UTEP Miners

Sept. 18, 2007

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UTEP Home For Four of its Next Five Games

UTEP (1-2, 0-0 C-USA) will host Texas Southern (0-3, 0-3 SWAC) of the Championship Subdivision on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. MST. The Miners will be home for four of their next five games. Following next week's conference opener at SMU, UTEP will take on Tulsa (Oct. 6), East Carolina (Oct. 13) and Houston (Oct. 27) in succession at the Sun Bowl. The Miners were dealt a 29-24 loss at I-10 rival New Mexico State last week. Texas Southern remained winless with a 28-7 setback at Jackson State on Sept. 13. The Tigers have scored 31 points in their first three contests. UTEP is 14-5 in the Sun Bowl under head coach Mike Price. The Miners are 1-0 in the venue in 2007, a season-opening 10-6 triumph over New Mexico. Texas Southern is 0-1 on the road with the aforementioned loss to Jackson State.

The UTEP-Texas Southern Ledger

UTEP has won the two previous matchups between the schools, both in the Sun Bowl. The Miners beat the Tigers 52-6 in 2001 and 45-0 in 2005.

The Last Meeting

UTEP limited Texas Southern to 146 yards of offense in a 45-0 blanking of the Tigers on Nov. 12, 2005 in the Sun Bowl. UTEP won its ninth straight game in the Sun Bowl, extending a school-record streak in the process. Jordan Palmer completed 16 of 23 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns, breaking Billy Stevens' career record for passing yardage. Palmer helped the Miners to a 28-0 halftime lead, connecting with Marcus Thomas, David Sutton, Chris Marrow and Joe West for scores. He extended the lead to 35-0 on a three-yard touchdown run of his own midway through the third period. A 26-yard field goal by Reagan Schneider and a two-yard run by El Paso native Jon Lane completed the scoring. Texas Southern missed its best scoring opportunity with 31 seconds remaining in the first half, when Kyle Watson's 22-yard field goal attempt was wide right. Brent Wilson rushed 22 times for 90 yards for the Tigers. Thomas rushed for 112 yards on 18 carries for the Miners, and caught four passes totaling 69 yards. Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. chipped in with three receptions for 73 yards.

Last Week: NMSU 29, UTEP 24

Chase Holbrook and Chris Williams both put up big numbers, and New Mexico State's offense came alive in the second half as the Aggies beat UTEP, 29-24, on Sept. 15 at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces. Holbrook threw for 434 yards and Williams finished with 221 yards receiving as New Mexico State snapped a three-game losing streak at the hands of the Miners. It was the Aggies' first victory over UTEP in five years. New Mexico State was held to 166 yards of offense in the first half, but the Aggies exploded for 381 yards after the intermission. NMSU finished with 547 yards of offense behind Holbrook, who completed 36 of his 48 pass attempts. UTEP led at the end of each of the first three quarters. The Miners enjoyed a slim 17-16 advantage heading into the final period, but Holbrook connected with Williams on an 82-yard touchdown pass to put the Aggies ahead 23-17. Following a 67-yard kickoff return by Fred Rouse, UTEP's Trevor Vittatoe fired a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Moturi to put the Miners back on top. But Holbrook once again hit Williams with a long pass -- this one good for 59 yards -- to provide the winning points. UTEP was only able to pick up one first down on its last two offensive drives. Vittatoe completed 15 of 27 passes for 261 yards for the Miners, but threw his first interception of the season -- leading to NMSU's first touchdown. Moturi finished with six catches for 105 yards for his first career 100-yard game. UTEP had 345 yards of offense. The Miners lost the time of possession battle 32:46 to 27:14, including 10:42 to 4:18 in the final period.

UTEP in the NCAA/C-USA Stats

Through the games of Sept. 15, the Miners rated eighth nationally in net punting (40.2 avg.), tied for 40th in sacks allowed (1.67 per game), tied for 44th in turnover margin (0.33) and 45th in kickoff returns (22.9 avg.). Individually, sophomore DB Braxton Amy was 11th in tackles (12.0 avg.), freshman Kyle Petersen was 30th in punting (43.1 avg.), sophomore WR Fred Rouse was 34th in kickoff returns (26.3 avg.), sophomore DB Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith and senior DB Quintin Demps were tied for 43rd in tackles (9.7 avg.), and junior K Jose Martinez was tied for 47th in field goals (1.0 avg.). UTEP was tied for first in Conference USA in PAT kicking percentage (1.000), first in kickoff coverage (49.1 net avg.) and second in net punting and red zone defense (68.8 percent success rate). Amy was third in the league in tackles.

