UTEP Miners

UTEP Notes | UAB Notes | Conference USA Notes
UTEP AND UAB TO SQUARE OFF FOR FIRST TIME IN SEVEN YEARS
The 2017 season will conclude as UTEP will play at UAB on Nov. 25. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. MT/Noon CT at historic Legion Field. The Miners and Blazers will meet for the first time in seven years as the two programs last played on Oct. 16, 2010 in Birmingham. UTEP (0-11, 0-7 Conference USA) is coming off a 42-21 setback against LA Tech on 'Senior Day' (Nov. 18), but gained over 400 yards of total offense in the game and found the end zone three times during the second half against the Bulldogs, while UAB (7-4, 5-2 C-USA) is coming off a 36-7 loss at Southeastern Conference school Florida in Gainesville on Nov. 18. The Blazers' football program, after taking a two-year hiatus, became bowl eligible in its first season back after defeating Rice 52-21 on Nov. 4. UAB is also 5-0 at Legion Field this season. Senior LB Alvin Jones will suit up for the Miners for the last time as is looking to be the first UTEP defensive player since 2012 to hit over 100 tackles in a single season. Jones has already tallied a career-high 95 tackles after his 15-tackle performance against LA Tech on 'Senior Day'.

SERIES HISTORY
UAB leads the series 3-1. After the visiting team prevailed in the previous three matchups, UAB knocked off the Miners, 21-6, in Birmingham on Oct. 16, 2010. The two programs first met on Nov. 19, 2005 in the Sun Bowl with UAB winning 35-23. The second meeting saw the Miners top UAB, 36-17, on Nov. 10, 2006, while on Halloween 2009, the Blazers got past the Miners, 38-33, in El Paso.

THE LAST MEETING
UTEP enjoyed a 3-0 lead at the half and was up 6-0 early in the third quarter, only to see home standing UAB rally for a 21-6 victory in 2010 at Legion Field. Blazer quarterback Bryan Ellis completed 20-of-28 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair to Frantell Forrest. Overall UAB was able to compile 500 yards of offense while the Miners, hindered by injuries, registered 229. UTEP appeared to be in good shape after forcing a UAB turnover on the first drive of the second half. The Miners marched down the field and had first and goal from the Blazers' four-yard line, only to settle for Dakota Warren's second field goal of the game. That put UTEP up 6-0 with 11:15 to play in the period, but the inability to punch it in would come back to haunt the Miners. The UAB offense, which was held scoreless and to a total of 207 yards through the first 37:17 of the contest, would come to life. The Blazers put together three straight scoring drives of 74, 80 and 99 yards, respectively, en route to staking the commanding 21-6 lead. Trevor Vittatoe completed 15-of-33 passes for 169 yards but he was sacked twice and picked off three times, with UAB taking advantage of UTEP being down to its fourth string center.

ABOUT UAB
The Blazers (7-4, 5-2 Conference USA), are coming off a 36-7 loss at SEC program Florida on Nov. 18. Despite the loss, UAB, after a two-year hiatus, became bowl eligible after cooking Rice 52-21 on Nov. 4. The Blazers opened the new campaign with a 38-7 win against in-state rival Alabama A&M, but followed with a 51-31 loss at Ball State. UAB bounced back to beat Coastal Carolina, 30-23, while falling in its first league contest of the season, 46-43, at North Texas. The Blazers then went on to win their next three of four C-USA games – defeating LA Tech 23-22 (Oct. 7), Middle Tennessee 25-23 (Oct. 14) and Southern Miss 30-12 (Oct. 28) in Hattiesburg, but falling 25-24 at Charlotte (Oct. 21), whose only win of 2017 thus far came against UAB. The Blazers have outscored their opponents 327-285 and are averaging 29.7 points per game (ranked for fourth in C-USA), while yielding 25.9 (ranked for sixth in C-USA). UAB is averaging 367.4 yards of total offense per game and giving up 371.5 per contest (ranked for fifth in C-USA). Freshman RB Spencer Brown ranks for third in C-USA and leads the Blazers with 1,194 yards on 215 attempts (5.6 avg.) and has scored 10 touchdowns. Junior QB A.J. Erdely (6'4", 220 pounds) leads the team with 12 rushing scores and has passed for 1,918 yards on 166 completions (61.9 percent), 14 scores and only four interceptions on 268 attempts. Erdely's 136.3 passing efficiency ranks for sixth in C-USA. Junior WR Andre Wilson leads the team in receptions (47), receiving yards (608) and receiving scores (six). Collin Lisa has caught 22 passes for 308 yards. Junior WR Ronnie Turner Jr. (6'4", 190 pounds) is ranked second on the team with his 24 catches for 195 yards and a touchdown. The Blazers have intercepted 12 passes, led by senior CB Darious Williams' four picks. Eight other Blazers have recorded interceptions on the season. Senior LB Tevin Crews leads the team with 91 tackles, while picking off a pass. Junior CB Broderick Thomas ranks second with 88 stops and has also registered an interception. Williams leads the way with 14 breakups, has recovered a fumble and has tallied 47 tackles. Senior DL Shaq Jones and junior DL Stacy Keely each have a team-best 3.0 sacks.

