UTEP Miners

For Starters
The 24th-ranked Miners (8-2, 6-1 WAC) will play their final regular-season game on the road at Tulsa (3-8, 2-5 WAC) on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. MST. The bowl-bound Miners have won seven-straight games, tying the school record for consecutive wins originally set in 2000. The Miners have won eight of their last nine games following a 41-9 setback in the season opener at Arizona State.

UTEP dismantled SMU 57-27 on Nov. 20 to secure a bowl bid. The top two WAC schools are certified bids, and the Miners guaranteed no worse than a sole second-place finish with the win over the Mustangs. Jordan Palmer threw for a career high 339 yards and tied a personal high with five touchdowns. Palmer was 6-for-7 in the third quarter with three touchdowns before giving way to backup Omar Duarte.

Tulsa holds a 7-5 lead in the series, including victories in the last two meetings. The Miners are 4-2 when playing in Tulsa.

Do You Believe?
UTEP has enjoyed a renaissance year under new head coach Mike Price. The Miners are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time in school history (UTEP has been fielding a football program since 1914). It is the first time UTEP has been listed in any top 25 poll since being rated as high as 22nd in the USA Today/CNN poll following an 8-1 start in 1988. In 1988, Bob Stull was the Miners' head coach; he is currently UTEP's director of athletics.

UTEP is 24th in this week's Associated Press poll. The Miners are 25th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. UTEP was listed 24th in last week's Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings (new BCS rankings will be released on Monday).

With eight wins, UTEP has topped its victory total for the previous three seasons combined. The Miners registered two victories in each of the last three years (2001-03). UTEP is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2000, when the Miners finished 8-4 and won a share of the Western Athletic Conference title. With three WAC road wins, UTEP has tied the school record set in 1987 and re-established in 2000.

On The Radio
UTEP's English flagship station is KROD 600 AM. The announcers are Jon Teicher (play-by-play) and Bernie Ricono (color commentary). Teicher is in his 24th season as "Voice of the Miners." Ricono was the Miners' defensive coordinator from 1977-79. The pregame show begins at noon MST. The game will also be carried on KBUY 1360 AM in Ruidoso, N.M.

On Television
Saturday's game will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable Channel 7 in El Paso as part of a simulcast with KROD 600 AM. Jon Teicher will handle the play-by-play and Bernie Ricono will provide the color commentary.

Scouting The Golden Hurricane
Tulsa comes off a 34-24 victory against San Jose State last weekend. Uril Parrish rushed for a career-high 229 yards and two scores, while James Kilian passed for 147 yards and two TDs.

The Golden Hurricane ranks 110th out of 117 Division IA teams in turnover margin (-1.18). Tulsa is also 102nd in scoring defense (33.0 ppg), 105th in rushing defense (213.3 ypg) and 110th in net punting (31.0 avg.).

Tulsa ranks 49th nationally in rushing offense (164.9 ypg), 71st in total offense (361.8 ypg) and 77th in passing offense (196.9 ypg).

The Golden Hurricane ranks 74th in total defense (393.6), 47th in passing efficiency defense (117.7) and 16th in pass defense (180.4).

Ashlan Davis is one of the nation's best kickoff returners, averaging 30.7 yards per attempt. He has taken back four kickoffs for touchdowns with a long of 100 yards.

UTEP/Tulsa Ties
UTEP coach Mike Price was Drew Bledsoe's coach at Washington State and Tulsa coach Steve Kragthrope was Bledsoe's position coach with the Buffalo Bills.

UTEP's J.D. Hearn attended Mesquite (Texas) High with Tulsa's Randy Duncan and Courtney Nelms.

The Miners' Mark Dowdy attended the same high school (Haltom [Texas] High] as Tulsa's John Mila.

Marshall Sanford and Tulsa's Wade Whitlow were teammates at Brazoswood (Texas) High.

Last Meeting
James Kilian passed for 219 yards and ran for 121 more as Tulsa ended a 17-game road losing streak with a 56-28 win over UTEP on Nov. 1, 2003 at the Sun Bowl.

Kilian accounted for five touchdowns (three rushing, two passing) as the Golden Hurricane climbed above .500 (5-4) following a one-win 2002 campaign.

UTEP could muster just 116 yards of offense in the first half. In the second half, the Miners had 249 yards, but Tulsa had 313.

The Miners fell behind 21-7 at the intermission, but rallied to tie the game 21-21 on a 15-yard pass from Jordan Palmer to Jimmy Smith with 8:03 remaining in the third period.

However, Tulsa outscored UTEP 35-7 the rest of the way.

A key play came late in the third quarter. With the Miners trailing 28-21 and facing fourth and two at their own 33-yard line, the Miners opted to try a fake punt, but linebacker Troy Collavo was stuffed for a one-yard loss. Two plays later, Kilian hit Caleb Blankenship for a 32-yard touchdown and a 35-21 Tulsa lead.

Palmer had then career-highs for passing attempts (43), completions (26), yardage (287) and touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions, two of which led to Tulsa touchdowns.

Howard Jackson finished with 124 yards rushing for the Miners.

Last Game
UTEP scored 45 unanswered points to erase an early deficit, as the Miners won their seventh straight game, 57-27 over SMU on Saturday at the Sun Bowl.

The 24th-ranked Miners clinched a bowl bid with the victory. The win, coupled with Louisiana Tech's 55-14 loss at Boise State, guaranteed UTEP no worse than an outright second place finish in the Western Athletic Conference.

Jordan Palmer completed 20 of 27 passes for a career-high 339 yards and five touchdowns for the Miners, who bid farewell to a sterling 21-man senior class prior to the game.

Palmer was six-for-seven passing for 121 yards and three scores in the second half, as UTEP outscored SMU 33-7 to turn a close game into a rout.