Tough Way to Start a Season

UTEP has faced two of the nation's top five passing offenses over the last two games. Texas Tech enters the week rated second nationally in passing (479.3 ypg), and New Mexico State is fifth (398.7 ypg). The Red Raiders are second in the country in total offense (568.7 ypg), and sixth in scoring offense (51.0 ppg). The Aggies are 11th in total offense (523.3 ypg), and tied for 34th in scoring offense (32.7 ypg). UTEP did a good job of holding those prolific offenses in check in the first half. The Miners led Texas Tech 28-17 at the intermission after surrendering 252 yards to the Red Raiders. UTEP was ahead 14-9 at the midway point at New Mexico State. The Aggies had 166 yards of offense at the break. However, TTU and NMSU combined to score 48 second half points, with seven touchdowns and 690 yards of offense between them.

Miners to Recognize 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division

UTEP players will wear a patch on their helmets beginning Saturday through the end of the season in honor of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (4BCT) of the 1st Cavalry Division, headquartered in Fort Hood, Texas. The 4BCT consists of approximately 4,000 soldiers, of which nearly 3,800 are deployed to central and northern Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 4BCT activation took place at Fort Bliss in October 2005. At that point the unit began individual and collective training to prepare for deployment and combat operation in the Fall of 2006. The unit will return to El Paso in full no later than mid-January 2008. The 4BCT will be supplying a special coin to be utilized in the coin toss prior to Saturday's game. UTEP will be providing tickets to Saturday's game for family members of the deployed troops.

First 100-Yard Game for Moturi

Sophomore WR Jeff Moturi picked up the first 100-yard receiving game of his career at New Mexico State. Moturi reeled in six receptions for 105 yards. He has scored touchdowns in back-to-back games for the Miners. Moturi reached the end zone off an eight-yard pass from Trevor Vittatoe at Texas Tech, and off a 25-yard pass from Vittatoe at NMSU. Moturi is the first UTEP sophomore wideout to have a 100-yard receiving game since Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. versus Hawaii in 2004 (six catches for 104 yards).

Vittatoe In Elite Company

By throwing for 261 yards against New Mexico State on Saturday, Trevor Vittatoe became the fourth freshman quarterback in school history to pass for more than 260 yards in a game. John Rayborn achieved the feat twice, including a UTEP freshman record 288 yards passing at Air Force on Oct. 1, 1995. Jordan Palmer (287 yards versus Tulsa in 2003) and Rocky Perez (278 yards at Rice in 1997) also reached the milestone.

Vittatoe Taking Care of the Football, Too

Trevor Vittatoe has thown just one interception in 74 pass attempts this season. He started his collegiate career with 49 consecutive pass attempts without an interception before throwing his first pick on UTEP's first offensive drive in the New Mexico State game. Overall Miner signal-callers Vittatoe and Lorne Sam have tossed two interceptions in 109 pass attempts, an average of one every 55 throws. Last year UTEP quarterbacks averaged one pick for every 15.4 pass attempts.

Demps Climbing Career Interceptions Chart

With his interception against New Mexico State on Saturday, senior DB Quintin Demps climbed into a tie for fourth place in program history with 13 career picks. Charlie West (1965-67) holds the school record with 19 career interceptions. Demps is tied with Boise State's Marty Tadman for second place among active NCAA Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players with 13 career interceptions. Boston College's DeJuan Tribble is atop the list with 14 picks. Demps' 100-yard interception return in the first quarter at NMSU tied the longest in school history. Demps became the fourth player in school annals to have a 100-yard interception return, and the first since Michael Hicks at BYU in 1996. Demps is on preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player in college football) and the Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back). He is the only player from a school in the state of Texas on the Thorpe Award list. Demps, who is projected to be a first-day pick in the 2008 NFL Draft by some analysts, landed on preseason All-America teams by The Sporting News and Street & Smith's.

Rouse Starting To Heat Up

Sophomore Fred Rouse, who was regarded as the top wide receiver prospect in the country coming out of high school, is starting to show signs of his talent. Against New Mexico State, the Florida State transfer made two catches for 76 yards. He also set up the Miners' final touchdown with a spectacular 67-yard kickoff return.

Miners Ground Game On Track

UTEP's ground game has made significant strides from where it was a year ago at this point. Last year the Miners were averaging a mere 60 yards rushing through the first three games of the season. This year UTEP is averaging 136 yards per contest. The Miners' yards per carry average is also up from 2.4 to 4.1. UTEP has rushed for over 100 yards as a team in two of the first three games this season, something that happened only three times in all of 2006. The Miners still haven't had an individual rush for 100 yards in their last 16 games. The last UTEP player to have a 100-yard rushing game was Marcus Thomas at SMU (118 yards) on Nov. 26, 2005. The 16-game drought is the longest for UTEP since a 23-game run spanning across the 1991, 1992 and 1993 seasons.

