Following Wednesday’s 45-13 loss to Toledo in the GMAC Bowl, UTEP quarterback Jordan Palmer hobbled to the interview room with a boot wrapped around his newly sprained ankle.
The fate of Palmer may have summed up the fate of the 2005 Miners, who were victimized by injuries all season long and limped home with losses in their last three games.
UTEP was 8-1, ranked 24th in the nation and riding a five-game winning streak in mid-November. But UAB snapped the Miners’ school-record nine-game winning streak in the Sun Bowl with a 35-23 victory on Nov. 19. UTEP closed out the season with losses to SMU and Toledo to finish 8-4.
Perhaps fatigue set in, with UTEP having two bye-weeks in the first month of the season and playing seven straight games from Oct. 14-Nov. 26. Or maybe the loss of several key players to injuries finally caught up with the Miners.
Either way, head coach Mike Price vowed after the bowl loss that his staff would re-evaluate how they did things late in the season, in hopes of finishing 2006 on a higher note than 2005.
Disappointing finish aside, 2005 was a successful year for Miner football. UTEP posted eight wins and earned bowl bids in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1954. The Miners set school records for total offense (5,073 yards), passing yardage (3,607), passing touchdowns (29) and first downs (270),
Palmer shattered every career total offense and passing record, and will return for a senior season in 2006. He will be looking to cut down on his interception total, which escalated from 18 in 2004 to 19. Eight of Palmer’s 19 interceptions led to touchdowns for the opposition this season, and the Miners were 0-3 when he threw three picks or more.
Turnovers in general were a problem for the 2005 Miners. UTEP finished the season with a turnover margin of 10, a year after going +2 in that department. The Miners were also whistled for 84 penalties totaling 769 yards, up from 74 penalties for 631 yards in 2004. UTEP did show signs of rectifying the penalty situation late in the year, committing four or fewer in three of the last four games.
The Miners will again be one of the favorites to win Conference USA’s Western Division heading into 2006. UTEP returns eight offensive and nine defensive starters from the late-season lineup. The most significant losses on offense are linemen Jose Garcia and Josh House, and wide receiver Chris Francies who made a catch in his last 43 collegiate games. Francies ended the year with 44 receptions for 774 yards despite missing two games due to injury.
Running backs Tyler Ebell and Matt Austin will also be missed. Ebell ran for 536 yards in seven games before his season was cut short due to injury. Austin never started a game for the Miners, but still amassed over 1,000 yards rushing.
Price and his staff will need to build depth at running back behind Marcus Thomas, who ended his sensational sophomore year by rushing for over 100 yards in four of the last five games. A high school senior will likely be signed in February to back up Thomas.
Redshirts Colby Meek and Cameron Raschke are the top contenders to fill the void left by the departures of Garcia and House.
The receiving corps will be bolstered by the additions of talented redshirts Dustin Bell and Dashan Miller. Daniel Robinson, who redshirted in 2005, also returns as a senior next year.
UTEP loses Francies, Jayson Boyd (12-222-0 in ’05) and Aaron Givens (22-188-1) from the receiving contingent but welcomes back veterans Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr., Chris Marrow and Joe West, who came on strong late in the year and had 88 yards receiving in the bowl game. All three tight ends (Jamar Hunt, Casey Mauch, Jake Sears) also return for 2005.
Barring injury, the Miners are expected to possess much greater depth at quarterback in 2006. Redshirt freshman Brandis Dew and Florida State transfer Lorne Sam -- who could see action at signal-caller as well as wideout will join Palmer to form a formidable threesome.
UTEP’s biggest losses on defense are SAM linebacker Thomas Howard, who is projected to be an early-round NFL Draft choice, and left tackle Chris Mineo, who posted eight tackles for losses and six sacks in an injury-marred 2005.
Senior Jason McQuay is the favorite to take Howard’s spot after seeing action in all 12 games as a reserve this year. Justin Hanel, who filled in for Mineo during his seven-game absence this season, is also back.
Jeremy Jones and Troy Collavo both racked up 100+ tackles this season and will anchor the linebacker unit. Both ends (Alex Obomese and Joe Ward) return, as does right tackle Zach West. The secondary returns intact save for right corner Sir James Delgardo, who has exhausted his eligibility.
Newcomers who could make an impact on the defensive side of the ball in 2006 include defensive backs Braxton Amy and Lance Castleberry, linebackers Alan Kirkland and Brian Wilkins, and linemen Chris Moore, Dane O’Neill and Matt Williams.
UTEP could potentially start nine seniors on defense next year Obomese, Hanel, West, Ward, Collavo, Jones, McQuay, Fleskoski and Bryant Tisdale, who was Delgardo’s primary backup this season. As a whole, the Miners’ 2006 senior class which also includes Palmer, Higgins, Marrow, Mauch, kicker Reagan Schneider and punter Ryan Hotchkiss -- should be finest group in school history.
The Miners will play 12 games in 2006. UTEP’s Conference USA schedule will be reversed from 2005, with the Miners hosting Memphis, Rice, SMU and Tulane and playing at Houston, Marshall, Tulsa and UAB. UTEP’s non-conference slate is more challenging than this year’s. The Miners will face Big 12 power Texas Tech and I-10 rival New Mexico State in the Sun Bowl, and travel to New Mexico and San Diego State.
UTEP will attempt to secure a third straight bowl bid in 2006, a feat never achieved by the program.
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