Jayson Boyd had a career-high 122 yards receiving on six catches for the Miners. Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. extended his touchdown streak to eight games, collecting four receptions for 78 yards and a score.

UTEP led 24-20 following a seesaw first half. Earlier, the Mustangs went ahead 20-10 on a 49-yard pass from Jerad Romo to Reynaldo Pellerin.

UTEP scored on its first possession of the second half &endash; a five-yard pass from Palmer to Higgins &endash; and the Miners recovered an onside kick to set up another touchdown, effectively putting SMU away.

The Mustangs, who lost their 12th straight road game, had their two-game winning streak stopped.

Howard Jackson rushed for 99 yards for UTEP, putting him over 1,000 for the second straight season. Palmer went over the 2,000-yard passing mark for the year.

SMU, which had 208 yards of offense in the first half, finished with 356. UTEP piled up 528 yards. The Miners scored 50+ points for the second time this season, the first time that has happened since 1986.

Time To Go Bowling
UTEP has secured a spot in a bowl game after topping SMU last weekend. It will be the 11th bowl appearance by the Miners, and only their third since 1967. UTEP last went bowling in 2000 when it was invited to the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho. The Miners previously attended the Independence Bowl in 1988. UTEP has posted a 5-5 record all-time in bowl games.

Turnaround U.
Turnarounds are nothing new at UTEP. The Miner basketball team improved by 17 games from the 2002-03 season to the 2003-04 campaign. The turnaround tied Mercer (2002-03) for the biggest improvement in NCAA history. Now the football team has improved by 7.5 games this season, which would tie for the fourth-best turnaround in NCAA history if the season ended now. Hawaii holds the record with 8.5 in 1999, followed by Purdue (8, 1943), Stanford (8, 1940) and South Carolina (7.5, 2000).

If the Miners defeat Tulsa, they will improve by eight games and if they win their bowl game, they will improve by 8.5 games.

Going For Nine
UTEP has not won nine games since going 10-3 during the 1988 season. The Miners' eight wins are their most since 2000, when they finished 8-4. UTEP has achieved nine or more victories just twice in the program's history. Mike Brumelow's squad finished 9-2 in 1956.

Winning In November: Two For Two
UTEP won its first game in the month of November since 2000 against Rice on Nov. 13, and then defeated SMU on Nov. 20. The Miners had lost 14-consecutive games in the month of November since downing the Owls 38-21 on Nov. 11, 2000 in the Sun Bowl. UTEP was a combined 0-12 in November over the last three seasons (2001-03).

UTEP last won two games in November in 2000. The Miners have won three or more games in the month of November 13 times (1922, 1925, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1954, 1956, 1962, 1965, 1970).

The school record for wins in November is four, set in 1937 and 1956.

Perfect In October
By defeating San Jose State 38-20 on Oct. 30, UTEP completed an undefeated run in the month of October for the first time since 2000. The Miners were 5-0 in October with victories over New Mexico State (45-0), Fresno State (24-21), Hawaii (51-20), Louisiana Tech (44-27) and San Jose State.

UTEP was downright dominant in October, out scoring opponents by a combined tally of 202-88. The Miners averaged 40.4 points in October while allowing an average of 17.6 points (+22.8 scoring margin).

During their October reign, the Miners registered three straight wins by 15+ points for the first time since 1988, when they posted successive lopsided victories over Hawaii (42-25), Colorado State (34-14), New Mexico (37-0) and New Mexico State (42-9).

UTEP tied the school record for wins in the month of October (five), achieved previously in 1932 and 1988.

The Miners were also unbeaten in October in 1919 (1-0), 1930 (4-0), 1936 (3-0-1), 1937 (2-0-2), 1948 (3-0-1), 1953 (4-0), 1955 (3-0-1), 1957 (3-0), 1960 (4-0), 1966 (4-0), 1967 (2-0-1) and 2000 (3-0).

Looking At The Record Books
UTEP has several players who are making their move in the school's record book.

Howard Jackson currently ranks seventh in the school's single-season records with 1,017 rushing yards. His 154.6 all-purpose yards per game rank fourth in school annals, and his 1,546 all-purpose yards rank fourth.

Jordan Palmer ranks sixth with 170 completions and is only the ninth Miner to pass for 2,000 yards in a season with 2,178 yards. His current passing completion percentage of 60.7 (170 for 280) is third-best in school history. The school record is held by Jay Stuckey (64.4 percent) in 1999. Palmer is also second on the school season charts with 22 touchdown passes.

Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. is tied for sixth with nine touchdown receptions.

Jahmal Fenner has racked up 313 yards on punt returns, fourth-best in school history.

Reagan Schneider is tied for second with 15 field goals and second with 43 extra points. He has the best single-season field goal percentage at 93.8 (15 of 16), and is second in kicking points (88 points). His point total is ninth in overall scoring.

Bryce Benekos' 44.1 punting average is tied for the fourth-best seasonal average in school history.

Robert Rodriguez's four forced fumbles rank tied for third.

A Whole Lot Of Yards
UTEP chalked up over 500 yards of total offense versus SMU for the first time since producing 630 yards against San Jose State on Nov. 8, 2003. The Miners finished with 528 yards of total offense, with 165 coming on the ground and 363 coming through the air.

Jordan Palmer became only the second UTEP quarterback to pass for five touchdowns in a game twice in his career. Billy Stevens achieved this feat three times from 1965-67. Palmer also threw for five touchdowns against Hawaii this season. He finished with a career-high 339 yards on 20-of-27 passing last week versus SMU.