LAST WEEK
UTEP gained over 400 yards of total offense, true freshman running back Joshua Fields rushed for a career-high 137 yards with a touchdown and senior linebacker Alvin Jones racked up 15 more tackles to add to his career total, but LA Tech used a 28-0 first half to get past UTEP, 42-21, on Nov. 18 in the Sun Bowl. The Miners outscored the Bulldogs, 21-14 in the second half, but it wasn't enough as LA Tech's Jaqwis Dancy and Boston Scott each hit over 130 yards rushing in the contest. Fields, a native of El Paso and a graduate of Americas High School, rushed for 97 yards in the first half on his way to his first 100-yard game in his young career. The Miners registered a season-high 410 yards of total offense – while hitting over 300 for the first time in 2017 and most since 555 yards of total offense against North Texas during the 2016 season finale. UTEP tallied a season-high 19 first downs and threw for a season-best 261 yards on 12 completions. With the score 28-0 in third quarter, Fields got the Miners on the board when he found the end zone on an 11-yard rush with just over five minutes left in the third quarter. On the drive, junior Ryan Metz hooked up with Andress High School teammate sophomore Eddie Sinegal on passes of 18, 13 and seven yards. Another key play was a LA Tech offside penalty on a fourth-and-3 that kept the drive going. The touchdown was his second of Field's young career and the first second-half offensive touchdown since Mark Torrez went six yards for a score during the third quarter against Arizona on Sept. 15. With just over a minute left in the third, senior Tyler Batson made the score 28-14 after a catch-and-run down the sideline that went for a career-long 83 yards from Metz, who also got credit for a career-long pass completion. The drive went 87 yards on only three plays. LA Tech answered though when it drove 75 yards on 13 plays that ended with a J'Mar Smith to Teddy Veal nine-yard touchdown toss that made the score 35-14. In the back-and-forth second half, the Miners made it another 14-point game when Metz threw his second score of the contest – a 33-yard pass to junior Kavika Johnson. Metz, on the play, was about to get sack, but rolled out of it to his right and found Johnson on the catch-and-run, while breaking a pair tackles in the process on his way to pay dirt with just over nine minutes remaining in the contest.  But LA Tech chewed up over six minutes of the clock on a 69-yard scoring drive on 11 plays that resulted with a Smith nine-yard scoring dash to make the score 42-21 and out of reach for the Miners. The Bulldogs' Amik Robertson intercepted a Metz pass with just over two minutes remaining in the game that sealed the win. Back to the first half, the UTEP defense got the crowd of 16,597 excited as it opened the first quarter with two fumble recoveries on the Bulldogs' first two possessions. Junior Kahani Smith recovered the first after sophomore Justin Rogers forced the fumble from Rhashid Bonnette. The second came from senior Dante Lovilotte when he forced the ball out of Kam McKnight's hands and recovered it. The Miners, however, couldn't capitalize on the forced fumbles. LA Tech, after forcing a three-and-out on UTEP's second possession, went 80 yards on 12 plays, capped by a Scott 23-yard scoring pass from Smith. The Bulldogs converted three third downs on the drive to keep the ball moving. Kickoff returner junior Terry Juniel put his squad in great position after returning the kickoff 53 yards (second longest of his career) to the LA Tech 44-yard line. The Miners had a chance to get on the board with their third possession, but three penalties and a missed 38-yard field goal attempt kept them scoreless. The original field goal attempt was going to be a 33-yard attempt by junior walk-on Jason Filley before a five-yard false start penalty by senior offensive lineman Logan Tuley-Tillman moved the ball back.  The Miners had another chance of getting on the board in the first half on their fourth possession. Senior Zack Greenlee had a 'free play' after a defensive offside and found senior wide receiver Nesly Ovincy on a 41-yard reception – his first of the season – to the LA Tech 35-yard line. Fields followed with a 21-yard gain to the opponent 14-yard line, but then fumbled the ball on his ensuing possession. LA Tech then took a 14-0 lead after recovering the fumble at its own 15 and responded with a five-play, 85-yard drive that resulted in a Jaqwis Dancy 54-yard touchdown with just over six minutes left in the first half. UTEP's first-half offensive woes continued on its fifth possession. After Fields gained 26 yards to the Bulldogs' 36-yard line, Metz threw a pick-six to DaMarion King, who took it back 71 yards for a score and a 21-0 lead with just over three minutes left in the half. After another UTEP three-and-out, the Bulldogs then took a 28-0 lead in the final two minutes of the first half on six-play, 72-yard scoring drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown rush with 30 seconds remaining in the half. Batson led the way with 94 yards on a pair of receptions, while Sinegal led the squad with five receptions for a season-high 69 yards. Metz, who replaced the starter Greenlee, threw for 187 yards on 8-of-16 passing and two touchdowns. Greenlee completed three passes for 59 yards. Jones, along with his 15 stops, added half a sack with a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Lovilotte registered eight tackles, while Smith and senior Devin Cockrell recorded seven tackles each. Senior Sky Logan was credited with half a sack and sophomore Kalaii Griffin registered his first career sack. The Bulldogs rushed for 343 yards and three scores led by Dancy's 135 yards. Veal led the way in receptions (six) and yards (66), while Scott added a receiving score. Smith threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Dae'Von Washington led the LA Tech defense with eight tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

