Live stream will be available after this brief ad from our sponsors
Backstage Country

LISTEN LIVE

Williams Leads UNLV to a Dominant Victory After Taking Over as Quarterback

The UNLV Running Rebels are still on fire! With a 4-0 start to their season, the team is still riding that momentum but obviously had a couple of surprises this…

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The UNLV Running Rebels are still on fire! With a 4-0 start to their season, the team is still riding that momentum but obviously had a couple of surprises this week. We have a new starting quarterback in Hajj-Malik Williams who stepped into the spotlight after Matthew SUlka decided to redshirt the remainder of the season after a failed NIL (name, image, and likeness) deal. Despite the sudden change, Williams rose to the occasion, leading the rebels to a blowout 59-14 win over Fresno State. 

Sulka’s Unexpected Decision to Redshirt

The season began with really high hopes for Matthew Sulka who was expected to be the driving force behind UNLV's exciting season. But things took a turn when a key NIL deal fell through. Sulka made the decision to redshirt the rest of the year. NIL deals are very important for college athletes. 

Sulka's leaving created a big opportunity for Williams to prove himself. In a matter of just a few days, Williams went from waiting on the bench for an opportunity to become the starting quarterback for a 3-0 college football team with their first home conference game. The question was, will the rebs come out strong with all the changes during the week? 

Williams Takes Over and Shines

Williams answered the question quickly - "Yes." At Allegiant Stadium yesterday, he stepped up and took the field cool, calm, and collected. The game against Fresno State was supposed to be a test for the new-look Rebels. Instead, it became a statement. 59-14 victory that left no doubt about Williams’ ability to lead this team. According to ESPN leading up to the game - "It was business as usual," UNLV coach Barry Odom said.

A Team Effort to Stay Undefeated

Of course, Williams didn’t do it alone. The entire UNLV team stepped up to ensure their undefeated streak continued. Both sides of the ball did their job. The offense did their job putting up 59 points and of course, the defense holding Fresno State to only 14 points. 

Looking Ahead

With a 4-0 record, UNLV is off to its best start since 1976 and Williams seems ready to keep the momentum going. The team's unity, and resilience were on full display against Fresno State, and the city is excited! We play again against Syracuse on Friday. UNLV isn't surviving - we are thriving! 

5 Must-See TV Shows Set In Las Vegas

What are your favorite TV shows set in Las Vegas? It's the entertainment capital of the world, and there are plenty of TV programs to choose from.

While iconic movies like The Hangover and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas might be the first to come to mind when you think of programming set in Vegas. However, those are movies and we're talking TV shows right now! Movies get enough chatter, and now it's time to highlight the little guy on the small screen. If you're looking for some TV shows set in Las Vegas to watch, you can't go wrong watching these 5 shows.

What Are The Best TV Shows Set In Las Vegas?

Hollywood might get most of the attention when it comes to entertainment, but we all know where the best place for it really is. Not only are there great shows to see at the various resorts and stages around town, there have been many fantastic shows that chose Las Vegas as its setting. Honestly, some of the biggest shows in TV history were set right here in Vegas.

Sure, when you think of Sin City, TV shows probably aren't the first thing that comes to mind. There's a lot more happening here to distract you. The bright lights can be pretty distracting and can lead you to thinking of several other things. There's the live shows, the residencies, and all the fun you can have at the casino. Then, there were many blockbuster movies set in Vegas that got a lot of attention. Am I too bold if I say that The Hangover (the first one, obviously) was the most recent quotable comedy movie? Even though that came out back in 2009 I don't think anything quotable has come out since then. Am I wrong on that? I'd be happy if you could provide a more recent example.

Only going with 5 TV shows set in Las Vegas posed a unique problem--it's a small number and there have been lots of shows that take place here. So, I'm going to have to name some Honorable Mentions before we get to the 5 final shows that actually ended up making the list. Bad Ink was big for a while and so was American Restoration, both of those were based here. Dr. Vegas was an interesting show but has no business making the final 5. I also didn't include any older shows because I haven't watched them and it wouldn't be fair to put a show on the list that I haven't seen. Ready for the list? Check out the best shows set in Sin City below! Have you seen all of these?

CSI

Not only is CSI one of the greatest shows set in Las Vegas--it's one of the best shows ever. The Las Vegas version was the first in the CSI franchise and ended up having spin-offs such as: CSI: New York, CSI: Miami, CSI: Cyber, and a revival series CSI: Vegas. At one point, it was the most successful show on CBS and was a national phenomena. The show was so big it gave real life Crime Scene Investigators problems known as the "CSI effect" where people thought they knew more than the professionals thanks to the show. It's a great show and does a good job showcasing Las Vegas.

Hacks

If you haven't seen Hacks on Max you are missing out! It is so funny and the cast is phenomenal. It stars Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, and Kaitlin Olson. The show has won 6 Emmys including Best Actress, Best Writing, and Best Directing. The show follows legendary Vegas comic Deborah Vance as she struggles to regain her former glory and hires a young writer to help out. The chemistry between the 2 is great. It's a funny show for anyone, I love it just as much as my parents do. Actually, they might even like it more than I do!

Las Vegas

It's pretty where Las Vegas took place based on the title. The NBC show starred James Caan, Josh Duhamel, James Lesure, and Nikki Cox. The show started in 2003 and concluded in 2008. The show follows a security team at a Vegas casino. It was pure Sin City. It was a powerful cast with some serious star power! Definitely a must-see show set in Vegas.

GLOW

GLOW follows a Los Angeles actress who moves to Las Vegas and discovers an amazing world of women's wrestling and gets involved in the scene. It's funny, it's engaging, and it's very Las Vegas. It has a unique cast made up of Alison Brie, Marc Maron, Sydelle Noel, and Betty Gilpin. The show ran for 3 seasons on Netflix. It came to an unexpected end due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flip Or Flop Vegas

For the record, I love HGTV but I can't stand Flip Or Flop (the original). Both of the hosts annoy me and I don't trust them. Having said that, Flip Or Flop Vegas has different hosts who I can actually tolerate. However, it's not about the hosts. It's all about the beautiful homes and what they do with them. Is it my favorite show on HGTV? No (that's Rock The Block) but it's good enough to recommend. However, Flip Or Flop the original you should avoid because those 2 hosts are something else.

Aimee Thomas is the morning show co-host of Aimee + Shawn on 102.7 VGS. She has been VGS since the birth of the station in 2022 and has been with Beasley Media Group for nine years doing mornings at various stations in the cluster. Before working in radio Aimee was a bartender at a local restaurant in Las Vegas when a local radio veteran thought she would be perfect in radio because of her crazy stories, knowledge of pop culture, and contagious laugh. Aimee loves writing about new recipes she creates in her kitchen, her favorite artists and actors, and being a mom of two boys.

Sign up for our newsletter

Stay up to date with the latest country music news, Las Vegas events, exclusive contests, and more!