Reconstruction Ahead Of Schedule
When Mike Price took over the reins of the UTEP football team on Dec. 21, 2003, few doubted that he would be able to turn around a struggling program. What has come as a surprise to many is how quickly Price has transformed the Miners from pretenders to contenders. With one regular-season game remaining on the schedule, UTEP has already:
•Surpassed its win total (eight) from the previous three seasons combined
•Clinched only its fourth winning season since 1971 (1987, 1988 and 2000 were the others
•Recorded a seven-game winning streak for only the second time in school history (2000)
•Become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2000, and for only the fourth time in 18 years
•Tied the school record for WAC road wins (3)
•Clinched a winning record in WAC play for only the fifth time in 37 seasons.
•Earned a top 25 ranking by the Associated Press for the first time in school history. The Miners are listed in a national top 25 poll for the first time since 1988, when UTEP was rated as high as 22nd in the country by USA Today/ CNN.
•Earned a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) ranking for the first time in school annals. UTEP was 24th in last week's BCS standings.

In The Polls
UTEP has met three teams which have been ranked in the top 25 this season -- Arizona State, Boise State and Fresno State -- and posted a 1-2 record against those schools.

Boise State is currently 10-0 and 10th in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. Arizona State (8-2) is ranked 18th by the AP. Fresno State was rated as high as 19th before falling to Louisiana Tech on Oct. 2.

The combined record of the two teams which have beaten UTEP this season is 18-2.

Beating The Bowlers
UTEP has defeated two teams which went bowling in 2003.

Fresno State and Hawaii capped off the 2003 season by appearing in the Silicon Valley Bowl and Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, respectively. It is the first time the Miners have beaten two teams that participated in bowl games the previous year since 2000.

In 2000 UTEP defeated Hawaii (Oahu Bowl in 1999) and Fresno State (Las Vegas Bowl in 1999).

UTEP will have the chance to knock off a third 2003 bowl participant in Tulsa this weekend. The Golden Hurricane played in the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl last season.

Deja Vu All Over Again?
The 2000 season was magical. Could the 2004 campaign -- Mike Price's first season as head coach -- be another special year?

UTEP's record through 10 games mirrors its 2000 mark in as many contests. The 2000 Miners went on to finish 8-4, win a share of the WAC title and earn a spot in the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

Like 2000, the Miners lost their first and third games before starting a winning streak. UTEP has currently won seven-straight games. In 2000, the Miners also rattled off a school-record seven consecutive victories.

The two teams have several similarities through 10 games. See the accompanying box comparing the two teams.

Win Streak Moves To Seven
UTEP has won seven-consecutive games, which is tied for the sixth-longest current streak in the country. Boise State has the longest active winning streak at 21 games, followed by USC at 20.

UTEP last won seven-straight games in 2000, when the Miners set the school record for consecutive victories.

Gaining A Grand
Senior Howard Jackson is over the 1,000 yard mark for the second time in his career with 1,017 yards. He is only the second Miner to gain 1,000 yards or more twice in his career. Toraino Singleton rushed for 1,358 yards in 1995 and 1,277 in 1994. Jackson gained 1,146 yards in 2003.

Big-Time Impact For Price
Head Coach Mike Price is one of 14 coaches who are new at NCAA Division I-A schools this season. He currently has the most wins and the best winning percentage among new head coaches.

Price was named National Coach of the Year when he led Washington State to a 10-2 record and a Rose Bowl appearance in 1997. Price is not the only former national coach of the year to start at a new school this year. Army's Bobby Ross and Central Florida's George O'Leary have also earned that honor in the past. Ross was the 1990 National Coach of the Year after directing Georgia Tech to an 11-0-1 record, while O'Leary was also recognized after leading Georgia Tech to a 9-3 mark in 1999.

First time Division I-A coaches include J.D. Brookhart (Akron), Mike Stoops (Arizona), Brian Kelly (Central Michigan), Mark Dantonio (Cincinnati), Jeff Genyk (Eastern Michigan), Nick Holt (Idaho), Sylvester Croom (Mississippi State) and Bill Callahan (Nebraska).

Price has now compiled a 137-124 record in a 23-year coaching career at Weber State (1981-88), Washington State (1989-2002) and UTEP (2004). He directed the Cougars to three 10-win seasons (1997, 2001, 2002). During his 14 years in Pullman, Price coached five players who were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, including quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf.

Interceptions Have Become Common
The Miners are tied for fifth in the nation with 17 interceptions this season. Only Troy (25), Kansas (19), Boise State (19), and Oregon State (18) have registered more picks in 2004.

Seniors Jahmal Fenner and Adrian Ward are tops on the squad with four picks.

Fenner is tied for 20th among active players in the country with nine during his career. Fenner is also seventh among active players with 906 punt return yards.

A junior college transfer, Ward has totaled seven picks in only 23 career games.

Nine UTEP players have recorded an interception this season, including freshman Quintin Demps who has two.

Miners Will Take It Away
UTEP has forced a turnover in each of its last 29 games. Over the last five games, the Miners have rattled opponents into turning the ball over 17 times. During that span UTEP has had a turnover margin of +6 (11 giveaways/17 takeaways).

UTEP's turnover margin for the season is now +8 (21 giveaways/29 takeaways). Last year the Miners' turnover margin was -15 (40 giveaways/25 takeaways). In other words, UTEP has collected more takeaways (29) in 10 games than it did in 13 contests a year ago.

The Miners have also had an interception in their last 13 games dating back to 2003. The streak is the longest in the modern area of football (post-1964) at the school, breaking the nine-game streak of 2000.

The Miners are tied for fifth in the nation with their 29 takeaways. USC leads the nation with 32 takeaways.

Nearly Automatic When Seeing Red
The Miners have scored 36 times in 39 trips to the red zone this season. UTEP has totaled 29 touchdowns and seven field goals.

Over the last six games, UTEP is 24 for 24 in the red zone with 20 touchdowns and four field goals.

