UTEP Football 2009
Miners Poised to Make Run at Bowl Berth, Conference Championship
But the Texas-El Paso football team is not in bad shape. In fact, the Miners are in solid position to make a run for a bowl berth, and possibly a Conference USA championship.
UTEP (3-4) improved to 2-1 in conference play with a 28-24 upset of Tulsa on Wednesday night, and is just a half-game behind first-place SMU in the Conference USA West Division.
Since the Mustangs (3-3, 2-0) slated to play No. 17 Houston (1-1), UTEP will come out of the weekend no worse than a game out of first – and possibly in a tie for the top position.
But what’s most encouraging for coach Mike Price’s team is that it’s already played – and defeated – the two most highly touted teams in its division. The Miners stunned Houston 58-41 on Oct. 3, and after falling 35-20 to Memphis on Oct. 10, bounced back to beat Tulsa.
UTEP has five games remaining in the regular season, all of them conference games. And the only opponent that enters the weekend with a wining record is Marshall (4-3).
Miners Must Win on Road
But the Miners won’t go anywhere if they can’t win away from home. They’re 0-3 on the road this season, and that's where three of their remaining games are.
After taking on Alabama-Birmingham at home on Oct. 31, the Miners will travel to Tulane, SMU and Rice, before closing out the regular season in El Paso vs. Marshall.
Going 4-1 would put UTEP in bowl position. Winning all five would make the Miners division champions. So they control their own destiny.
The Miners’ hopes, of course, will depend heavily on their maligned defense.
Is UTEP Defense Really That Bad?
Statistically, yes. The Miners are giving up 483.7 yards per game and entered the weekend ranked 117th of 120 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. At 33.3 points per game, they’re 104th in scoring defense.
On the other hand, UTEP has played Houston and Kansas, which happen to rank 1-2 in the FBS in total offense. The Miners also lost 64-7 to No. 3 Texas, which happens to be the highest-scoring team in the FBS.
It’s obvious that UTEP doesn't have a shutdown defense, but the Miners have played with great tenacity at times. And things might become a bit more normal over their last five games. None of their remaining opponents rank higher than 71st in total offense, and two don’t make the top 100.
Plus, Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith is back after missing two games because of injury. The defensive back leads UTEP with 56 tackles, making 11.2 per game. He had 10 vs. Tulsa.
UTEP Offense Picking Up Steam
UTEP’s offense is averaging a mediocre 348.6 yards per game. But the Miners have enjoyed some remarkable moments – none greater than their 56-point, 581-yard eruption vs. Houston. They also gained 446 yards against pretty solid Tulsa defense and had 442 vs. Memphis.
The Miners feature a tough runner in Donald Buckram, who has rushed 122 times for 806 yards and eight touchdowns. The senior is averaging 6.4 yards per carry and 111.9 yards per game.
And quarterback Trevor Vittatoe has shown promise and tenacity. He struggled vs. Tulsa, throwing two early interceptions, but he bounced back to guide the Miners to victory. He’s passed for 1,506 yards and six TDs on the year.
Picks have been a problem for the junior. He’s had two in each of his last two games, in addition to four vs. Texas. And he’s completing only 51.7 percent of his passes.
But as is the case with the UTEP defense, things could get easier. Of the five remaining opponents, none rank higher than 80th total offense, and three are in the 100s.
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