Oct. 3, 2016
Football Press Conference
UTEP Notes
UTEP TO HOST FIU ON SATURDAY
UTEP will host its second Conference USA contest on Oct. 8, as FIU makes its way to El Paso for a second time in four years. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in the Sun Bowl. The 14th induction class into the UTEP Athletic Hall of Fame will be honored at halftime of Saturday's contest. The Oct. 8 meeting marks the third time the two programs will face each other, while it's the second game in El Paso since the 2013 campaign. The Miners (1-4, 0-2 Conference USA) are coming off a 28-7 loss at LA Tech, while FIU (1-4, 1-0 C-USA) edged Florida Atlantic 33-31 in Miami.
UTEP ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
Orsten Artis, Harrington Jackson, Gerina Mendoza (Piller), Brian Natkin and Mack Saxon compose the 14th induction class into the UTEP Athletic Hall of Fame. They will be honored at the induction banquet on Friday, Oct. 7 at the Larry K. Durham Sports Center, as well as at Saturday's game versus FIU. Artis, who lettered for the Texas Western College men's basketball team from 1963-66, posted a double-figure scoring average all three years and was the third-leading scorer on the 1966 national championship team. Jackson, who ran track at UTEP from 1969-72, set the standard as the school's first national champion in the sprints. Mendoza, a UTEP women's golf standout from 2003-07, was the Conference USA individual champion and Player of the Year her senior year. Saxon is the winningest coach in UTEP football history with 66 victories. He compiled a 66-43-9 mark over 13 seasons (1929-41).
MORE ON NATKIN
Brian Natkin, a member of the UTEP football team from 1997-2000, became UTEP's second consensus All-American and first unanimous All-American as a senior. He was selected first team All-America eight times that year while leading all tight ends nationally in receptions (64) and yards (787). He converted 46 receptions (71.4 percent) for first downs as a senior. Natkin earned honorable mention All-America honors in 1998 after notching 34 catches for 362 yards. He closed out his career with 172 receptions for 1,934 yards and 11 touchdowns. Natkin was with two NFL teams (Tennessee and St. Louis) before embarking on a coaching career that ultimately took him back to UTEP. He is currently the Miners' tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. He is a member of UTEP's Centennial Football Team.
UTEP VS. FLORIDA PROGRAMS IN EL PASO
The Miners are 4-1 all-time in the Sun City versus programs from the Sunshine State. Texas Western defeated Florida State 47-20 in the 1955 Sun Bowl, while UTEP defeated UCF 58-13 in 2008, FIU 33-10 in 2013 and Florida Atlantic 27-17 last season in the Sun Bowl. The Miners' lone loss came at the hands of UCF by the score of 31-24 during the 2012 season. Overall UTEP is 4-5 against Florida programs.
SERIES HISTORY VS. FIU
The series is tied 1-1 as both teams have won on their home field in recent years. UTEP pounced on FIU, 33-10, in the Sun Bowl in 2013 and the Panthers returned the favor, 52-12, last season.
THE LAST MEETING
Autrey Golden became UTEP's all-time leader for kickoff return yards, but the depleted Miners fell at FIU, 52-12, on Oct. 10, 2015. Golden registered five returns for 92 yards, giving him 2,758 in his career to surpass Cedric Johnson (2,757 yards). Alex McGough completed 13-of-17 passes for 270 yards for the Panthers. The Panthers scored the game's first 35 points, as McGough completed 10-of-12 passes for 182 yards. The Miners got on the board with 7:53 remaining in the second quarter when Jay Mattox kicked a 20-yard field goal. The Miners had four first downs and 134 yards at halftime, and an already decimated running backs corps lost Laquintus Dowell and Treyvon Hughes to injury. UTEP was down 42-3 at the break. UTEP scored its first touchdown midway through the third quarter behind freshman quarterback Kavika Johnson, who saw his most extensive action of the season. Johnson completed four passes on the drive, the last to Cole Freytag who dashed 23 yards into the end zone. Freytag had a then-career high 81 yards on two catches. Johnson was 10-of-20 passing for 107 yards. The Miners enjoyed moderate success running the football. They gained 155 yards on 47 attempts (3.3 avg.) behind Warren Redix, who picked up 52 yards on 10 carries. The Panthers gained 518 yards on 53 plays, a 9.8-yard average.