UTEP's opponents have scored at a 75 percent (24 for 32) rate in the red zone, with 20 touchdowns and four field goals.

Jackson And The Century Mark
Howard Jackson has eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards 13 times during his career. The Miners are 7-6 when Jackson rushes for over 100 yards, including 4-0 in 2004.

Jackson has rushed for 188 yards on 34 carries, including one touchdown, against Tulsa during his career. He did not see action as a true freshman against the Golden Hurricane in 2001.

Blitzkrieg Offense Continues
The Miners have had a quick strike offense this season. UTEP has scored on its first offensive drive six times in 10 games (Weber State, Boise State, Hawaii, Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, SMU). In eight out of 10 games, the Miners have scored within their first three drives. It took nine drives before the Miners hit paydirt in the opener at Arizona State, and eight drives before scoring against Rice. UTEP is 6-1 when scoring first this season.

The Miners showed how fast they could score when they opened the second half against SMU. UTEP scored three touchdowns over the first five minutes of the third period.

UTEP put up 28 points in the third quarter, the most for the Miners in a period since scoring 28 in the first quarter at Nevada in 2000. The previous high this season was 21 points against New Mexico State in the third quarter.

You Can Say He Is One Of The Best
Statistics indicate that RB Howard Jackson is one of the top players in all of college football.

Jackson is third in the country among active players with 5,907 career all-purpose yards behind Kansas State's Darren Sproles (6,812) and Texas' Cedric Benson (5,913). Jackson and Sproles have both played in 45 games, but Sproles has totaled 956 plays to Jackson's 767. Jackson has averaged 7.7 yards per play, Sproles 7.1 and Benson 5.3.

Jackson ranks 10th among active players with 3,296 rushing yards. He is also third with 1,906 kickoff return yards behind Louisville's Broderick Clark (2,081) and Boston College's Will Blackmon (2,079).

Sacks Have Become Common
UTEP has done a fine job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks this season. The Miners have posted 35 sacks through 10 games. UTEP had 21 sacks in 2003, 19 in 2002, 16 in 2001 and 30 in 2000. The Miners' 35 sacks lead the WAC this year.

LB Thomas Howard and DL Chris Mineo have been terrorizing quarterbacks. Howard has eight sacks, while Mineo has seven. Howard is tied for sixth in single-season annals with his sack total. Melvin Besses, Tony Tolbert and Gonzalo Floyd hold the school record with 11.0 sacks in a season.

The Miners had a season-high six sacks versus Louisiana Tech on Oct. 23. The Miners sacked Rice five times on Nov. 13 and SMU five times on Nov. 20.

Raining Touchdowns Through The Air
Jordan Palmer has done something this year that no UTEP quarterback has accomplished since the 1967 season -- he has passed for four or more touchdowns in consecutive games (five-Hawaii, four-Louisiana Tech). The last quarterback to achieve this feat was Billy Stevens against BYU (six) and New Mexico (six) 37 years ago. Since 1950, Stevens and Palmer are the only two UTEP quarterbacks to pass for four touchdowns or more in back-to-back games (UTEP quarterbacks combined for back-to-back 4+ TD games in 1965 as well).

Palmer has now passed for four touchdowns or more three times this season, a feat which was also accomplished by Stevens in 1967. Stevens finished the year with four games with four or more passing TDs.

Palmer finished with a career high 339 yards against SMU, including going six for seven for 121 yards and three touchdowns in the third quarter.

Palmer has completed 170 of 280 passes for 2,178 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. His passing efficiency rating for the season is 142.7. His rating is the best by a Miner since Rocky Perez's 147.14 during the 2000 season. Palmer ranks second in passing touchdowns and sixth in yardage in the school's single-season record book.

Palmer has also thrown for over 300 yards twice this season, a feat which no UTEP quarterback has accomplished since Perez in 2000. Howard Gasser (1989) was the last quarterback to throw for 300 yards in three games during a season.

Palmer is 80 for 123 (65 percent) for 1,324 yards and 19 touchdowns over his last five games. After throwing four interceptions in the season opener at Arizona State, Palmer has had 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions in the last nine contests.

Palmer is the younger brother of Carson Palmer, winner of the 2002 Heisman Trophy at USC and the first pick by Cincinnati in the 2003 NFL Draft.

Mr. Touchdown
Sophomore Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. has caught a touchdown pass in each of the last eight contests, the most consecutive games with a TD reception for a Miner since Lee Mays caught touchdown balls in 10 straight games in 2000.

Higgins had two more TDs against SMU on Nov. 20 on scores of five and 45 yards. Both touchdowns came during the third quarter and were 1:01 apart.

Jordan Palmer and Higgins hooked up for the second-longest pass play in Bulldog Stadium history with a 91-yard score on Oct. 9 at Fresno State.

Higgins is fifth on the team with 24 receptions, and leads the squad with 515 receiving yards and nine scores. His 21.5 yards per catch average is best on the squad. Twenty of his 24 receptions have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown this season.

Speaking of touchdown streaks, Casey Mauch has now caught TD passes in back-to-back games. They also happen to be Mauch's only receptions of the season.

Mr. Touchdown II
Although Josh Chamois has carried the ball just 12 times this season, he has found the end zone five times. He is second on the team in rushing scores behind Howard Jackson, who has scored six touchdowns on 196 carries. Chamois has now scored a touchdown in four out of the last five games.

No-Throw Zone
UTEP has limited four of its opponents to under 10 pass completions this season (Weber State, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, Rice), which is the most since the 2001 season (four). The school record for games in a season holding opponents to under 10 completions is eight, set in 1972 and 1976.

