Game day: New QB steps in after tumultuous week as UNLV hosts Fresno State

After everything that has transpired over the past week, UNLV players and coaches will no doubt be relieved to actually step on the field on Saturday when the 3-0 Scarlet and Gray host Fresno State in the Mountain West opener (12:30 p.m., FS1).

All eyes will be on Hajj-Malik Williams, the sixth-year senior transfer who has been elevated to the starting quarterback job in the wake of Matthew Sluka’s departure. UNLV has its eyes on the College Football Playoffs, so switching QBs midstream — and in such a public and controversial fashion — is going to put a ton of pressure on Williams, a transfer from Campbell who has yet to attempt a pass this season.

Can Barry Odom get his team to rise to the occasion and deliver yet another landmark victory? Three keys to watch:

Meet Hajj-Malik

Williams was a record setter at Campbell, where he passed for more yards than any other quarterback in Fighting Camels history (8.236). So he’s no stranger to slinging the ball. And with 1,600 career rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, he’s a threat to take off and run, too.

The question is, can he step into a very difficult situation and execute UNLV’s go-go offense against Division-I opponents? We’ll get our first look on Saturday, but to his credit, Williams did pass all offseason tests. He was good in spring practice, put up great numbers in the spring game, and pushed Sluka to the final week of training camp before ceding the starting job. If Williams had been named the No. 1 QB for the opener against Houston, it wouldn’t have been a shocking move.

Williams’ most important task (aside from the nuts and bolts of getting the team lined up properly and running the offense) will be getting Ricky White more involved. With Sluka at the helm, White had just five catches for 15 yards in UNLV’s two DI games. Targeting White — and the rest of UNLV’s talented receiving corps — will open up an element of the offense that wasn’t working under Sluka.

Defense to be tested

Fresno State sports the best passing attack UNLV has had to defend so far this season, with a veteran quarterback at the controls and big-time receiving threats across the field. Is UNLV’s revamped secondary up to the challenge?

That group has been dominant so far, with safeties Jalen Catalon and Johnathan Baldwin combining for four interceptions and top corners Cameron Oliver and Tony Grimes shutting down the outside. They’ll all need to be at their best to match up with Fresno playmakers Mac Dalena (431 receiving yards, three touchdowns) and Jalen Moss (243 yards).

After shutting down Kansas in the second half of their Week 3 win, Oliver said the secondary is ready for Fresno State’s more pass-centric approach.

“This quarterback, he’s pass-first,” Oliver said. “He likes to get it out to his guys quick, spread it out wide and hit quick passes. So I feel like that’s the difference. They’re going to stretch the field more.”

Allegiant advantage?

UNLV football hasn’t played a home game with stakes like this in a long time — decades, perhaps. A win over Fresno State would improve the team to 4-0, possibly get them into the AP Top 25 (they’re already No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll) and keep them at the front of the line for the College Football Playoffs. Oh, and it would make a huge statement about moving past the Sluka controversy.

So of course Odom encouraged fans to turn out and top the 24,512 that showed up for the home opener against Utah Tech on Sept. 7.

“We’re excited about playing at home, we’re excited about being in Allegiant,” he said. “We’ve got a nationally ranked team that the home crowd can cheer on. I would like to turn it into a homefield advantage for us, which we can do in that stadium. I have a great belief that at 12:30 we’ll walk into the stadium and it will be the best crowd we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

Will it be a sea of Scarlet and Gray inside Allegiant? Oliver thinks so.

“It’s a big game,” Oliver said. “It should be a little packed out. I’m really excited.”

Team leaders

UNLV (3-0, 0-0 MWC)

Passing

Hajj-Malik Williams: 0-of-0 passing, 88 rushing yards

Rushing

Greg Burrell: 126 yards, 6.3 yards per carry, 1 TD

Receiving

Ricky White: 10 receptions, 126 yards, 3 TDs

Defense

Jackson Woodard: 23 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 1 INT

Fresno State (3-1, 1-0 MWC)

Passing

Mikey Keene: 66.7%, 1,040 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs

Rushing

Malik Sherrod: 191 yards, 3.7 yards per carry, 3 TDs

Receiving

Mac Dalena: 18 receptions, 431 yards, 3 TDs

Defense

Tuasivi Nomua: 40 tackles, 3.5 TFLs

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.