ABOUT FIU
The Panthers are coming off a 33-31 victory over Florida Atlantic on Oct. 1 in Miami. FIU rushed for 270 yards, its most since 2010. Alex Gardner rushed for 119 yards, while Anthony Jones tallied 90 yards. QB Alex McGough rushed for 61 yards and a pair of scores. With the Owls leading 31-30 at the 12-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Panthers kicker Austin Taylor connected on a 32-yard field goal for the go-ahead score. FIU put up 16 points in the third quarter, as Jones scored on a three-yard run, McGough found Thomas Owens for a 26-yard touchdown (PAT blocked) and Taylor hit a 37-yard field goal. FIU ranks no. 12 in C-USA in scoring offense (17.4 ppg) and no. 8 in scoring defense (36.0). The Panthers rank no. 10 in total offense (335.2 ypg) and no. 7 in total defense (437.2). Gardner ranks sixth in rushing yards per game (81.4) and fifth in total rushing yards (407) along with three touchdowns. McGough has thrown for 747 yards on 68-of-129 passing, two scores and six interceptions. TE Jonnu Smith leads the team in receptions (22) and yards (248). The FIU defense features the top two tacklers in Conference USA, as LB Treyvon Williams leads the way with 57 tackles and LB Anthony Wint has tallied 55 stops. Both defenders are juniors.
CONNECTIONS
UTEP Head Coach Sean Kugler was on the Pittsburgh Steelers staff and FIU tight ends coach Jason Brooks was on the Baltimore Ravens staff during the 2010 season. The Steelers and Ravens met three times that season -- twice during the regular season and once in the divisional playoffs.
LAST WEEK: LA TECH 28, UTEP 7
Jarred Craft rushed for 146 yards, including a game-changing 70-yard score early in the fourth quarter, as LA Tech pulled away down the stretch for a 28-7 win over UTEP on Oct. 1 in Ruston. Making his first start for the Miners since the 2015 season finale, quarterback Ryan Metz gave the offense a lift before taking a blow to the head with about nine minutes left in the game. UTEP trailed 21-7 at that point and was facing fourth and three at the Bulldog 22-yard line. Zack Greenlee came in and threw an incomplete pass to Hayden Plinke, who established season highs for catches (eight) and yards (66). LA Tech put the game away with a 12-play, 78-yard drive, capped by a nine-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Higgins to Trent Taylor with 1:29 remaining. Higgins completed 19-of-28 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and Taylor snared 10 balls for 121 yards and a score. Metz finished 20-of-28 for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Head Coach Sean Kugler indicated that Metz would go through concussion protocol. The Miner defense forced LA Tech to punt on four consecutive possessions -- its longest streak in a game since the 2014 season -- before breaking down on Craft's long run. Before that, UTEP trailed 14-7 after Metz engineered a 15-play, 58-yard scoring drive. He connected with Plinke for a 10-yard TD with 14:55 to play to make it a one-possession game. The Bulldogs scored on both of their first quarter possessions, with the first drive spanning 84 yards and the second 91 yards. Higgins completed 9-of-10 passes for 130 yards in the period, throwing for one touchdown and rushing for another. He hooked up with Craft for a 17-yard TD and scampered 22 yards for six points. The Miner defense tightened the screws in the second quarter, holding LA Tech to two first downs and 10 plays totaling 38 yards. UTEP's best chance to get on the board ended when Metz threw an interception on second and one at the Bulldog 30-yard line. Aaron Jones rushed 20 times for 94 yards. Eddie Sinegal became the first UTEP player to compile 100 yards receiving in a game this season as he finished with 102 yards on six catches. The Miners outgained the Bulldogs, 415 yards to 387, but committed two turnovers to LA Tech's zero. UTEP was also penalized six times for 55 yards while LA Tech had two penalties for 12 yards.