UTEP is second in the WAC and 11th in the nation with a passing efficiency defense rating of 102.9. UTEP hasn't registered a passing efficiency defense rating below 100 since 1987 (97.8). Since 1950, the school record for passing efficiency defense is 58.7, set in 1963. This year's mark ranks 15th in the school record books. If the Miners finish the year with a passing efficiency defense rating below 100, it will mark only the second time since 1972 that this has happened in the Sun City.

These Guys Are Special
LB Mike Perez, TE Jake Sears and LB Jeremy Jones have been unsung heroes for the Miners this season. The trio are the leading tacklers on special teams. Perez has 15 special teams tackles, followed by Sears with 10 and Jones with nine. DB Nate Draughon also has eight, while WR Dirk Dillard, DB Phillip Moss and DB Marshall Sanford each have six.

You Can Put It On The Board . . .
The Miners are averaging 36.6 points per game, which ranks eighth in the NCAA and third in the WAC this year.

The scoring average is the best in school annals since 1950. UTEP averaged 35.9 points in 1967 and 35.6 in 1988.

UTEP's 57 points versus SMU were the most since scoring 59 against Sam Houston State in 2003. It was the most scored on a Division I-A opponent since putting up 58 points versus San Diego State in 1988.

UTEP's four 40-point games this season are the most since 2000, when the Miners also had four 40-point outings. The school record for 40-point games is five, set in 1950.

UTEP has scored 50+ points two times this season (51 versus Hawaii, 57 versus SMU) for the first time since 1986 (64 versus Northern Michigan, 55 versus Utah). The last time UTEP scored 50+ points three times in a season came during the 1956 campaign (51 at New Mexico State, 51 versus Hardin-Simmons, 54 versus Trinity).

Rushing Defense Significantly Improved
UTEP is third in the WAC and 61st in the country in rushing defense, allowing 148.6 yards per game. This is a far cry from the 2003 unit which yielded 190.8 yards per outing on the ground.

UTEP limited Hawaii to 77 yards rushing on Oct. 16. It marked the second time this season that the Miners have held opponents to under 100 yards rushing. UTEP contained Weber State to 34 yards on the ground on Sept. 11. Since 1965, UTEP has now limited its opponent to under 100 yards rushing in 25 games.

San Jose State rushed for 122 yards in the first half on Oct. 30 led by Tyson Thompson, who totaled 84 yards on 22 carries. The Miners adjusted in the second half, holding the Spartans to 10 yards on 19 carries. Thompson had five attempts for zero yards following the intermission.

The Miners allowed a season-high 312 rushing yards to option-oriented Rice.

Senior Leadership
Senior DB Jahmal Fenner has stepped up his play in 2004. He is tied for the team lead with four interceptions and has posted 38 tackles -- including three sacks -- as well as broken up seven passes, forced two fumbles and applied one QB hurry.

Fenner ranks third in the WAC and is tied for 20th in the country with 0.2 interceptions per game. He is first in the league and ninth in the country, averaging 16.5 yards per punt return. He has had four punt returns for over 20 yards this season, including a 56-yard touchdown return against Rice. It was the second special teams touchdown of his career; he also scored on a 98-yard kickoff return versus San Jose State in 2001.

He now has 84 career punt returns for 906 yards (10.8 ypr) and a touchdown. He holds the school record for punt returns and yards.

With nine interceptions, Fenner is one away from etching his name onto UTEP's all-time top 10 list.

Rodriguez Continues To Lead In Tackles
Senior LB Robert Rodriguez has amassed a whopping 417 tackles in his career despite having a down year (50 stops) in 2002. He has led the WAC in tackles two of the last three years, registering 137 stops in 2001 and 135 in 2003.

This season Rodriguez has piled up 95 tackles, including 13.5 tackles for losses, two sacks and an interception. He leads the WAC in tackles with 9.5 per game.

An El Paso native and converted running back, Rodriguez had a personal best 22 stops against SMU and Rice in 2001. He has posted double-digit tackles in 23 career games, including five times this season.

Rodriguez had a tremendous outing against Rice on Nov. 13. He posted 19 stops -- including two TFLs -- and recovered a fumble to end the game in double overtime.

With 417 tackles, Rodriguez ranks fifth on the UTEP career list. Next on the list is Micheal Comer (1993-94-95-96), who posted 437 stops in his Miner career.

Rodriguez is trying to become only the fourth Miner to lead the team in tackles in three seasons this year. This was previously achieved by Raymond Morris (1980-83), Barron Wortham (1990-93) and Comer (1994-96). Morris, Wortham and Comer all went on to enjoy NFL stints. Morris was with Chicago, Comer was with Arizona and Wortham was with Houston, Tennessee and Dallas. Rodriguez currently has eight more tackles than his closest pursuer, senior LB Godwin Akinduro (85).

Benekos Ranks 10th Nationally
Senior P Bryce Benekos ranks 10th in the NCAA with a punting average of 44.1 yards this year. He rates second in school history in punts (246) and punting yards (10,120). His punting average has risen from 34.5 as a freshman to 44.1 this season. His 44.1 average in 2004 stands as the fourth-best seasonal figure in UTEP history.

No active punter in the country has had as many punts or punt yardage as Benekos has had during his career.

In addition to ranking 10th in the country, Benekos leads the WAC in punting average. He has also pinned 16 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

Benekos, who got married during the off season, is a three-time Academic All-WAC pick.

A Lotta Action From This Jackson
Senior RB Howard Jackson, a Doak Walker Award candidate, seeks to continue his climb up the UTEP charts when the Miners meet Rice. The slight (5-9, 160) but speedy (4.26 time in the 40) Jackson ranks second in career rushing yardage (3,296), second in rushing attempts (624) and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns (21). The Freeport, Texas, native has had 13 career 100-yard rushing games, which is second on the all-time list.

Jackson is now 280 yards away from tying school record-holder John Harvey (1985-86-87-88).