LAST GAME OF THE SEASON
UTEP is 3-0 during the last three years in the last regular game of the season. The Miners blew past North Texas, 52-24, last season, topped North Texas 20-17 in 2015 and edged out Middle Tennessee in 2014. During interim head coach Mike Price's first go-round, the Miners only won once in the regular-season finale – a 52-21 stomping of Marshall on Nov. 28, 2009.

OFFENSE COMES TO LIFE
Though UTEP fell 42-21 against LA Tech on Nov. 18, the Miners reached season highs in points, offensive yards (410), first downs (19). UTEP also gained season highs in rushing yards (164) and passing yards (246 yards on 11 completions). And after not scoring an offensive touchdown in the second half during the last seven games, the Miners' offense scored three in the second half – a Joshua Fields 11-yard score, a Tyler Batson 83-yard touchdown and a Kavika Johnson 33-yard scoring reception.

"FUMBLE, FUMBLAYA!"
The UTEP defense recovered a pair of fumbles against LA Tech on Nov. 18. Junior DB Kahani Smith recovered the first fumble on a sophomore DB Justin Rogers's forced fumble, and senior LB Dante Lovilotte forced and recovered his own fumble - both during the first quarter. It matched the most since recovering two against Southern Miss on September 24, 2016 in the Sun Bowl. The Miners have recovered eight fumbles in 2017, ranking tied for first in Conference USA with UTSA, Marshall and Old Dominion. It's also the most since recovering 10 fumbles in 2014. Senior DL Sky Logan has recovered two fumbles, ranking tied for 18th in FBS. Senior LB Alvin Jones's three forced fumbles ranks tied for second in C-USA.