3,000-YARD CLUB
Aaron Jones rushed for 94 yards at LA Tech on Saturday, giving the junior 3,001 yards in his career. Howard Jackson (3,466 yards) and John Harvey (3,576 yards) are the other two Miners to rush for 3,000 yards in their respective careers.
RUN, AARON, RUN
Aaron Jones leads Conference USA with 660 yards on 96 attempts (6.9 avg.), while his 132.0 yards per contest also leads the league. Southern Miss' Ito Jones ranks no. 2 with 617 yards. Jones is one of four C-USA running backs who average over 100 yards per game. Smith (123.4 ypg), Middle Tennessee's I'Tavius Mathers (116.4 ypg) and LA Tech's Jarred Craft (110.2 ypg) are the other three backs. Smith has rushed for 617 yards, Mathers has 582 yards, while Craft has recorded 551 yards. Jones's 249-yard performance to open the 2016 season ranks as the most yards gained in a single game in 2016 in C-USA, while Jones is the only C-USA running back to go over 200 yards this season.
AARON'S OTHER C-USA NOTES
Aaron Jones has rushed for five touchdowns, ranking tied for no. 4 in Conference USA. Middle Tennessee's I'Tavius Mathers leads the way with eight scores, while North Texas' Jeffrey Wilson and Old Dominion's Jeremy Cox have each rushed for seven touchdowns. Jones is averaging 6.9 yards per carry, ranking third in C-USA behind Marshall's Tony Pittman (7.5 avg.). Pittman, though, has only 19 rushing attempts on the season to Jones's 96 attempts. Southern Miss' Ito Smith leads the league with 99 rushing attempts, while Jones is second. Jones's three 100-yard games rank tied for no. 2 with FIU's Alex Gardner and Mathers behind Smith's four 100-yard performances. Smith's 86-yard dash against Savannah State on Sept. 10 is the longest rush in C-USA thus far in 2016, while WKU's Nicholas Norris tallied an 85-yard dash on Oct. 1. Jones tallied a 75-yard sprint during the season opener.
AARON'S NATIONAL NEWS
Aaron Jones ranks no. 4 in the nation with his 660 yards. San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey leads the nation with 750 yards; BYU's Jamaal Williams has rushed for 703 yards, while Louisville QB Lamar Jackson has tallied 688 yards. Jones ranks seventh in rushing yards per game (132.0). Jones's 96 attempts rank tied for 17th; Vanderbilt's Ralph Webb leads the way with 118 attempts. Jones's yards per carry (6.9) ranks no. 51; New Mexico's Teriyon Gipson leads the nation with a 12.9 avg. Jones is tied for 35th with his five rushing touchdowns; Jackson leads the way with 14 rushing scores.
NO. 3 RUSHER ON THE ALL-TIME LIST
Aaron Jones ranks no. 3 on UTEP's all-time rushing list. Jones added more yards to his career total (3,001 yards) after his 94-yard output at LA Tech and ranks behind Howard Jackson (3,466 yards) and John Harvey (3,576 yards). Jones is 466 yards away from moving past Jackson.
MOVING UP THE C-USA RUSHING LIST
Aaron Jones now ranks no. 15 on the Conference USA all-time rushing list with 3,001 yards, moving past Tulane's Orleans Darkwa (2,953 yards) and East Carolina's Chris Johnson (2,982 yards). East Carolina's Leonard Henry is ranked no. 14 with 3,089 yards. Memphis' DeAngelo Williams leads the C-USA all-time list with 6,026 yards.
100-YARD PERFORMANCES
Aaron Jones hit over 100 yards for the 13th time in his career after rushing for 127 against Southern Miss. Jones is ranked no. 3 on the program's all-time list and is one from tying Howard Jackson's fourteen 100-yard games. John Harvey leads the list with 16 such games.
TD JONES
Aaron Jones recorded his 21st career rushing score against Southern Miss. Jones is now tied for no. 6 on the all-time list with Owen Price and Donald Buckram. Fred Wendt ranks fifth with 23 rushing scores, while Howard Jackson (25 TDs), Marcus Thomas (26 TDs) and Pug Gabrel (27 TDs) round out the next three spots on the all-time list. John Harvey ranks no. 1 with 42 rushing scores.
