. 31) and Kansas (Sept. 13), and now welcomes the ACC’s Syracuse. The Orange allow 343.8 yards per game (67th nationally), while their pass-efficiency defense is 36th in the country.
UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams (6) is tackled by Fresno State defensive lineman Mordecai Hines (89) as linebacker Phoenix Jackson (7) looks on during the first half of a NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Las Vegas. Credit: AP/Steve Marcus
“I look at the way they play at all three phases, they’re tough, they’re physical,” Odom said. “They play a brand of football that has really good football players in every area, and they’ve got great coaches. You look for advantages throughout either offense, defense and kicking, and they’re tough to find.”
Muzzling McCord
UNLV will have its hands full with arguably the best quarterback it will see this season. Kyle McCord had a career-high 385 yards passing against Holy Cross to become the first Syracuse quarterback to throw for 300 yards in four straight games. He leads the nation in passing yards per game (364.8) and completions per game (28.5). McCord’s 1,459 yards passing is the highest total for an Orange signal-caller through the first four games of a season in program history.
Special and not so much
UNLV recorded two special teams touchdowns against Fresno State. The first came on a blocked punt that was returned by All-American wide receiver Ricky White III, while the second came on a 90-yard kickoff return by RB Jae’Den Thomas.
Against Holy Cross, Syracuse was 0 for 3 on field goal attempts with Jadyn Oh and incumbent Brady Denaburg coming up empty.
Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord (6) looks to pass against Georgia Tech during the first half of an NCAA football game on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 in Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse won 31-28. Credit: AP/Hans Pennink
Road openers
After opening the season with four straight in Syracuse, the Orange hit the road for the first time this season. Syracuse has won three straight and five of its last six road openers.
Friday night lights
UNLV will play for the 25th time on a Friday. The Rebels are 10-13-1 all-time on Fridays, including losses in 12 of their last 16.
“We’ve adjusted our practice schedule to be able to fit the time we need for meetings and for the number of reps that we need,” Odom said about his team’s preparation.