#HOMEGROWN
The offensive and defensive leaders against LA Tech all hail from the Sun City. UTEP's leading passer was Ryan Metz (187 yards, 2 TDs) from Andress High School, while the leading receiver is also from Andress in Eddie Sinegal, as he led the Miners in receptions (five) for 69 yards. Joshua Fields, a product from Americas High School, rushed for a career-high 137 yards and scored a touchdown, while Burges High School graduate Alvin Jones led the way with 15 tackles.

JOSHUA HAS A FIELD DAY
True freshman RB Joshua Fields rushed for a career-high 137 yards on a career-most 23 carries (6.0 avg.) against LA Tech on Nov. 18. The native of El Paso gained 97 of those yards during the first half, while finding the end zone on the second half against the Bulldogs. His previous high was an 87-yard output at Middle Tennessee on Nov. 4. Fields also scored his second career touchdown on an 11-yard rush.

FRESHMAN LEADING RUSHER
After his career high in rushing yards, freshman Joshua Fields leads the Miners with 338 yards on 84 attempts and a pair of touchdowns. The last true freshman to lead the Miners in rushing was Aaron Jones (811 yards) in 2013.

BATSON RISES
Senior WR Tyler Batson scored on a career-long 83-yard catch-and-run touchdown against LA Tech on Nov. 18. Batson's previous long was a 76-yard touchdown reception against Florida Atlantic in 2015. Batson gained a season-high 94 yards (second most during career) on a pair of receptions against the Bulldogs. Batson scored the longest touchdown for the Miners in 2017 and leads the team with 316 yards on 19 receptions (ranked for second on team) and has scored two touchdowns.  

KAVIKA COMING ALONG
Junior WR Kavika Johnson scored his second career receiving touchdown against LA Tech on Nov. 18 during the fourth quarter. The play came on a first-and-10 in which Ryan Metz scrambled out of a possible sack and found Johnson on a catch-and-run. Johnson went 33 yards and broke multiple tackles on his way to the end zone. Johnson has caught 13 passes for 162 yards and a pair of scores. Johnson's first career receiving touchdown came against WKU on Oct. 7 in the Sun Bowl. Johnson set career highs earlier this season in catches (six) and receiving yards (67) against Rice on Sept. 9.

SCORING MULTIPLE WAYS
Junior WR Kavika Johnson recorded his first career touchdown catch against WKU on Oct. 7 as he joined a rare club of Miners who have scored a touchdown rushing, receiving and throwing. Johnson has thrown for four scores and has rushed for one (2015 at North Texas) during his career. Johnson joins Aaron Jones, Lorne Sam, Marcus Thomas and Omar Duarte as Miners who have accounted for a touchdown three ways since the 1998 season.

STEADY EDDIE
A week after tying his career best with six catches at North Texas after entering the Nov. 11 contest against the Mean Green with five receptions in 2017, sophomore WR Eddie Sinegal led the Miners with five receptions for a season-high 69 yards against LA Tech. In fact, on UTEP's first scoring drive against the Bulldogs, Sinegal registered 38 yards on three receptions, including a long of 18 yards on the first play of the drive. Sinegal has registered 142 yards on 16 receptions in 2017. Sinegal recorded a 100-yard plus game at LA Tech last season, the only Miner to hit 100 yards receiving in 2016.

NESLY'S FIRST START, FIRST CATCH
Senior WR Nesly Ovincy made his first start on 'Senior Day' against LA Tech on Nov. 18. The transfer from McNeese State responded with a 41-yard reception during the second quarter, his first reception in a UTEP uniform. The reception was also his longest during his collegiate career.

METZ MOVING UP
Junior QB Ryan Metz threw for 187 yards and a season-best two touchdowns against LA Tech on Nov. 18. Metz now has 23 passing scores in his career, needing one to crack the program's all-time top-10 list. John Furman and Nick Lamaison each have 24 career passing scores.

CAREER-LONG PASS FOR METZ
Ryan Metz completed an 83-yard touchdown pass against LA Tech on Nov. 18. The score surpasses his previous long of 72 yards during the 2016 season finale against North Texas. Metz's longest pass in 2015 was a 57-yard toss.

MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICAN STATUS
Senior OL Will Hernandez was named to the AP Midseason All-America team, chosen by a panel of 16 Top-25 poll voters, on Oct. 17. The guard garnered second team honors through seven games and has racked up 48 starts in four seasons for the Miners. Hernandez is not new to the spotlight, having earned 2017 AP Preseason All-America second team recognition. Last season, the Las Vegas native was the first Miner offensive lineman to receive AP All-American second team and FOX Sports All-American honors. The senior was also the first UTEP offensive lineman since 2009 to earn All-Conference USA first team recognition. Hernandez's national recognition didn't stop there, as he garnered Pro Football Focus Pass Protector of the Year. Hernandez is the only Conference USA student-athlete to earn recognition.

WILL'S PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Will Hernandez was selected to the 2017 AP All-America second team on Aug. 22 as the senior racked up multiple preseason honors. Hernandez was announced to the 2017 Outland Trophy Watch List and earned a spot on the 2017 Preseason Conference USA team. Multiple football publications, including Dave Campbell's Texas Football, Phil Steele's College Football Preview and Athlon Sports had Hernandez on their preseason teams.  

ALVIN THE BALL HAWK
Alvin Jones recorded 15 tackles, half a sack, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup against LA Tech on Nov. 18. The 15 stops matches his season high in which he racked up 15 tackles against Arizona on Sept. 15, the second-most stops in his career. Jones' career high is 16 tackles twice. The first came against FIU on Oct. 8, 2016 in the Sun Bowl, and Jones followed with another 16-tackle performance at Rice on Nov. 19, 2016.

CAREER-HIGH 95 TACKLES
Alvin Jones racked up 15 more tackles against LA Tech on Nov. 18. Jones, after his performance, set his personal season best with 95 tackles and currently leads the team. Jones ranks sixth in tackles per game (8.6) and in total tackles (95) in Conference USA. Jones's 7.5 tackles for loss lead the team and rank tied for 18th in C-USA. Jones has led the Miners in tackles in each of the last two seasons, recording 93 stops during each campaign.

THE CENTURY MARK
Senior LB Alvin Jones has a team-leading 95 tackles this season and, with one game to go, has the opportunity to hit the 100-tackle mark. The last Miner to post 100+ tackles was Josh Fely in 2012 with 112 stops. From 1986 till 2009, at least one UTEP defensive player registered 100 or more stops.

FORCING THE ISSUE
Heading into 2017, Alvin Jones had not recorded a forced fumble. The senior has forced a trio of fumbles in his senior season. Jones recently forced a fumble at North Texas on Nov. 11. Jones forced a fumble against UTSA on Oct. 28 and his first career forced fumble came at Southern Miss on Oct. 14. Jones ranks tied for second in Conference USA and tied for 13th in the FBS in forced fumbles.

KEEPING UP WITH ALVIN'S CAREER
Alvin Jones has 336 career tackles, the second-most at UTEP since the 2000 season behind Robert Rodriguez's 443 stops (2001-04), after tallying 15 stops vs. LA Tech on Nov. 18. Jones has 13.0 career sacks, ranking tied for seventh with Thomas Howard and Justin Hanel on the program's top-10 list.  Jones's 37.0 career tackles for loss are the most since 2000 and rank third on the program's all-time list as Barron Wortham leads the list with 45.0 tackles for loss and Gonzalo Floyd ranks second (41.0 TFL). Jones's 14.5 tackles for loss in 2015 rank tied for ninth on the single-season list, while his 5.0 tackles for loss at NM State on Sept. 19, 2015 were the most by a UTEP player since the 2000 season. Jones has led the Miners in tackles the past two seasons, tallying 93 stops in each campaign, while in 2014 Jones ranked second with 55 takedowns.

BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE-DIGIT TACKLES
Alvin Jones registered back-to-back games of double-digit tackles after reaching 12 against WKU on Oct. 7 and 10 more at Southern Miss on Oct. 14. It's his first back-to-back effort since racking up 16 at Rice on Nov. 19 and 12 tackles against North Texas to close out the 2016 season. Back in 2015, Jones recorded 11 stops three games in a row (vs. Rice, at Old Dominion, vs. LA Tech).