LONG RUNS BY AARON
Aaron Jones's 68-yard touchdown rush in the first quarter against Southern Miss on Sept. 24 marked the eighth rushing play of 50-plus yards in his career. He has had three in 2016 that includes a 75-yard score against NM State on Sept. 3 and a 51-yard sprint at Texas. Jones tallied an 81-yard run and a 65-yard rush as a freshman (2013), a 73-yard dash and 54-yard run as a sophomore (2014), and one in his injury-shortened 2015, a program-best 91-yard sprint at Texas Tech. He also added a 72-yard reception, to go along with a 54-yard catch in 2014.
MORE LONG-RUN NOTES
Aaron Jones is tied with New Mexico's Teriyon Gipson for the national lead with three runs of 50-plus yards. Jones ranks tied for second with two runs of 60-plus yards and is tied for fifth with one 70-plus yard rush. Jones also ranks tied for second with three runs of 40-plus yards, tied for fifth with four runs of 30-plus yards, tied for fourth with seven runs of 20-plus yards and tied for 12th with 16 runs of 10-plus yards.
100-YARD HALVES
Aaron Jones recorded 117 yards in the first half against Southern Miss on Sept. 24, making it the 10th career game in which he's gained over 100 yards in a half. Jones grinded out 161 yards in the second half against NM State to open the 2016 season and gained 114 yards in the first half at Texas on Sept. 10. His second-best was a 158-yard performance at New Mexico in the first half in 2014.
100-YARD QUARTERS
Aaron Jones registered 99 rushing yards in the first quarter against Southern Miss, coming up a yard short of hitting 100-plus in a quarter for the fourth time in his career. Jones hit 104 yards rushing during the second quarter at Texas. Jones compiled 140 yards in the fourth quarter against NM State on Sept. 3, 2016. Jones racked up 111 yards in the second quarter at Texas Tech last season before sustaining a season-ending injury.
ALL-PURPOSE JONES
Aaron Jones tallied a career-high 292 all-purpose yards on Sept. 3 versus NM State. Jones's performance against the Aggies is a Conference USA high for a single game in 2016. Jones also recorded 124 all-purpose yards at Texas on Sept. 10, 77 yards against Army, another 127 yards against Southern Miss and 109 at LA Tech on Saturday night. Jones now has 3,483 all-purpose yards in his career and is ranked no. 10 on the program's all-time list. Lee Mays ranks no. 9 with 3,565 all-purpose yards, while Howard Jackson leads the chart with 6,153 all-purpose yards.
THIRD-MOST RUSHING YARDS
Aaron Jones's 249 yards against rival NM State on Sept. 3 ranks as the third-best single-game performance in school history. Donald Buckram went for 262 against Houston in 2009, while Fred Wendt holds the single-season high with 326 versus NMSU in 1948.
AARON THE GUNNER
Aaron Jones played on special teams on Sept. 3 against NM State. He made the most of it as he downed two punts at the one-yard line. The first came on a 48-yard punt by Alan Luna in the first quarter, while the second came during the third quarter on a 38-yard boot. At Texas, Jones came close to downing another punt at the one-yard line in the second half.
STEADY EDDIE
Eddie Sinegal set career bests in receptions (six), yards (102) and long catch (32 yards) at LA Tech on Saturday night. This performance comes after a pair of three-catch games. The El Paso native tallied his first collegiate receptions (three) and yards (23) against Army on Sept. 17 and followed with a three catches for 24 yards against Southern Miss on Sept. 24. Sinegal is tied for the team lead with 12 receptions and ranks no. 2 on the team with 149 yards.
THE CENTURY MARK
Eddie Sinegal recorded his first career 100-yard game at LA Tech. Sinegal was the first Miner to hit 100-yards receiving since Tyler Batson's 143 yards against Florida Atlantic in 2015.
