UTEP Miners

Sept. 24, 2007

Complete Notes Package in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Miners, Mustangs Hook Up in C-USA Opener

UTEP (2-2) and SMU (1-3) will square off on Saturday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium (32,000 capacity) in Dallas in the Conference USA opener for both schools. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. MST (3:30 p.m. CST) and the game will be nationally televised on CSTV. UTEP is 2-0 in C-USA openers since joining the league in 2005. The Miners beat Houston, 44-41, in double overtime in 2005 and SMU, 24-21, in 2006, both in the Sun Bowl. UTEP is 0-2 in C-USA road openers, falling 27-20 at Memphis in 2005 and 34-17 at Houston a year ago. The Miners' all-time record in conference openers is 26-36-1 (15-8-1 Borderland Conference, 9-28 WAC, 2-0 C-USA). UTEP is coming off a 52-12 pasting of Texas Southern last week in the Sun Bowl. SMU fell at TCU, 21-7, last week. SMU is 1-1 at home (49-9 loss to Texas Tech, 45-31 win over North Texas), and UTEP is 0-2 on the road (45-31 loss at Texas Tech, 29-24 loss at New Mexico State).

The UTEP-SMU Ledger

SMU leads the series 9-5. UTEP, however, has won three of the last four encounters between the Texas rivals. The Mustangs hold a 5-1 advantage in games played in Dallas, the only Miner victory being a 21-19 verdict in 2003. SMU won the last matchup between the schools at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, 40-27, in 2005 -- a game that cost UTEP the C-USA Western Division championship.

The Last Meeting

After watching a 17-0 halftime advantage turn into a 21-17 deficit, UTEP caught the SMU defense by surprise with a halfback pass to pull out a 24-21 victory against the Mustangs at the Sun Bowl on Oct. 7, 2006. Marcus Thomas hooked up with Daniel Robinson on the 27-yard touchdown pass. The Miners' defense then stepped up, intercepting Corey Slater on back-to-back possessions to snuff out any chance of a comeback by SMU. It did not appear that the game would be a nailbiter early on, with UTEP marching down the field on the opening drive en route to taking a 7-0 lead courtesy of a 12-yard pass from Jordan Palmer to Joe West. Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. made it 14-0 for the home team following a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown. UTEP's defense limited SMU to just 38 yards in the opening period. A Reagan Schneider 28-yard field goal afforded the Miners the 17-0 edge at the break. UTEP was a bit sluggish to christen the third quarter, and SMU took advantage with two touchdown passes by Slater. Slater, who was playing for suspended starter Justin Willis, found Bobby Chase and Emmanuel Sanders for throws of 19 and 18 yards, respectively, to close the gap. The Mustangs then moved ahead for the first time on the night after a Thomas fumble at the SMU 20-yard line was returned 80 yards for a score. The Miners kept their composure with Palmer engineering the eventual game-winning drive. Palmer, who threw for 271 yards on the night, picked up 51 of them during the series to set the stage for Thomas' TD pass.

The Last Meeting in Dallas

SMU scored 24 third-quarter points in erasing a halftime deficit on the way to a 40-27 win over UTEP on Nov. 26, 2005, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. UTEP had a season-high seven turnovers, with two leading to 10 third-quarter points for the Mustangs. SMU scored 30+ points for the first time in 2005, and surpassed its season average (18.9 ppg) in the third quarter alone. The Mustangs totaled 20 points off turnovers on the day. UTEP dominated the first half, gaining 239 yards to SMU's 147, but led just 7-6 at the break - giving the Mustangs life. SMU QB Jerad Romo capitalized by throwing a pair of long touchdown passes in the third quarter - one for 34 yards to Reynaldo Pellerin, and another for 29 yards to Bobby Chase. UTEP trailed 33-13 early in the fourth quarter, and Jordan Palmer's pair of touchdown passes to Chris Marrow came too late to rally the team. Palmer had a rough day, throwing four interceptions and losing two fumbles. He finished 27 of 44 passing for 360 yards and three scores. A bright spot for UTEP was Marcus Thomas, who had his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game -- a school record. Thomas collected 118 yards on 22 carries, and also caught seven passes for 120 yards. Chris Francies also had a big game, catching nine passes for 126 yards. Romo passed for 211 yards and three touchdowns for the Mustangs, who played an error-free game. DeMyron Martin rushed for 117 yards on 30 carries.