MORE DOUBLE-DIGIT STOPS
Alvin Jones has reached double digits in tackles 13 times during his career after his 15-tackle output on Nov. 18 against LA Tech. Jones's first double-digit performance came against UTSA on Oct. 3, 2015 with a 10-tackle outing. Jones racked up 11 tackles in four other contests in 2015 (at NM State; vs. Rice; at Old Dominion; vs. LA Tech). In 2016, Jones registered double-digit tackles, including his career high of 16 stops, in four contests (12 vs. NM State; 16 vs. FIU; 16 at Rice; 12 vs. North Texas). Jones registered a season-high 15 tackles against Arizona on Sept. 15, his first double-digit effort in 2017, 12 stops against WKU on Oct. 7 and 10 at Southern Miss on Oct. 14.

300+ TACKLES
Alvin Jones became the 14th player to tally over 300 tackles in a career at UTEP after being credited with 10 stops at Southern Miss on Oct. 14. Jones joins Barron Wortham, the all-time leader with 566 tackles, Doug Morgan (523), Tony Perea (459), Raymond Morris (458), Robert Rodriguez (443), Michael Comer (437), Fred Carr (410), Hal Barnett (407) Pete Shufelt (385 tackles), Fred Williams (375), Dale Kirry (335), Seth Joyner (325) and Brian Young (322) in the 300-tackle club.

LOVE FOR LOVILOTTE
Since transferring to UTEP, senior LB Dante Lovilotte has produced tackles for the Miners. Lovilotte ranked second on the team in tackles (89) last season and currently ranks second in 2017 with 66 stops after registering eight tackles against LA Tech on Nov. 18. Lovilotte also recovered his first career fumble against the Bulldogs after forcing his second fumble of his career. Lovilotte registered his first full sack at no. 7 Oklahoma to open the season. Lovilotte tied his career best with a season-high 11 tackles against Rice on Sept. 9. At NM State, Lovilotte registered 2.5 tackles for loss, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup.

ACTION JACKSON
Graduate student LB Julian Jackson tallied a career-high eight tackles against WKU on Oct. 7. Jackson's eight stops against the Hilltoppers is also tied for his college career high. Jackson, a transfer from Wake Forest, recorded seven tackles in each of his first three games in a UTEP uniform. Jackson added another seven-tackle effort at North Texas on Nov. 11 and followed with six tackles against LA Tech. Jackson's 66 total tackles rank third on the UTEP defense. Jackson recorded his first pass breakup against Arizona, recorded half a tackle for loss at no. 7 OU and has registered a pair of quarterback hurries.

FIRST SACK FOR KALAII
Sophomore LB Kalaii Griffin registered his first sack in his college career against LA Tech. The transfer from Ventura Community College registered a sack for a loss of five yards during the third quarter. Griffin has tallied 14 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.

ANOTHER ONE
Junior DB Kahani Smith registered his second defensive touchdown in 2017, this time at North Texas on Nov. 11. Smith scooped up a forced fumble and returned it 45 yards to paydirt against the Mean Green. Smith scored his first defensive touchdown at Army on Sept. 30 – a 52-yard pick-six on a tipped pass.

GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION
Kahani Smith, a transfer from Riverside Community College, has impressed thus far. Smith is tied for the team lead with two interceptions, including a 52-yard pick-six at Army. Smith, after picking up seven tackles against LA Tech, has registered 39 tackles with a breakup and a fumble recovery that was returned 45 yards for a touchdown. On top of scoring his second defensive touchdown of 2017, Smith registered a career-high nine tackles at North Texas on Nov. 11. It surpasses his total of five against Arizona earlier this season.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE
Kahani Smith is only the second Miner since Quintin Demps in 2007 to register two defensive touchdowns in a single season. Smith had a scoop-and-score (45 yards) at North Texas (Nov. 11) and a pick-six (52 yards) at Army (Sept. 30). Demps took a pair of 100-yard interceptions to the house in 2007; the first was at NM State on Sept. 15 and the second at UCF on Nov. 24.