100-YARDS IN THE KUGLER ERA
After Eddie Sinegal's 102-yard performance at LA Tech, head coach Sean Kugler has seen ten 100-yard performances by receivers since his first season in 2013. Jordan Leslie recorded five such performances in 2013, while Ian Hamilton registered a 108-yard performance in 2013. Hamilton tallied a pair of 100-yard games in 2014, while Tyler Batson had one in 2015. Batson's 143 yards against Florida Atlantic were the most during the Kugler era.
COLE'S CAREER NIGHT
Cole Freytag led the Miners with a career-high 95 yards on four receptions (tied career best) on Sept. 3 versus NM State. Freytag also added a 46-yard scoring reception during the second quarter. The El Paso native registered his fourth career touchdown and second versus NM State. Freytag caught three passes for 45 yards at LA Tech. The senior wide receiver has a team-best 207 yards on 11 receptions (18.8 avg.) to lead the Miners. Freytag is ranked 18th in Conference USA in receiving yards and 19th in yards per game (41.4).
JUNIEL'S CATCH
Terry Juniel recorded a career-long catch of 42 yards at LA Tech on Saturday night. The catch came with no time left in the first half off a hail mary throw from Ryan Metz. Juniel has seven catches for 71 yards in 2016.
PAYDIRT PLINKE
Hayden Plinke had his best performance of 2016 after hauling in eight balls for 66 yards, including a 10-yard score from Ryan Metz, at LA Tech on Saturday night. Plinke's three touchdowns this season are the most for a UTEP tight end since Jonas Crafts tallied a trio of scores in 2004. Plinke is tied for the team lead with 12 receptions for 98 yards (8.2 avg.).
PLINKE'S C-USA NOTES
Hayden Plinke's three touchdown receptions lead all Conference USA tight ends thus far in 2016, while his scores rank tied for no. 7 overall in the conference. Plinke's 12 receptions are the second most for a C-USA tight end behind FIU's Jonnu Smith (22 receptions).
METZ'S START
QB Ryan Metz started his first game of 2016, and first since getting the nod at North Texas during the 2015 season finale, at LA Tech. Metz had a solid outing, throwing for 215 yards on 20-of-28 passing and a touchdown. Metz, on the season, has thrown for 313 yards on 34-of-51 passing (66.7 percent) with a score and an interception.
QB PLAY AT LA TECH
UTEP quarterbacks combined for a season-high 293 yards on a season-most 25 completions a LA Tech. Ryan Metz (20-of-28 for 215 yards), Zack Greenlee (4-of-5 for 69 yards) and Kavika Johnson (1-of-1 for nine yards) all saw action in Ruston. Metz completed UTEP's only touchdown toss against the Bulldogs, a 10-yard pass to Hayden Plinke.
LONG'S FIRST CAREER START
True freshman Greg Long started his first career game against Southern Miss on Sept. 24, while making his second consecutive start at LA Tech on Saturday night. The Eastwood High School graduate got the nod at the right guard position.
FIRST DOWN, MINERS!
UTEP gained 22 first downs at LA Tech, the second most in 2016. The Miners opened the 2016 campaign with 28 first downs against NM State. UTEP had only gained a total of 30 first downs in each of the previous three contests (10 at Texas, 10 vs. Army & 10 vs. Southern Miss).
THIRD DOWNS & TOP
UTEP converted 8-of-14 third downs at LA Tech on Saturday night after converting a season low 1-of-11 against Southern Miss. The Miners have won time of possession in 33 of 42 games during Sean Kugler's time at the helm of the program. UTEP is currently ranked no. 3 in Conference USA at 30:34 per game. Southern Miss leads C-USA (32:06), while Middle Tennessee is second (31:13).
TOTAL OFFENSE AT LA TECH
UTEP tallied 415 yards of total offense at LA Tech on Saturday night. It was the second-most yards registered in 2016 after only averaging 240 yards per game in the previous three contests (208 at Texas, 254 vs. Army & 258 vs. Southern Miss). UTEP gained a season-high 518 yards against NM State in the season opener.
OVER 400 YARDS DURING THE KUGLER ERA
After gaining 415 yards at LA Tech, the Miners have now accomplished over 400 yards of total offense 14 times during the Sean Kugler era. Of the 14 games, UTEP gained over 500 yards in three contests -- all against rival NM State.