Last Week: UTEP 52, Texas Southern 12

Trevor Vittatoe threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns in only two quarters of action as UTEP routed Texas Southern, 52-12, on Saturday in the Sun Bowl. The Miners simply overwhelmed the Tigers, building a 38-0 lead at the half. Vittatoe completed two scoring passes to Jeff Moturi, one for 25 yards and another for 29 yards, as UTEP snapped a two-game losing skid. Vittatoe completed 10 of 16 passes in the first half before giving way to Kyle Wright in the second half. The Miners had 343 yards of offense at the intermission to the Tigers' 142. Marcus Thomas ran for 105 of UTEP's 133 yards in the first half, ending a streak of 16 straight games in which the Miners did not have a 100-yard rusher. Thomas had a pair of long scoring runs in the first half. His 15-yard scamper put UTEP ahead 7-0 with 12:19 remaining in the opening quarter. His 27-yard run with 5:50 to go in the half extended the Miners' lead to 38-0 while putting him over the 100-yard mark on the night. UTEP picked off TSU quarterback Cornelius Harmon twice in the first half, and scored touchdowns off both interceptions. Overall the Miners forced five Tiger turnovers, leading to 28 points. Joe West led the Miners with four catches for 88 yards, all in the first half. UTEP compiled 449 yards of total offense while limiting Texas Southern to 284. The Miners had 243 yards passing and 206 rushing.

Notes From the Texas Southern Game

UTEP scored on five of its first six possessions ... six different wide receivers (Evan Davis, Josh Fematt, Pierce Hunter, Jeff Moturi, Lorne Sam and Joe West) caught passes in the game. Davis, Fematt and Hunter all registered their first career receptions, and Hunter scored a touchdown on his first catch as a Miner ... Joe West's 60-yard reception from Trevor Vittatoe early in the first quarter was a career long ... the Miners picked off Texas Southern quarterbacks four times. It marked the most interceptions in a game for UTEP since recording five against Houston on Sept. 16, 2005. Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith, Nuuese Punimata and Roddray Walker all posted the first interceptions of their UTEP careers ... reserve RB Jason Williams was pulled out of redshirt and made his season debut early in the second quarter. He finished with career highs in carries (12) and yards (42) ... Johan Givens rushed nine times for 59 yards, with both numbers establishing career highs.

UTEP in the NCAA/C-USA Stats

Through the games of Sept. 22, the Miners rated 10th nationally in net punting (39.0 avg.), tied for 16th in turnover margin (1.25), 31st in punt returns (12.9 avg.), 36th in kickoff returns (23.6 avg.), 37th in sacks allowed (1.5 avg.), 38th in tackles for losses (7.0 avg.), 41st in rushing defense (119.5 ypg) and 49th in scoring defense (23.0 ppg). Individually, sophomore DB Braxton Amy was tied for 18th in tackles (10.5 avg.), freshman Kyle Petersen was 25th in punting (43.1 avg.), senior DB Quintin Demps was tied for 34th in interceptions (0.5 avg.) and sophomore WR Fred Rouse was 44th in kickoff returns (26.3 avg.). UTEP was first in Conference USA in scoring defense, rushing defense, punting, turnover margin, PAT percentage, kickoff coverage and on-side kicking success. The Miners were second in kickoff returns and red zone defense and third in punt return average, third-down conversions and red zone offense. Individually, junior K Jose Martinez was tied for first in the league in PAT kicking percentage (1.000) and senior RB Marcus Thomas was third in scoring (10.0 ppg).

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

UTEP players are wearing a patch on their helmets this 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.