Jackson would need 54 more carries to tie Harvey's school record for attempts.

Jackson has already smashed UTEP's career all-purpose yardage record. He has 5,907 all-purpose yards -- tops in school history -- and has averaged 131.3 all-purpose yards per contest, which is second in the record books. Last season Jackson racked up 2,146 all-purpose yards, shattering Hughes' single-season mark which had stood for nearly 40 years.

Jackson rates second on the Miner charts in kickoff return yardage (1,906) and third in kickoff returns (78).

Jackson, who returned one punt for five yards at Rice in 2001, recorded the second punt return of his career at Louisiana Tech on Oct. 23. He picked up nine yards on the return. Jackson fumbled a punt return attempt against Rice on Nov. 13.

Jackson Chasing Down History
Howard Jackson has etched his name into the NCAA's all-time all-purpose yardage list. Jackson currently has 5,907 total yards, putting him 23rd on the list behind Kent State's Eric Wilkerson (1985-86-87-88, 5,974 yards) and New Mexico State's Po James (1968-69-70-71, 5,979 yards), and ahead of Colorado State's Steve Bartalo (1983-84-85-86, 5,892 yards). Ricky Williams (1995-96-97-98) of Texas is the all-time record-holder with 7,206 all-purpose yards.

Making An Impact
Senior linebackers Robert Rodriguez and Godwin Akinduro were on the field together for the first time in their careers at Arizona State. Previously Akinduro backed up Rodriguez. He was switched from middle linebacker to weak side linebacker under the new staff.

The duo is currently 1-2 on the team in tackles. Rodriguez leads the unit with 95 stops, while Akinduro has posted 85 over 10 games. Rodriguez leads the team with 13.5 tackles for losses. He has two sacks, six QB hurries, four forced fumbles, three pass breakups, an interception (18 yards at Fresno State) and a fumble recovery. Akinduro has four tackles for losses, a half sack and has recovered two fumbles.

Akinduro picked up 12 tackles against New Mexico State to earn WAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Throw in Thomas Howard -- UTEP's starting strong side linebacker -- and you have a terrific trio. Howard ranks third on the team with 53 tackles. Howard, a big playmaker, has 13 TFLs, eight sacks, two interceptions, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 2004.

Punt Return Specialist
Senior Jahmal Fenner returned three punts for 98 yards at Arizona State. The 98 yards stand as the 11th-highest single-game total in school history. Fenner had 115 yards (ranks fifth) in 2001 against Texas Southern.

He also had his career-long return of 84 yards in the fourth quarter versus the Sun Devils. His previous long was 62 yards last year against Cal Poly. Fenner currently ranks ninth in the NCAA in punt return average (16.5 ypr).

Fenner (84 career returns) holds the school record for career punt returns. The previous record was held by Javier Sanchez (1996-97-98, 2000) with 70. Fenner now has 906 career punt return yards and broke Gerald Campbell's (1949-50-51) record of 874 with 52 yards versus Rice.

Run For Perfection Ends
Sophomore Reagan Schneider missed a 47-yard field goal attempt (wide right) at San Jose State on Oct. 30, ending his string of consecutive makes to start the season at 12. He has made his last three attempts and is now 15 for 16 on field goal tries this season. His 93.8 percent accuracy is the best single-season percentage in school history.

Schneider has scored 88 points, with 15 field goals and 43 PATs. He is 43-for-44 (97.7 percent) in PAT tries. His long field goal was good for 52 yards versus Weber State.

His 15 field goals are already tied for second-best in the school's single-season records, and his 88 points rank second.

He is 8-for-9 on field goals of 40 yards or more this season. Last year he was 0-for-3 from that range.

Schneider booted four field goals -- including a 52-yarder before halftime -- to tie the school record against Weber State. His four field goals tied Scott Wedell (1983 vs. Weber State), Chris Jacke (1988 vs. Colorado State) and Jason Gillespie (1990 vs. Hawaii and 1990 at Colorado State) for the top figure in school annals.

Schneider also set a personal high with 14 points twice this season, first against Weber State and then at Louisiana Tech. The 14 points are the most by a kicker since Jacke had 16 points (three field goals, seven PATs) in a 58-7 win over San Diego State on Nov. 12, 1988.

Schneider is currently 13th in the NCAA with 1.5 field goals made per game, and 20th with 8.8 points per game.

He is on pace to crack UTEP's top 10 list for points in a season. If he maintains his current pace he would finish with 97 points, which would rank fourth in school annals. His 88 points already rank sixth

Defense Key To Miner Success
While much of UTEP's defensive personnel is the same as from the 2003 squad which allowed 448.3 yards per game, the unit has staged a dramatic turnaround under new coordinator Tim Hundley. In 2004 the Miners rate 47th nationally in total defense (356.2 ypg), including 11th in passing efficiency defense (102.9) and 61st in rushing defense (148.8 ypg).

UTEP is second in the WAC and 45th in the country in scoring defense (23.1 ppg). Last year the Miners surrendered 38.3 points per game, and have shaved an average of 17.2 points per game off that figure in 2004.

Hundley's defense has limited two opponents to under 250 yards (112 vs. Weber State, 226 vs. New Mexico State). It is the first time that UTEP has performed such a feat since the 2000 season, and only the 12th time since 1965.

Against Weber State, UTEP put up its best defensive effort since the 1967 Sun Bowl game, when it allowed 109 yards in a 14-7 victory over Mississippi. The Miners held Weber State to 112 yards of total offense (34 rushing, 78 passing). The performance marked only the eighth time since 1965 that the Miners have limited an opponent to under 150 yards of offense.

The Pride Of El Paso
Backup quarterback Omar Duarte has played in 18 collegiate games and completed 98-of-189 passes (51.9 percent) for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns. Duarte has thrown four interceptions, but has not thrown one in his last 126 attempts. He is 13-for-20 (65.0 percent) with 170 yards and three touchdowns this season.