TIME FLIES
UTEP won the time of possession at LA Tech for the first time in two games (35:36 to 24:24). The Miners won the time of possession in each of the firs two games of 2016, but was out-clocked the next two contests.
IN THE NIK OF TIME
Nik Needham recorded another pass breakup at LA Tech, giving the sophomore cornerback six on the season. Needham ranks tied for first in Conference USA in that department, while ranking tied for ninth nationally. Duke's Breon Borders leads the nation with nine pass breakups. Needham opened the season by breaking up three passes (tying for third-most in school history) against NM State and broke up two more against Southern Miss on Sept. 24.
MORE ON NEEDHAM
Nik Needham registered a career-high eight tackles, tying for the team lead at LA Tech on Saturday night. Needham tallied four solo stops to go along with a tackle for loss. Needham has tallied 18 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss in 2016.
JUSTIN TIME
Justin Rogers tallied a career-high two pass breakups at LA Tech on Saturday night after he registered his first career pass breakup against Southern Miss on Sept. 24. Rogers has recorded six tackles, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and fumble recovery as a true freshman in 2016.
USHER THE CRUSHER
Nick Usher was all over the field as the senior LB tallied eight tackles at LA Tech on Saturday night, tying for the team lead. Usher added a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. Usher ranks second on the team with 35 tackles, while leading the squad with 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
LOVE FOR LOVILETTE
Dante Lovilette has been a key contributor on defense, as the junior transfer has stepped up with Alvin Jones getting limited reps due to an injury. Lovilette tallied six more tackles at LA Tech on Saturday night. Lovilette leads the team with 36 tackles, while ranking no. 16 in Conference USA. Lovilette has also recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
SOTA POP
Mike Sota led the UTEP defense with a career-high nine tackles against Southern Miss on Sept. 24, and recorded four more stops at LA Tech on Saturday night. The sophomore defensive lineman's performances came after tallying seven stops against Army on Sept. 17, which was a career high at the time. Sota's 20 tackles the past three weeks have given him 23 on the season, ranking sixth on the team.
MADUNEZIM'S BARK
Brian Madunezim turned in another solid outing at LA Tech, as the senior registered five tackles. This comes after recording a career-high seven tackles against Army and recording his first career half sack against Southern Miss on Sept. 24. Madunezim, a.k.a. Mad Dog, sacked Nick Mullens for a loss of six yards on the fourth play of the game. Madunezim has 20 tackles on the season, with a pair of quarterback hurries.
DEFENSE FORCING PUNTS
The UTEP defense forced four consecutive punts at LA Tech on Saturday night, its most since forcing five consecutive against North Texas in 2014.
ON THE DEFENSIVE
UTEP is currently ranked no. 6 in C-USA in total defense (425.2 y/g) in 2016. Southern Miss leads the way with 272.6 yards per game allowed. After allowing 598 yards against Army, the UTEP defense has tightened up and has yielded under 400 yards the last two contests.
PASS DEFENSE RANKS HIGH
The UTEP pass defense allowed 191 yards at LA Tech on Saturday night. It was the lowest total for LA Tech in 2016. Entering Saturday's contest, the Bulldogs were averaging 386.2 passing yards per game. The Miners' 198.4 pass yards allowed per game ranks no. 3 in Conference USA.
THE BREAKUP
UTEP registered six pass breakups at LA Tech on Saturday night after tallying five pass breakups against Southern Miss on Sept. 24. UTEP opened the 2016 campaign with 10 pass breakups against NM State on Sept. 3. It was the most pass breakups since registering 10 against NM State on Sept. 15, 2012. The Miners have tallied double-digit breakups two other times since 2001 -- 12 vs. Tulsa on Oct. 14, 2005 and 10 vs. San Jose State on Oct. 20, 2001. The Miners rank sixth in Conference USA with 15 pass breakups in 2016. UTEP ranks no. 3 in Conference USA with 21 pass breakups. Middle Tennessee (28) and WKU (27) lead the way. Nationally, the Miners rank tied for no. 56 with 10 other programs.