UTEP Snaps 16-Game Rushing Drought

Senior RB Marcus Thomas ran for 105 yards on only 11 carries -- all in the first half -- against Texas Southern on Saturday. It snapped a string of 16 straight games in which UTEP did not have a 100-yard rusher. It was Thomas' fifth career 100-yard game, tying him for ninth place in school annals with Owen Price (1938-41). Thomas scored two rushing touchdowns versus the Tigers for the second time this season, and the fourth time in his career. He has five rushing TDs in only three games this season after entering the season with only four career rushing scores. He has led the Miners in rushing in his last 19 games dating back to 2005. Thomas has 1,713 rushing yards at UTEP, and needs just 186 yards to move into a 10th-place tie on the school's career rushing list. Thomas is averaging 88 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry in 2007 after averaging 46.6 yards and 3.3 per attempt a year ago.

Moturi on TD Streak

Sophomore Jeff Moturi has become a big part of the Miners' receiving corps this fall after Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. took his talents to the NFL. Moturi leads the team in catches (13) and TD receptions (four), and is second in yardage (213). He has scored a touchdown in UTEP's last three games, including his first multiple TD performance as a Miner last week versus Texas Southern. Moturi recorded his first career 100-yard game at New Mexico State on Sept. 15, finishing with six catches for 105 yards. The school sophomore record for receiving touchdowns is 10, shared by Higgins (2004) and David Karns (1966).

So Far So Good For Vittatoe

Freshman QB Trevor Vittatoe has put up solid numbers this season while taking over for record-setting signal-caller Jordan Palmer. Vittatoe has completed 43 of 90 attempts for 721 yards with five touchdowns and only one interception. Overall UTEP quarterbacks have just two picks in 111 pass attempts this year. Vittatoe is the first freshman quarterback in school history to throw for 195 yards or more in three consecutive games. He passed for 261 yards at New Mexico State on Sept. 15, the fourth-best output ever by a freshman in school history. John Rayborn compiled a UTEP freshman record 288 yards through the air at Air Force on Oct. 1, 1995. Vittatoe has thrown for a touchdown in each of the Miners' last three games. After completing just 18 of 47 attempts (.383) in the first two contests of the year, he is 25 of 43 (.581) for 460 yards over the last two.

Demps Tied For Lead in Interceptions Among Active Players

Senior DB Quintin Demps has had an interception in each of the last two games, increasing his career total to 14. It marks the second time in his career that he has had an interception in back-to-back contests; he also achieved this feat in the first two games of the 2006 season. He is tied for third place in school history in interceptions, five behind the leader Charlie West who had 19 from 1965-67. Demps is tied with Boston College's DeJuan Tribble for the national lead among active NCAA Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players with 14 career interceptions. Demps is second among active players with 301 interception yards behind Indiana's Tracy Porter (364). The 301 interception yards are also a UTEP school standard, eclipsing the previous mark of 256 yards by Richie Wright from 1986-88. Demps' 100-yard interception return in the first quarter at New Mexico State 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. He is second on the team in tackles (31) and tied for the lead with three pass break-ups. He has 117 yards on interceptions in 2007, already the sixth-best seasonal total in UTEP history. 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.

Breakthrough Game For Dew

Sophomore DL Brandis Dew made an impact against Texas Southern, collecting three tackles for losses and a sack. His sack was the first by a Miner defensive lineman in four games this season. Dew spent his first two years in El Paso at quarterback. He redshirted in 2005, then did not see action in 2006 while battling a shoulder injury. He put up spectacular numbers as a signal-caller at Hemet (Calif.) High School but was coveted by many big name programs, including LSU, as a defensive prospect. Dew saw action on both sides of the ball at Hemet High.

Miners Ground Game On Track

UTEP's ground game has made significant strides from last season, largely due to improved play in the offensive line. Last year the Miners averaged 57.6 yards rushing per game. This year UTEP is averaging 153.5 yards per contest. The Miners' yards per carry average is also up from 2.4 to 4.5. UTEP has rushed for over 100 yards as a team in three of the first four games this season, something that happened only three times in all of 2006. UTEP has also had two 200-yard rushing games, including 206 yards against Texas Southern last week. The last time the Miners had a pair of 200-yard rushing games in a season was 2004, and the last time they had three or more in a campaign was 2003 (five). Four UTEP backs are averaging over 4.5 yards per carry, led by Terrell Jackson's sparkling average of 6.5 yards per rush.