No Flaws At All
After the Miners turned the ball over five times (four interceptions and a fumble) in the opener at Arizona State, UTEP did not give up the ball once in the 32-0 victory over Weber State. It was the first time the Miners did not have a turnover in a game since defeating SMU on Oct. 4, 2003. During the past three seasons (2001-03) the Miners had only two games with no turnovers, while committing a whopping 108 miscues during that span.

Games without turnovers are rare for UTEP teams. Since the 1965 season the Miners have played 438 games and have had only 29 games (6.6 percent) with no turnovers. The school record for most games without a turnover in a season is four, set in 1988.

Turnovers haven't been a problem for the Miners in 2004. They have had 21 giveaways and 29 takeaways this season. Their turnover margin of +0.8 ranks 16th in the NCAA.

UTEP has not finished the season with a plus turnover margin since 2000 (+0.4 tm). Last year the Miners finished with 40 turnovers (-1.2 tm). In 2002 UTEP had 37 miscues (-1.6 tm), and in 2001 the Miners had 31 (-0.9 tm).

No More Fumbles
The Miners have made tremendous strides holding onto the football. UTEP has had only eight turnovers via the fumble this year. Through 10 games last year, UTEP had given up 12 fumbles.

The Miners have had 13 turnovers via the interception. Jordan Palmer had four interceptions at Arizona State and again versus Hawaii. The Miners are 4-0 when quarterbacks do not throw an interception this season.

True Freshmen
Former Parade All-American Marcus Thomas and Paul Darby have been the only true freshmen on the field for the Miners in 2004.

Thomas is being eased into the college game. He has rushed 35 times for 141 yards, and caught three passes for seven yards. Thomas had career highs for rushes (nine) against New Mexico State, and rushing yards (37) at San Jose State.

Darby, who is no longer on the team, saw his first collegiate action on special teams against Boise State.

Along with Thomas and Darby, 11 other Miners currently on the active roster saw action as true freshmen. Among them are Matt Austin (debut in 2001), Bryce Benekos (debut in 2001), Mark Dowdy (debut in 2000), Justin Hunt (debut in 2000), Howard Jackson (debut in 2001), Jeremy Jones (debut in 2003), Aaron King (debut in 2003), Chris Marrow (debut in 2003), Phillip Moss (debut in 2002), Reagan Schneider (debut in 2003) and Jimmy Smith (debut in 2001).

O-Line Is Youngest Unit
UTEP's biggest graduation losses from 2003 are in the offensive line. Three starters have departed -- RG Robert Clayton, LT Trey Darilek and C Chris Kerr. Darilek was chosen by Philadelphia in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft.

Two of this year's starters -- junior LG Jose Garcia and senior RT Robert Espinosa -- have started 20 and 28 career games, respectively. Senior RG Ben Graniello has started on 15 occasions. Senior Bo Morris and junior Josh House -- who start at center and left tackle, respectively -- made the first starts of their careers in the season opener at Arizona State. Morris and House have started all 10 games this season.

Also seeing action in the offensive line this season have been Anthony Casey, Alex DiMatteo, Luis Espinosa, Tim Ford, Dustin Gersch, James Riley, Clay Salima, Andy Smith, Jordan Tubig and Mark Parrish.

Turning Defensive
The Miners have six defensive players who began their careers on the other side of the ball, including starting linebackers Robert Rodriguez (running back) and Godwin Akinduro (tight end). Mark Dowdy (wide receiver), Matt Elwood (wide receiver), Justin Gissendanner (offensive line) and Phillip Moss (quarterback) also came to UTEP as offensive players.

Moss played one game at quarterback against Boise State in 2002. He went three of 13 for 25 yards in that contest. He was redshirted last year to make the transition to defense.

Senior Jimmy Smith began his Miner career on the defensive side of the ball before switching to running back. He notched 14 tackles in eight games in 2001.

Media Takes Notice
The hiring of Mike Price has brought a great deal of national attention to the UTEP football program. Three weeks ago, ESPN's College Gameday crew visited El Paso to produce a feature on the Miners. Also in town that week were writers from USA Today, ESPN.com and The Dallas Morning News.

Since the beginning of August, television crews from Fox Sports Net Southwest and College Sports Television (CSTV) have made visits to Miner practices, as well as ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Also in attendance have been writers from the Associated Press Dallas bureau, Albuquerque Journal, Arizona Republic, Denver Post and ESPN The Magazine.

All In The Family
When it comes to the UTEP football coaching staff, the Price is right -- times three. Father Mike is the head coach, and sons Aaron and Eric are the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, respectively. Although the Prices bring a combined 56 years of coaching experience to the gridiron, 2004 marks the first time that they have worked together on the same staff. Eric played for his father at Weber State in 1988, and Aaron was Mike Price's kicker at Washington State from 1991-93.

Gone Bowling
The Miners know what it takes to win. Fifteen players are still around from the 2000 Humanitarian Bowl team which finished the season 8-4. Seniors Mark Dowdy and Justin Hunt each saw action in the bowl game. The other Miners redshirted that season. Among those players are Godwin Akinduro, Jonas Crafts, Dirk Dillard, Omar Duarte, Matt Elwood, Robert Espinosa, Jahmal Fenner, Brian Givens, Ben Graniello, Ibok Ibok, Bo Morris, Aaron Osborn and Robert Rodriguez.

Breaking Down the 2004 Miners
The 2004 UTEP roster features 97 players -- 21 seniors, 30 juniors, 23 sophomores and 23 freshmen. The Miners have a large senior class for the first time since 1998, when they had 25 seniors (UTEP had 13 seniors in 2000 and 2001, 16 in 2002 and seven in 2003).

Oh Brother
UTEP has four brother combinations on its 2004 roster: the Espinosas (OL Luis and OL Robert), the Givens (WR Aaron and RB Johan), the Hunts (TE Jamar and TE Justin) and the Jones (LB Jeremy and DB Victor).

3.0 Club
Thirteen Miners had grade point averages of 3.0 or better at the conclusion of the spring 2004 semester. They are sophomore DL Jake Belshe, senior P Bryce Benekos, freshman QB Joe Castro, senior DB Matt Elwood, junior DL Tevita Fifita, senior DL Brian Givens, senior OL Ben Graniello, freshman TE Jamar Hunt, senior DB Victor Jones, senior OL Bo Morris, senior DB Mike Perez, freshman DL James Riley and sophomore PK Reagan Schneider.

Four Miners are playing the 2004 season as graduate students -- Givens, Graniello, senior TE Justin Hunt and Morris.

From The Weight Room
Some noteworthy numbers from the Miner strength and conditioning program ... senior RB Howard Jackson has been timed at 4.26 in the 40, while sophomore WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. has been timed at 4.28 and freshman DB Quintin Demps at 4.31. UTEP's team average in the 40 is 4.79 seconds, down from 4.95 in 2003. Junior LB Thomas Howard, at 230 pounds, has posted a 4.38 time in the 40.

Nine Miners have registered vertical jumps of 40 inches or better, compared to two in 2003. Twenty-six players have vertical jumps of over 35 inches.

Senior DLs Ibok Ibok and Aaron Osborn can both bench press 429 pounds. Twenty-five players bench pressed 350+ pounds over the summer, compared to 17 in the summer of 2003.

Junior WR Jayson Boyd has achieved a standing long jump of 10 feet seven inches. Junior DB Cedric Click has the top vertical jump on the team at 42.5 inches.

Miner Nuggets
Against SMU, Mike Perez recorded the first safety by a Miner since Terrance Minor tackled Louisiana Tech's Dustin Upton in the end zone in 2001. Perez tackled Richuel Massey in the end zone in the fourth quarter last Saturday...Perez was also tied for the team lead with seven tackles against SMU...UTEP has had a WAC Player of the Week in seven of 10 games this season. The seven WAC Player of the Week honorees ties the school record which was set in 2000...Quintin Demps scored the second touchdown of his career on a 43-yard interception return versus SMU. Demps also scored on a 51-yard fumble return against Boise State...Jahmal Fenner returned his first punt for a TD versus Rice. It was the 81st punt return of his career...UTEP is now 2-0 when ranked in the top 25 by the Associated Press and 1-0 when listed in the ESPN/USA Today poll...UTEP's tight ends have caught 26 passes this season, with six of them going for touchdowns (Jonas Crafts three, Casey Mauch two, Jake Sears one)...after TE Jonas Crafts left the game with a knee injury against Rice, backups Jake Sears and Casey Mauch stepped up. Sears snagged two passes for 37 yards and a touchdown, while Mauch caught a touchdown ball in the first overtime. Both touchdowns were the first of their careers. UTEP's tight ends have now caught six TDs this season...UTEP's 92-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter at San Jose State tied the second-longest for the Miners this year. UTEP had a 98-yard drive and a 92-yard drive against Weber State earlier in 2004...San Jose State ran 24 more plays than UTEP on Oct. 30, but finished with 67 fewer yards...WR Jayson Boyd had his first 100-yard receiving game against SMU. Boyd finished with six receptions for 122 yards and one touchdown...P Bryce Benekos completed a 10-yard pass at San Jose State. Benekos also attempted a pass against Boise State in 2002 which was intercepted. Benekos is the third non-quarterback to throw a pass for UTEP in 2004...the Miners are 8-0 when leading at the half and 7-0 when leading entering the fourth quarter...Daniel Robinson had his first catch as a Miner at Louisiana Tech -- a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Palmer...WR Dirk Dillard started for the first time this year against SMU. He also had his first catch in the second half of that game -- a six yard reception from Omar Duarte...Adrian Ward had his first multi-interception game at Louisiana Tech...UTEP was 9-for-15 (60 percent) on third downs against Hawaii, its best average since Aug. 31, 2002 versus Sacramento State (12-for-20, 60 percent)...UTEP converted its first fourth down of the season in the first quarter versus Hawaii...the Miner defense had 12 QB hurries versus Hawaii...Howard Jackson led UTEP with five receptions at Fresno State. It was the first time this year that he had the highest reception total on the team...Jahmal Fenner posted the first sack of his career at Fresno State. It was the 36th game of his career...Jordan Palmer's 91-yard pass to Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. at Fresno State was the second-longest pass in Bulldog Stadium history...UTEP's win at Fresno State was its first in Fresno since 1938...UTEP's opponents are 24 for 32 in red zone opportunities, with 20 touchdowns and four field goals...the Miners are 4-0 when Howard Jackson rushes for over 100 yards...Jackson was the last Miner to return a kickoff for a TD (Nevada, 2001) before he took the second-half kickoff 91 yards to the end zone versus New Mexico State...UTEP limited both Weber State and New Mexico State to less than 10 first downs, the first time this has happened twice in a season since 1997...Justin Hanel made his first collegiate start at left defensive end at Fresno State. Alex Obomese was a first time starter for the Miners at left defensive end versus Rice...WR Jayson Boyd has attempted two passes on wide receiver throwbacks. Both passes were incomplete and intended for Chris Francies. Francies tried to hit Boyd on a pass in the first quarter at Louisiana Tech, however it fell incomplete. UTEP's receivers are now 0-for-3 in pass attempts this season...four receivers -- juniors Jayson Boyd and Chris Francies and sophomores Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. and Chris Marrow -- have had 100-yard