3 DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
The UTEP defense has scored three defensive touchdowns in 2017, two by Kahani Smith and one by Trace Mascorro. It's the most since scoring four defensive touchdowns in 2008  (one pick-six, three scoop-and-scores). In 2007, the UTEP defense scored three touchdowns (two pick-six, one scoop-and-score) and in 2005, the defense found the end zone three times (two pick-six, one scoop-and-score).

BACK-2-BACK GAMES WITH A DEFENSIVE TD
In back-to-back weeks, the UTEP defense scored a touchdown. The first came from Trace Mascorro at NM State on Sept. 23 on a scoop-and-score for 26 yards. Kahani Smith followed with a pick-six at Army on Sept. 30. The last time the Miners went back-to-back games with a defensive score was in 2014 – a Jimmy Musgrave 19-yard pick-six at UTSA on Oct. 25, and two scores against Southern Miss on Nov. 1 in El Paso when Trey Brown went 51 yards on an interception and a Nick Gathrite 59-yard fumble return. Prior to 2014, the 2008 season was the last time the Miners scored defensive touchdowns in consecutive games. Anthony Morrow took an interception 27 yards to the end zone and Robert Soleyjacks returned a fumble 24 yards for a score against NM State (9/20/08). The next week, Josh Ferguson scored on a 45-yard fumble return and Dane O'Neil recovered a fumble in the end zone against UCF (9/27/08).

IN THE NIK OF TIME
Junior DB Nik Needham registered his first interception of the season, a pick in the end zone at Middle Tennessee on Nov. 11. It was his first since picking off a pass against Florida Atlantic in 2015. Needham also recorded a career-high 2.0 tackles for loss at Southern Miss on Oct. 14. Needham chipped in with four tackles and recorded his seventh pass breakup of the season. Needham, after registering seven stops at North Texas on Nov. 11 and another five against LA Tech, has tallied 55 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss (eight yards), a sack (three yards) and a fumble recovery. Needham the team in passes defended (nine) and ranks t-second on the team in tackles for loss.

HIGH 5
Nik Needham turned in a record-breaking performance against WKU on Oct. 7 with a career-high five pass breakups against the Hilltoppers. Needham's performance is tied for most all-time at UTEP with Wesley Miller, who recorded five pass breakups at Rice on Oct. 26, 2013.

NEEDHAM'S CAREER BREAKUPS
Nik Needham, after registering a pass breakup at North Texas, now has eight in 2017. Needham's 24 career breakups rank tied for second on the program's all-time list with Robert Murray, Anthony Hooks, Cornelius Brown, D.J. Walker and Quintin Demps. Jahmal Fenner leads the all-time list with 25 in his career.

DC'S IMPACT
Senior DB Devin Cockrell recorded his first interception at Southern Miss in the first quarter on Oct. 14. It was his first of 2017 and first since picking off a pass at Rice on Nov. 24, 2014. Cockrell has three interceptions in his career as his first pick came at Middle Tennessee in the 2013 season finale.

MORE ON COCKRELL
Devin Cockrell missed all of 2015 due to a season-ending injury. Since his return to the gridiron, Cockrell led all UTEP defensive back in tackles (58) in 2016, while chipping in with 3.0 tackles for loss, a breakup, a quarterback hurry and a fumble recovery. In 2017, Cockrell ranks fourth and leads all UTEP defensive backs in tackles (56) after recording seven against LA Tech on Nov. 18. Cockrell has also registered 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, three breakups, three hurries and an interception.

MR. ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD
Sophomore DB Justin Rogers intercepted his second pass of the season against UTSA on Oct. 28. It was Rogers' third career interception and second in the Sun Bowl. He picked off a pass against FIU last season in the Sun City. Rogers is tied for the team lead with two INTs in 2017. He's also chipped in with 35 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry.

JUSTIN-TIME ROGERS
For the second year in a row, sophomore DB Justin Rogers intercepted the first pass of the season for the UTEP defense. Rogers picked off a pass at NM State in the first quarter on Sept. 23. It was Rogers' second career pick. Rogers' first interception came against FIU in the Sun Bowl last season, which was also the first for the Miners' defense in 2016. Rogers tied his career best with five tackles (four solo) and half a tackle for loss against the Aggies.