UTEP's "D" Shutting Down The Run

Through the first four games of 2007, Miner opponents have managed only 478 yards rushing -- an average of 119.5 per game. That's an improvement from 2006, when UTEP yielded 152.4 yards rushing per outing. The opposition has been limited to 3.6 yards per carry and just three scores on the ground this year. Last season opponents had a decisive advantage in rushing touchdowns, 26-8. UTEP has allowed less than 100 yards rushing to two opponents this season -- Texas Tech and Texas Southern. The Miners are 8-1 under Mike Price when giving up less than 100 yards rushing, with the only setback to the Red Raiders earlier this year.

Penalties Hurting The Miners

UTEP has been quite kind to its opponents this year, giving foes 10 first downs courtesy of penalties. Overall, the Miners have been whistled for 32 infractions which have cost them 292 yards, including 17 penalties over the last two games. UTEP is tied for 92nd out of 119 Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools with an average of eight penalties per contest, and 104th in penalty yards per game (73.0).

Miners Starting Games Strong

UTEP has been very solid in the first quarter of games in 2007, having outscored the opposition 55-13 in the opening period. Overall, UTEP has accounted for 71 percent of its points on the year (83 of 117) in the first half. The Miners have been outscored 63-34 in the second half this season.

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' 247 total plays on offense, 136 have been rushing attempts and 111 have been passing attempts. Additionally, of UTEP's 67 first downs on the campaign, 32 have been of the rushing variety and 30 have come through the air. Five have been a result of penalties.

Better To Be Lucky Than Good

Through four games in 2007, the Miners have struggled a bit with ball security. UTEP has fumbled the ball nine times, but only three of those fumbles were recovered by the opposition. Foes have recovered UTEP fumbles in each of the last two games, but failed to convert them into scores on both occasions. In fact, the Miners' five turnovers this season have resulted in just nine points for foes.

30 Points Usually a Key to Success

UTEP is 19-5 under coach Mike Price when scoring 30 points or more, and 4-12 when being held under 30 points. The twenty-four 30-point games for Price are the second-most for any UTEP coach behind Bobby Dobbs' 25 from 1965-72.

Making `Em Count

UTEP's receivers have caught a total of 53 passes this season -- an average of only 13.3 per game -- but they've made the most out of their catches. UTEP's yards per catch average is 15.2, the team's best figure since 1977 (15.8) and its third-best effort in the last 40 years. The Miners averaged 16.2 yards per reception in 1974. Senior Joe West leads the Miners with 19.5 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.

Special Teams Have Been Special

UTEP is averaging 23.6 yards on kickoff returns, its best average since 1996 (27.3) and second-best average since 1957. Kyle Petersen has been consistently good with his punting. He averaged 41.1 yards per punt in game one, 43.4 yards in game two, 45.4 yards in game three and 47.5 yards in game four. Junior K Jose Martinez is 4-for-5 on field goal attempts (only miss from 53 yards) and 15-for-15 on extra points. His seven made PATs against Texas Southern last week tied the third-top game total in school history. UTEP also ranks third nationally in kickoff return yardage defense (16.5 yards per return), and 28th in punt return yardage defense (5.9 yards per return). The Miners recovered an onside kick and blocked an extra point attempt at New Mexico State on Sept. 15.

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 11 of their 13 trips with eight touchdowns. Over the last two games, UTEP is 7-for-7 in the red zone with five TDs and two field goals.

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 42 stops in four games, while Demps has 31 tackles and Cromartie-Smith has 30. Amy has started only one game this season, but has had double-digit stops in all but one contest. He was credited with a personal best 16 tackles at Texas Tech. 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.

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 28 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 23 coaching victories. Jack Curtice is in fourth place with 24 wins. Price owns 152 career victories, placing him tied for 11th among active Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coaches.

Miner Nuggets

UTEP has won the time of possession battle just 11 times in 40 games under coach Mike Price. The Miners are 8-3 under Price when leading in time of possession, and 15-14 when trailing. UTEP has lost nine of its last 14 games dating back to 2005 when opponents enjoy an edge in time of possession ... UTEP's offensive line has allowed just six sacks in four 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.