UTEP unveiled this year's football schedule, featuring four games versus 2004 bowl teams, on Friday.
"I'm excited about the schedule," UTEP coach Mike Price said. "I think [athletic director] Bob Stull and our new conference did a great job of putting it together. It was a difficult schedule to arrange, but it is set up in a way that gives us the opportunity to be successful. It's a very competitive schedule, particularly early on."
Two Miner games will be nationally televised on ESPN, including UTEP's Conference USA debut on Friday, Sept. 16 versus Houston in the Sun Bowl. UTEP's game at Tulane on Friday, Oct. 14 will also be an ESPN telecast.
The Miners, 8-4 in 2004, will play six home games this fall, including non-conference matchups with New Mexico (Sept. 24) and Texas Southern (Nov. 12). Three of UTEP's six home games are versus 2004 bowl participants.
UTEP will face both New Mexico and New Mexico State in the same season for the first time since 1999. The Aggies will host the Miners on Sept. 3 to open the 2005 campaign.
The Miners and Lobos, Western Athletic Conference rivals from 1968-98, will be squaring off for the first time since 2001. It will be the first El Paso meeting between the schools since 1999. UTEP and New Mexico have faced one another 72 times, with the Lobos holding a 41-28-3 advantage in the series ledger.
UTEP's eight-game Conference USA schedule features home dates with Houston (Sept. 16), Marshall (Oct. 22), Tulsa (Nov. 5) and UAB (Nov. 19). The Miners will travel to Memphis (Oct. 1), Tulane (Oct. 14), Rice (Oct. 29) and SMU (Nov. 26).
The Miners will be facing Houston for the first time since 1948. UTEP will be playing Marshall, Memphis, Tulane and UAB for the first time.
The Marshall game on Oct. 22 is the 2005 Homecoming game.
New Mexico finished 7-5 last season and played in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco. Memphis was 8-4 and participated in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Marshall is coming off a 6-6 season and Fort Worth Bowl appearance. UAB was 7-5 a year ago and played in the Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu.
UTEP will play three of its last four games in the Sun Bowl, all in the month of November.
The Miners return 12 starters (six offense/five defense/one specialist) from the 2004 unit that finished 6-2 in WAC play and met Big 12 North Division champion Colorado in the EV1.net Houston Bowl.
2005 UTEP Football Schedule
(Times to be announced at a later date)
Home games (6): Sept. 16 vs. Houston* (ESPN); Sept. 24 vs. New Mexico; Oct. 22 vs. Marshall*; Nov. 5 vs. Tulsa*; Nov. 12 vs. Texas Southern; Nov. 19 vs. UAB*
Road games (5): Sept. 3 at New Mexico State; Oct. 1 at Memphis*; Oct. 14 at Tulane* (ESPN); Oct. 29 at Rice*; Nov. 26 at SMU*
* Indicates Conference USA game
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