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Following a 3-1 stretch to begin its season at home, Syracuse travels to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to face No. 25 UNLV Friday. The game marks the Orange’s second game versus an a top-25 team having already beaten then-No. 23 Georgia Tech in Week 2.

SU was on the verge of becoming a top-25 team, but a stunning 26-24 loss versus Stanford following its bye week derailed that opportunity. After bouncing back with a 42-14 win over Holy Cross, Syracuse didn’t receive any votes in the AP Top 25 Poll for back-to-back weeks after receiving votes in the prior two weeks.

Now, the Orange enter one of their toughest stretches of the season, beginning with the Rebels. While it’s 4-0, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for UNLV as former starting quarterback Matthew Sluka left the team over a Name, Image and Likeness dispute with the university and opted to use a redshirt year.

“We get the opportunity to go there and play on Friday night, the country gets that chance to see us both compete. I think it’ll be a real fun football game to watch,” Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said.

Here are some takeaways from Brown’s weekly press conference before his first road game as SU’s head coach:

NIL

It’s impossible to talk about UNLV’s football team without NIL. Ahead of the Rebels’ Week 5 matchup versus Fresno State, Sluka — a Holy Cross transfer — announced he would be sitting out the remainder of the season to preserve his redshirt. Sluka, who led UNLV to a 3-0 record, alleged he was promised $100,000 in NIL money to transfer, but he wasn’t getting paid.

“Honestly, I didn’t read on anything,” Brown said of Sluka’s situation. “I just heard he wasn’t playing. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a shame, for whatever it was, for both sides.’”

Brown added that players value NIL for different reasons. Some players need it to support their families, while others want to better secure their futures. He also added in the situation he grew up in, he would’ve jumped at the opportunity to make money playing college football. However, Brown’s not too interested in Sluka and UNLV’s situation, he just wants to focus on his quarterback room.

“I’m not against whatever (NIL) is, but I don’t know that (UNLV) situation, nor am I trying to dig into that situation,” Brown said. “I’m just really focused on Kyle (McCord), (Michael Johnson Jr.), all of our quarterbacks.”

Hajj-Malik Williams

In place of Sluka, the Rebels tapped Hajj-Malik Williams as their new starting quarterback. Williams was a five-year player at Campbell, notching 8,200 passing yards and 1,590 rushing yards.

Williams’ dual-threat prowess was on full display in his first game starting for the Rebels. He completed 13-of-16 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns while adding 119 rushing yards and a touchdown en route to UNLV’s 59-14 win over Fresno State.

“(He’s) really athletic, he’s fun to watch,” Brown said of Williams. “I just like watching him, he’s a good player. It’s like a better version of how I was in high school.”

Asked whether he thought UNLV changed what it did offensively because of the quarterback change, Brown said he didn’t see many differences. SU’s head coach explained Rebels head coach Barry Odom does a good job staying within his system and recruiting talent that fits his offense.

“It’s tough anytime you play against somebody like Hajj, who can run and throw,” Brown said. “So it’s a nightmare for the defensive coordinator and the head coach.”

Road tripping + injury updates

Brown acknowledged that it’s rare for a team to open its season with four consecutive home games, but said he’s excited for SU to get a chance to play on the road. Because of UNLV’s success thus far, the scene in Las Vegas and the game’s primetime slot Friday night, Brown knows eyes around the country will be on the game.

“We get to go represent Syracuse on a Friday night in Las Vegas,” Brown said. “It’s pretty cool to be able to go there and we’re excited.”

Ahead of the matchup, Brown provided status updates on some of Syracuse’s players. Marlowe Wax, who suffered an injury in Week 1, seems to be on track to return around the six-week benchmark originally set for him. Brown said Wax has been running in water and will begin running on flat ground soon.

Brown also gave updates on wide receivers Justus Ross-Simmons and Zeed Haynes. Ross-Simmons dressed for the first time this season against Stanford, but Brown confirmed the Colorado State transfer was out against Holy Cross because of an injury. Brown noted Ross-Simmons is healthy and will be active for UNLV. Brown didn’t give a timetable for Haynes’ return, though. Haynes has missed SU’s last two weeks due to personal reasons.

Published on September 30, 2024 at 6:58 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon