For Starters
UTEP (1-1, 0-0) begins its final season in the Western Athletic
Conference by welcoming 23rd-ranked Boise State (2-0, 0-0) to the Sun
Bowl (51,500) on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:07 p.m.
Mountain time. The Miners are coming off a convincing 32-0 victory
over Weber State. The Broncos, who lead the nation in scoring offense
(59.0 ppg), routed Oregon State 53-34 last Friday. BSU ranks 10th
nationally in total offense (532.0 ypg), 16th in rushing offense
(250.0 ypg) and 20th in passing offense (282.0 ypg). The Broncos --
victorious in 13 straight games -- bring the longest winning streak
in the country to El Paso.
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 4 p.m. Mountain time. The game will also be carried on KBUY
1360 AM in Ruidoso, N.M.
The Miners can also be heard in Spanish on La Consentida 1150 AM.
KINT-TV weekend sports anchor Omar Ropele handles the play-by-play,
while former collegiate and high school coach Rick Bolanos serves as
the color commentator.
On Television
Saturday's game will be broadcast on SportsWest (Time Warner
Cable Channel 7 in El Paso). Veteran local TV personalities Fred
Albers (play-by-play) and Jeff Limberg (color) will make the
call.
In The Polls
Boise State comes to El Paso ranked 23rd in both the ESPN/USA
Today Coaches and the Associated Press polls. The Miners are 3-41
all-time when playing a team that is ranked in the Associated Press'
top 25 poll, including 2-13 in games played in El Paso. The last time
UTEP faced a ranked team was on Nov. 15, 2003 against the Broncos in
Boise. UTEP's last victory over a ranked opponent was on Nov. 1, 1997
when the Miners upset 25th-rated BYU 14-3 in the Sun Bowl.
Boise State is not the only WAC team in the top 25 this week.
Fresno State, which upset Kansas State last weekend, is 19th in the
AP and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today polls.
Opening The WAC
The Miners are 9-27 in WAC openers since joining the league for
the 1968 season. UTEP is 5-12 when its first WAC game is at home. In
WAC home openers the Miners are 11-25 overall.
UTEP opened the conference season with a 21-19 victory at SMU last
year. The Miners haven't won their opening WAC game in back-to-back
years since doing so in 1968 and 1969.
Bring On the Broncos
Number 23 Boise State has taken all four meetings in a series
which begin at the 2000 Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl -- a game won
by the Broncos 38-23. BSU joined the WAC the next year and has
averaged 50.3 points in the last three victories. The reloaded
Broncos come to El Paso leading the NCAA in scoring offense with 59.0
points per game.
BSU Head Coach Dan Hawkins has been a part of all four Bronco
victories. As a head coach he is 3-0 versus UTEP. He was an assistant
on Dirk Koetter's staff in 2000 before being promoted to head coach
after Koetter, a former Miner assistant, accepted the head job at
Arizona State.
Boise State is a familar foe for UTEP head coach Mike Price. He is
6-6 lifetime against Broncos (2-6 at Weber State, 4-0 at Washington
State). Before moving up to I-A status, Boise State played in the Big
Sky Conference when Price was the head coach at Weber State.
Last Meeting
Former Bronco quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie threw for 198 yards and
two touchdowns as Boise State beat UTEP, 51-21, on Nov. 15, 2003 in
Boise. The 24th-ranked Broncos scored the game's first 21 points and
led 38-7 at the intermission. Boise State had 482 yards of offense.
UTEP mounted a mini-rally in the third quarter, scoring two
touchdowns. Howard Jackson reached the end zone on a two-yard run and
Jordan Palmer hit Chris Francies for a 12-yard touchdown. Palmer
completed 14 of 28 passes for 172 yards for the Miners. Jackson was
held in check, totaling 47 yards on 20 carries.
UTEP/Boise State Ties
There is not a lot of common ground between the Broncos and the
Miners. Junior college transfers Clay Salima and Anthony Casey played
alongside BSU's Josh Smith and Marcosus LeBlanc the last two years at
Compton Community College. Miner offensive lineman Mark Parrish was
also a teammate of BSU's Mark Onibokun at Butte College.
Tough On Defense
Last week 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 held an opponent to under
150 yards of total offense.
Defensive Coordinator Tim Hundley's defense is much improved from
the 2003 season. The Miners boast the nation's 37th-best defense,
allowing 299.5 yards per game. Last year, UTEP rated 104th and
surrendered 448.3 yards per contest.
A Different Team Last Week
Against Weber State, the Miners were a different team from the
one that turned the ball over five times (four interceptions and one
fumble) in the opener at Arizona State. UTEP did not cough 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. Over the past three seasons the Miners have 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 430 games and have had only 29 games
(6.7 percent) with no turnovers.
The last time UTEP had two games in a season with no turnovers was
2000 (SMU and Rice). The school record for most games in a season
without a turnover is four, set in 1988.
Causing Trouble
UTEP has currently forced a turnover in each of its last 14
games. Adrian Ward's first quarter interception against Weber State
extended the Miners' interception streak to nine games. The
interception was also the fourth of Ward's short career (he has
played in only 15 games at UTEP). The Miners also caused another
turnover in the fourth quarter when Joe Ward forced a fumble which
was recovered by Aaron Osborn.
Attacking The Rush
The Miners yielded 34 rushing yards against Weber State, marking
the 24th time that the Miners have limited their opponents to under
50 yards rushing since 1965.
UTEP's rushing defense has been streamlined, allowing 82.5 yards
per game to rank 28th in the nation. The Miners allowed 190.8 yards
per game on the ground last year, which rated 91st in the
country.
Pitching A Shutout
The Miner defense pitched its first shutout since defeating
Northwestern State on Sept. 21, 1991 by a 14-0 count. The Miners
haven't posted back-to-back blankings since the 1956 season.
The Kid Can Kick
Sophomore Reagan Schneider booted four field goals -- including a
52-yarder before halftime -- to tie a 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 (four field
goals, four PATs), which was the highest total 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 tied
for second in the NCAA with 2.5 field goals made per game.
My Favorite Marrow
Sophomore Chris Marrow has been Jordan Palmer's favorite target
in the first two contests. He has snagged 12 passes for 149 yards
this season.
Marrow had the first 100-yard receiving game of his career with
seven catches for 116 yards against Weber State. Among his receptions
was a diving grab over the middle for 16 yards which helped sustain a
10-play, 98-yard scoring drive.
Big Play!
Junior Chris Francies has produced big plays over the first two
games. Four out of his five receptions have been good for 14 yards or
greater. He additionally had a 47-yarder called back at Arizona State
on account of a holding penalty.
Getting Better All The Time
After a rocky start at Arizona State, sophomore Jordan Palmer
followed up with a very soild performance against Weber State. Palmer
completed 64.3 percent (18 of 28) of his passes for 223 yards, and
did not have an interception after throwing four picks at ASU. His
yardage total was the second-highest figure of his career. He threw
for 287 yards against Tulsa last season.
Through two games, Palmer has gone 39 for 72 (54.2 percent) for
419 yards. He ranks fourth in the WAC in total offense with 213.0
yards per game.
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.
The End Zone Is Not Our Home
UTEP's quarterbacks have not thrown a touchdown pass this year,
marking the first time the Miners have opened the season without a
touchdown via the air in two games since 1992.
The Miners went five games without a passing touchdown to open the
1983 season.
Benekos Continues To Boom
Senior P Bryce Benekos rates second in school history in punts
(205) and punting yards (8,326). His punting average has risen
steadily in four years with the Miners, from 34.5 as a freshman to
40.8 in 2002, 44.1 in 2003 and 45.4 this season. His 45.4 average in
2004 stands as the fourth-best seasonal figure in UTEP history.
Benekos currently leads the WAC and is ninth nationally in punting
average. He has also pinned three punts inside the opponents' 20-yard
line.
A three-time Academic All-WAC pick who got married during the
off-season, Benekos is on the watch list for the Ray Guy Award,
presented to the nation's best punter. His 44.1 average in 2003
ranked 11th among returning players this season.
Still Running Wild
Senior RB Howard Jackson, a Doak Walker Award candidate, seeks to
continue his climb up the UTEP charts when the Miners meet
23rd-ranked Boise State. The slight (5-9, 160) but speedy (4.26 time
in the 40) Jackson ranks fifth in career rushing yardage (2,499),
sixth in rushing attempts (469) and eighth in rushing touchdowns
(18). The Freeport, Texas, native had his 10th career 100-yard
rushing game against Weber State to move into a tie with Paul Smith
(1996-97-98) for third on the all-time list.
With 40 more rushing yards, Jackson will catch Smith for fourth on
the career rushing list. He is also 1,077 yards away from school
record-holder John Harvey (1985-86-87-88). Jackson will need to
average 119.7 yards per game over the last nine contests to catch
Harvey.
Jackson has already smashed UTEP's career all-purpose yardage
record. He has 4,626 all-purpose yards -- tops in school history --
and has averaged 132.2 all-purpose yards per contest (second in the
UTEP books behind Chuck Hughes' 133.0 average). Last season Jackson
racked up 2,146 all-purpose yards, shattering Hughes' single-season
mark which had stood for nearly 40 years.
Jackson also rates third on the Miner charts in kickoff returns
(71) and kickoff return yardage (1,645). UTEP coaches have hinted
that he could be utilized on punt returns as well this fall. Jackson
hasn't returned punts since his freshman year (2001), when he had one
return for five yards at Rice.
More On Jackson
Howard Jackson was chosen first team All-WAC by three preseason
publications (Athlon, Lindy's, Street & Smith's), as well as an
honorable mention All-American by Street & Smith's. He was rated
a "Special Teams Demon" in the WAC by Lindy's, as well as a "Top 10
NFL Talent" in the league by that publication.
Jackson ranks second in the WAC and 25th in the country with 110.0
rushing yards per game this season.
First Year Head Coaches
Head coach Mike Price is one of 14 coaches who are new at NCAA
Division I-A schools this season. 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 130-123 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), and compiled a 20-5 mark in his last two years at
Washington State. 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.
Inside the Weber State Box Score
UTEP dominated Weber State, outgaining the Wildcats in total
offense 499-112. The Miners had 30 first downs, their highest total
since they they matched that number on Oct. 23, 1999 against Fresno
State. Weber State only produced eight first downs, the lowest total
by a Miner foe since BYU had eight on Oct. 18, 1997. The Miners also
completed 62.1 percent of their pass attempts, while Weber State
completed only 34.6 percent. The UTEP offense averaged 6.0 yards per
play, while Weber State sputtered out 2.2 yards per play. The Miners
scored on all four appearances in the red zone. It looked as if the
Miners were going to put up 39 points, however junior James Delgardo
had a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown called back in the fourth
quarter due to an illegal block. Behind Howard Jackson, Matt Austin's
performance should not go unnoticed. He rushed for 66 yards on 13
carries, including a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth
quarter.
True Freshman
Former Parade All-American Marcus Thomas has been the only true
freshman on the field for the Miners in 2004.
Thomas is being eased into the college game. He has seen action in
the second halves of both of UTEP's games so far. He has rushed 11
times for 42 yards, and caught two passes for five yards.
Along with Thomas, 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).
In the Lineup Together!
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 15 stops, while Akinduro has posted 13 over two games.
Rodriguez also leads the team with three tackles for losses and is
tied for the team lead with one sack.
A Natural On Returns
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 third in the NCAA in
punt return average (32.8 ypr).
Fenner (71 career returns) broke the school record with his three
returns versus Weber State. The previous record was held by Javier
Sanchez (1996-98, 2000) with 70. He now has 697 career punt return
yards. Gerald Campbell (1949-51) is the career record-holder with 874
yards.
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.
Big Numbers For Rodriguez
Senior LB Robert Rodriguez has amassed a whopping 337 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.
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 18 career games, including nine of the last
10 contests in 2003.
Rodriguez's 337 career tackles rate tied for fifth among all
active players.
More On Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez's preseason honors included first team All-WAC
by Athlon, The Sporting News, Street & Smith's and Lindy's;
honorable mention All-American by Street & Smith's; and second
team All-Texas by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. He was rated the
14th-best inside linebacker in the country by The Sporting News.
Rodriguez ranks 10th on UTEP's all-time tackle list. He should
pass Fred Williams (344, 1983-86) and Tony Perea (347, 1970-72)
against Boise State.
Rodriguez is trying to become only the fourth Miner to lead the
team in tackles in three seasons this fall. This was previously
achieved by Raymond Morris (1980-83), Barron Wortham (1990-93) and
Micheal 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 is on the watch lists for the Butkus Award and Rotary
Lombardi Award, presented to the nation's best linebacker and finest
lineman respectively.
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 11 and 19 career games, respectively.
Senior RG Ben Graniello has started on six 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.
Also seeing action on the offensive line this season have been
Alex Dimatteo, Michael Eddy, Luis Espinosa, James Riley and Andy
Smith.
UTEP Picked Eighth
The Miners were picked to finish eighth in the Western Athletic
Conference this season by league media. Boise State is picked first
(434 points), followed by Fresno State (427), Hawaii (384), Tulsa
(312), Nevada (256), Rice (212), Louisiana Tech (199), UTEP (179),
SMU (95) and San Jose State (87).
Media Takes Notice
The hiring of Mike Price has brought a great deal of national
attention to the UTEP football program. Since the beginning of
August, television crews from ESPN, Fox Sports Net Southwest and
College Sports Television (CSTV) have made visits to Miner practices.
Also in attendance have been writers from the Associated Press Dallas
bureau, Albuquerque Journal, Arizona Republic, Denver Post and ESPN
The Magazine. USA Today also ran a piece on Price via the Reno
Gazette Journal in late July.
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.
Back Again
When he was hired as UTEP's head coach in December 2003, Mike
Price opted to retain three members of the previous coaching staff.
Returning in 2004 are linebackers coach Tim Duffie, offensive
graduate assistant/tight ends coach Brian Natkin and Director of
Football Operations Nate Poss. Poss is the elder member of the Miner
staff. He is beginning his eighth tour of duty in the Sun City.
Breaking Down the 2004 Miners
The 2004 UTEP roster features 98 players -- 21 seniors, 31
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).
C-USA in '05
UTEP will join the realigned Conference USA in July, 2005. The
Miners will be grouped in the league's Western Division with Houston,
Rice, SMU, Tulane and Tulsa. UTEP has been a member of the Western
Athletic Conference since September 1967, and has won 20 team
national titles as WAC members. The most famous was the 1966 men's
basketball national championship, in which legendary coach Don
Haskins made history by starting five black players.
Tough Start
UTEP's first six games are against Arizona State, Weber State,
Boise State, New Mexico State, Fresno State and Hawaii -- teams that
posted a combined record of 47-31 (.603) in 2003. Three of those
teams -- Boise State, Fresno State and Hawaii -- are coming off bowl
seasons, while Arizona State was a Holiday Bowl participant just two
years ago.
Boise State and Fresno State are currently ranked in the top 25 in
both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and the Associated Press
Poll.
If the Miners can weather the early-season storm, the last five
contests are versus Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, Rice, SMU and
Tulsa -- teams with a composite mark of 21-39 (.350) a year ago. And
that includes Tulsa's 8-5 record, which catapulted the Golden
Hurricane into the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl.
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
Sophomore K Reagan Schneider has been chosen this week's WAC
Special Teams Player of the Week. The last Miner to earn WAC Player
of the Week honors was Keith Robinson on Oct. 21, 2002 (special
teams, following 38-35 win over Rice). Only three times has UTEP had
a WAC Player of the Week winner since 2001...the Miners had two
scoring drives of 90 or more yards against Weber State. UTEP went 92
yards over nine plays for a score in the second quarter, and 98 yards
over 10 plays in the third quarter ... UTEP's captains for the first
two games have been Bryce Benekos, Howard Jackson and Robert
Rodriguez ... Jordan Palmer, Omar Duarte and Orlando Cruz each saw
action at quarterback against Weber State ... seven different Miners
caught a pass versus Weber State .... Jackson did not have a kickoff
return against Weber State. It was only the sixth time in his career
that he didn't have a kickoff return ... the temperature at kickoff
was 95 degrees for the Weber State game, tying for the sixth-hottest
game in UTEP history. The kickoff temperature at Arizona State was
104 degrees, the second-hottest game in school history. The record is
106 degrees at kickoff on Sept. 2, 2000 at Oklahoma. Average
temperature at kickoff in 2004 has been 99.5 degrees ... UTEP has two
players returning who are coming off 100-tackle seasons. They are
senior LB Robert Rodriguez (135 stops in 2003) and junior LB Thomas
Howard (118) ... two former Miner football standouts -- Don Maynard
and Jesse Whittenton -- will be inducted into the UTEP Athletic Hall
of Fame on Sept. 17. Maynard is already in the NFL Hall of Fame
...senior DB Jahmal Fenner is sixth in kickoff return yardage (1,147)
and seventh in kickoff returns (48)...three receivers -- junior Chris
Francies and sophomores Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. and Chris Marrow --
have had 100-yard games at UTEP. Junior RB Matt Austin has gone over
the century mark in rushing twice.
WAC Player of the Week Nominees
(Weber State game)
Offense -- Howard Jackson
(RB, 5-9, 160, SR-3L, Freeport, TX)
Rushed 25 times for 162 yards (6.5 avg.) in UTEP's 32-0 win over
Weber State on Saturday...scored two touchdowns on runs of 32 and 15
yards, respectively...also had three catches for 11 yards.
Defense -- Adrian Ward
(DB, 5-10, 170, SR, Oakland, Calif.)
Registered an interception, three pass break-ups and a tackle in
UTEP's victory over Weber State...it was the Miners' first shutout
win since 1991...UTEP limited the Wildcats to 112 yards of total
offense, fewest since Mississippi was held to 109 yards by the Miners
in the 1967 Sun Bowl.
Special Teams -- Reagan Schneider
(K, 6-0, 165, SO, Canyon Lake, Texas)
Scored 14 points, most by a Miner kicker since 1988, against Weber
State...tied the school record with four field goals (from 37, 40, 52
and 38 yards) and was 2-2 on extra points...the last UTEP kicker to
total as many points in a game was Chris Jacke versus San Diego State
in 1988 (16 points)...Schneider also had seven kickoffs totaling 443
yards (63.3 avg.) versus the Wildcats.
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