UTEP's "D" Shutting Down The Run

Through the first three games of 2007, Miner opponents have managed only 383 yards rushing -- an average of 127.7 per game. That's an improvement from 2006, when UTEP yielded 152.4 yards rushing per outing. The opposition has been limited to 3.7 yards per carry and just three scores on the ground this year. Last season opponents had a decisive advantage in rushing touchdowns, 26-8.

Penalties Hurting The Miners

UTEP has been quite kind to its opponents this year, giving foes seven first downs courtesy of penalties. Overall, the Miners have been whistled for 24 infractions which have cost them 193 yards, including nine penalties for 72 yards at New Mexico State on Saturday. UTEP is tied for 87th out of 119 Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools with an average of eight penalties per contest.

Success In The Red Zone

The Miners have done a good job of converting in the red zone in 2007, as they have scored on six of their eight trips. They were a perfect 2-of-2 against New Mexico State, a strong display after going 4-of-5 against Texas Tech.

Nice To Be Balanced

UTEP has done a good job of being balanced offensively in 2007, something it wasn't able to accomplish a year ago. Of the Miners' 181 total plays on offense, 100 have been rushing attempts and 81 have been passing attempts. Additionally, of UTEP's 46 first downs on the campaign, 22 have been of the rushing variety and 21 have come through the air.

Better To Be Lucky Than Good

Through three games in 2007, the Miners have struggled a bit with ball security. UTEP has fumbled the ball eight times, but only two of those fumbles were recovered by the opposition. That was not the case against New Mexico State, however, as sophomore RB Donald Buckram's fumble was recovered by the Aggies. Fortunately for UTEP, NMSU was unable to convert the turnover into points. In fact, the Miners' four turnovers this season have resulted in just nine points for foes.

Miners Starting Games Strong

UTEP has been very solid in the first quarter of games in 2007, having outscored the opposition 31-13 in the opening period. Overall, UTEP has accounted for nearly 70 percent of its points on the year (45 of 65) in the first half. The Miners have been outscored 51-20 in the second half this season, including 48-13 over the last two games.

Making `Em Count

UTEP's receivers have caught a total of 38 passes this season -- an average of only 12.7 per game -- but they've made the most out of their catches. UTEP's yards per catch average is 14.8, the team's best figure since 1994 (15.0) and its fourth-best effort in the last 40 years. The Miners averaged 16.2 yards per reception in 1974 and 15.8 yards per reception in 1977. Senior Lorne Sam leads the Miners with 19.8 yards per catch, which if it stands would mark the fourth-best seasonal total in school history. Volley Murphy averaged 21.9 yards per catch in 1967, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. averaged 20.6 yards per reception in 2004 and Eric Anderson averaged 20.2 yards per catch in 1985.

30 Points Usually a Key to Success

UTEP is 18-5 under coach Mike Price when scoring 30 points or more, and 4-12 when being held under 30 points. However, UTEP has lost its only 30-point game this season; the Miners dropped a 45-31 decision at Texas Tech on Sept. 8. The twenty-three 30-point games for Price are the second-most for any UTEP coach behind Bobby Dobbs' 25 from 1965-72.

Miners Seeking Improved Pass Rush

Miner coach Mike Price is hoping his defense will do a better job of harassing opposing quarterbacks as the season goes on. UTEP has logged just three sacks in three games, with none by defensive linemen. Sophomore DB Braxton Amy, junior LB Nuuese Punimata and sophomore LB Brian Wilkins all have one sack to their credit. The Miners had 42 sacks in their first season under Mike Price in 2004, but the total has decreased to 29 in 2005 and 22 in 2006. UTEP's 1.0 sacks per game were tied for 99th nationally entering the week.

Special Teams Have Been Special

The Miners recovered an onside kick and blocked an extra point attempt last week at New Mexico State. They also received a 67-yard kickoff return from sophomore Fred Rouse and a 45.4-yard punting average from freshman Kyle Petersen. UTEP is averaging 22.9 yards on kickoff returns, its second-best output in the last 11 seasons. The Miners averaged 23.0 yards on kickoff returns in 2003. Petersen has been consistently good with his punting. He averaged 41.1 yards per punt in game one, 43.4 yards in game two and 45.4 yards in game three. As a team, UTEP is averaging 43.1 yards per punt, best since 1992 when All-American Ed Bunn was on the roster. Junior K Jose Martinez is 3-for-4 on field goal attempts (only miss from 53 yards) and 8-for-8 on extra points. UTEP also ranks third nationally in kickoff return yardage defense (14.9 yards per return), and 23rd in punt return yardage defense (4.8 yards per return).

Safeties Leading Stop Troops

UTEP's top three tacklers -- sophomores Braxton Amy and Da'Mon Cromartie Smith and senior Quintin Demps -- are all safeties. Amy has posted 36 stops in three games, while Demps and Cromartie-Smith both have 29 tackles. Amy hasn't started either of the Miners' first three games, but has had double-digit stops in every contest. He was credited with a personal best 16 tackles at Texas Tech. Amy is on pace for 92 solo tackles this year, which would rank tied for 10th all time in program history. Demps had a career-high 16 tackles in the opener versus New Mexico, and Cromartie-Smith's 14 stops at TTU were a personal best. The last safety to lead UTEP in tackles for a full season was D.J. Walker in 2002.

Four Players Shoulder Receiving Load

UTEP has had only four wide receivers catch passes through the first three games of the season -- seniors Joe West and Lorne Sam, and sophomores Jeff Moturi and Fred Rouse. Six wideouts listed in the depth chart are still seeking their first reception of the season -- freshmen Kris Adams, Evan Davis, Pierce Hunter and Brandon Jordan, sophomore Tufick Shadrawy and junior Chris Day.

Thomas Heads Up Ground Game

Senior RB Marcus Thomas leads UTEP in rushing, averaging 79.5 yards per game. He has scored three touchdowns in two games this season. Thomas has now led UTEP in rushing in his last 18 games dating back to 2005. A former Parade prep All-American, Thomas has accumulated 1,608 yards rushing with the Miners. He needs 291 yards to crack UTEP's all-time top 10 rushing list. Thomas has rushed for over 100 yards four times in his UTEP career -- all during the 2005 season. He is tied for 10th place in school history with the four 100-yard rushing games.

Sam is Mr. Excitement

Senior Lorne Sam has given the UTEP offense a lift this season, whether he enters the game as a quarterback or a receiver. He has completed five of seven passes for 41 yards. He has also averaged 9.3 yards every time he has touched the ball (10 rushes for 41 yards, five catches for 99 yards). Those numbers would look even better had he not been sacked for a 15-yard loss in the first quarter of the New Mexico game.

Jones Making Comeback

Senior LB Jeremy Jones missed all but two games of the 2006 season after breaking his leg in practice. Following a medical hardship year, he is back in 2007. Jones has produced double-digit tackles in two of the first three games -- 13 versus New Mexico and 13 at New Mexico State. He has now had double-figure stops in 11 of his last 17 games. Jones was UTEP's leading tackler two seasons ago, racking up 130 stops to earn second team All-Conference USA honors. He averaged 10.8 tackles to rate third in the league and 14th in the NCAA. Jones posted a career-high 18 tackles versus Rice on Oct. 29, 2005. He is on preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award, both presented to the top defensive player in college football.

Felix a Staple in the Starting Lineup

Junior Robby Felix is on the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy -- presented to the top center in college football -- for the second consecutive season. Felix is the veteran of the Miner O-line, having started all 27 games since his freshman season of 2005. He was appointed third team All-Conference USA by league media and honorable mention by the coaches a year ago -- significant achievements considering that UTEP averaged just 57.6 yards rushing.

Price Already Fifth in Wins at UTEP

In only his fourth season at UTEP, Mike Price is fifth in school history with 22 coaching victories. Jack Curtice is in fourth place with 24 wins. Price owns 151 career victories, placing him tied for 11th among active Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coaches.

Miner Nuggets

UTEP is 0-2 when leading at halftime this season. The Miners had been 18-4 under Mike Price when leading at the midway point entering the season ... UTEP has a 45 percent success rate on third down this season, its top figure since 1989 (46 percent) ... the Miners are averaging a sparkling 71.5 yards per interception return through three games. Sophomore DB Cornelius Brown had a 43-yard pick at Texas Tech and senior DB Quintin Demps had a 100-yard return at New Mexico State ... UTEP has won the time of possession battle just 11 times in 39 games under coach Mike Price. The Miners are 8-3 under Price when leading in time of possession, and 14-14 when trailing. UTEP has lost nine of its last 13 games dating back to 2005 when opponents enjoy an edge in time of possession ... UTEP's offensive line has allowed just five sacks in three games. Last year Miner quarterbacks were sacked an average of 2.1 times per contest ... UTEP will face seven 2006 bowl teams this season. Five of the games will be played in the Sun Bowl ... UTEP has enjoyed four separate winning streaks of at least three straight games in the Mike Price era. Putting that into perspective, the Miners achieved winning streaks of three games or more on just four occasions from 1975-2003 ... Price and Bob Stull are the only coaches in UTEP history whose teams haven't been shut out in a game.