YOUNG COACHING
Head Coach Sean Kugler sealed his coaching staff in February with the addition of Derrius Bell as the cornerbacks coach. Bell is the fourth-youngest coach in college football at the age of 27. Assistant Coach Sean Duggan from Hawaii is the youngest coach at 22, followed by Patrick Toney from UTSA and Brett Ekkens from Akron, both 26. Bell played under defensive coordinator Tom Mason before serving on his coaching staff for three seasons.
DAS BOOT
Alan Luna punted four times at LA Tech on Saturday night. Of the four, three were kicked inside the 20-yard line, while two were inside the 10-yard line. The last time Luna kicked a trio of punts inside the 20 came against LA Tech in 2015. On Sept. 24, Luna booted a career-long 69-yard punt against Southern Miss during the third quarter. Luna's 69-yard boot was the second-longest in Conference USA this season behind Old Dominion's Bailey Cate's 70-yard blast on Sept. 17. Luna's 69-yard punt is tied for sixth longest in the nation this season. Luna kicked six punts for 306 yards for a career-best 51-yard average, which also ranks as the highest in C-USA this season. Luna is ranked fourth in C-USA and 43rd nationally in punting (42.6 avg.).
JUST KICKIN' IT
Jay Mattox connected on an extra point at LA Tech, giving the senior kicker 108 PATs in his career. Mattox is 29 PATs away from tying the school record held by Reagan Schneider (137 PATs). Mattox also now has 216 points in his career, needing seven to move to no. 2 on the all-time career list for UTEP kickers. Ricky Bishop (222 points) ranks no. 2, while Schneider (287 points) ranks no. 1.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
The Miners' 105-man roster includes 20 seniors, 25 juniors, 19 sophomores and 41 freshmen (28 true/13 redshirt). UTEP has 47 lettermen returning (24 offense/21 defense/two special teams) and 17 returning starters (eight offense/six defense/three special teams).
DEPTH CHART
The two-deep for the FIU game features nine projected senior starters (five offense/four defense), seven junior starters (three offense/four defense) and seven sophomore starters (four offense/three defense). Of the 26 players listed in the offensive two-deep, 17 are upperclassmen (nine seniors/eight juniors). Of the 23 players listed in the defensive two-deep, 14 are upperclassmen (six seniors/eight juniors). Nine freshmen are in the depth chart (three offense/six defense), featuring true freshmen Greg Long (LT), Kolbi McGary (SS), Justin Rogers (CB), Eddie Sinegal (WR) and Quadraiz Wadley (RB).
HOMETOWN TALENT
Since Sean Kugler was hired as UTEP's head coach, he vowed to suit up El Paso's best players. He kept his word as seven El Paso high school standouts signed letters of intent in 2016. Overall the 2016 roster is composed of 26 Sun City players.
LOCAL PLAYERS ON DEPTH CHART
Twelve area players have graced the two-deep for the FIU game. They are OL Derek Elmendorff (Franklin HS), WR Cole Freytag (Coronado HS), FB David Jackson (Parkland HS), RB Aaron Jones (Burges HS), LB Alvin Jones (Burges HS), QB Kavika Johnson (Mayfield HS [Las Cruces, N.M.]), OL Greg Long (Eastwood HS), K/P Alan Luna (Franklin HS), QB Ryan Metz (Andress HS), DB Brandon Moss (Chapin HS), WR Warren Redix (Montwood HS) and WR Eddie Sinegal (Andress HS).
OTHER PROGRAMS & THEIR LOCAL TALENT
UTEP has 11 El Paso players on its two-deep depth chart. Akron has 13 players from Akron, Ohio. West Virginia has nine players from Morgantown, W. Va., while Pitt has eight players from Pittsburgh, Pa. Arizona State has eight players from the Phoenix Metro Area.
UP NEXT
Following its bye week, UTEP will play at UTSA on Oct. 22, as kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. CT/5 MT in the Alamodome. The Miners and Roadrunners last met in San Antonio in 2014, as UTEP was dominant during a 34-0 victory.