DB NOTABLES
Junior DB Kalon Beverly ranks seventh on the team with 41 tackles, while ranking second with seven pass breakups. Beverly has also forced a fumble and has tallied 2.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore DB Michael Lewis, after missing the 2016 season, ranks sixth on the team with 47 tackles, while tallying three pass breakups and a quarterback hurry.

FILLEY'S FOOT
Junior walk-on K/P Jason Filley connected on his second career field goal at North Texas on Nov. 11. Filley scored four points against North Texas as he was also good on a PAT attempt. Filley, a native of El Paso and Coronado High School graduate, made a 27-yard attempt against the Mean Green. This comes after hitting a 26-yard attempt at Middle Tennessee the week before. Filley got his first collegiate action against UTSA on Oct. 28, in which he was good on a pair of extra points. Filley also connected on three extra point attempts against LA Tech on Nov. 18. Filley is 2-for-3 on field goals and 6-for-6 on extra points in 2017.

DAS BOOT
El Paso native Alan Luna is ranked for fifth in the nation in punt yards (3,149) after the senior punted three times for 124 yards (41.3) against LA Tech on Nov. 18. At North Texas a week prior, Luna booted a season-high 65-yard punt. Luna's 43.7-yard average ranks 24th in the FBS and third in Conference USA. Luna is ranked for second in total punts (72) and punt yards (3,149) in C-USA. Luna's 3,149 yards in 2017 is the sixth-best single season performance in program history, while his 72 punts are ranked 10th during a single season. Nationally, Luna ranks tied for sixth in total punts.

LUNA CAREER NOTES
Senior Alan Luna is ranked third on the program's all-time list in career punt yards (8,576) and is ranked fourth in career punts (199). Lance Brownlee ranks no. 3 in career punts (204), while the overall leader is Jerry Walker (298). Bryce Benekos ranks no. 2 in career yards (10,468), while the overall leader is Walker (12,193). Luna's career high for yards is 414 at Middle Tennessee (Nov. 4, 2017). His longest is a 69-yard boot, while his career-best average is 51.0 yards on six punts (306) against Southern Miss (Sept. 24, 2016). Luna booted his second-longest career punt, a 65-yard kick at North Texas (Nov. 11, 2017). In week two against Rice this season, Luna registered a 63-yard boot, the third-longest of his career, while his fourth-longest went 61 yards at Old Dominion in 2015. Luna has three games during his career in which he's placed three punts inside the 20-yard line -- at LA Tech [Oct. 1 2016], at no. 7 Oklahoma [Sept. 2, 2017], and at Middle Tennessee [Nov. 4, 2017]).

TERRY'S SPECIAL EFFORT
Junior WR/KR Terry Juniel ranks for 25th in FBS and third in Conference USA, averaging 25.5 yards per kickoff return. Juniel also ranks for fifth in kickoff return yards (484) and fourth in kickoff returns (19). Juniel recently returned a kickoff 53 yards – second-longest in his career – against LA Tech on Nov. 18. Juniel took over kickoff return duties after an injury to Keynan Foster and responded with career highs in kickoff returns (six) and return yards (105) at Army on Sept. 30. Juniel followed with a career-long return of 59 yards at Southern Miss on Oct. 14, while also taking one back 49 yards at Middle Tennessee (Nov. 4) and a 41-yard return against UTSA (Oct. 28).  

ACTIVE SAMMUT
Junior LS Jake Sammut was active at Middle Tennessee on Nov. 4 as he tallied his first career tackles (two) and downed a punt inside the 20-yard line. Sammut registered his third tackle of the season after being credited with one against LA Tech on Nov. 18. Sammut, a transfer from College of Canyons, is listed at 5-foot-8, 170 pounds but has shown the ability to play big.

CATCHING UP WITH COACH PRICE
UTEP Interim Head Coach Mike Price made his 2017 debut against WKU in the 86th Homecoming Game. Price has 48 wins with the Miners, the second most in program history behind Mack Saxon (66 wins). Price led UTEP to back-to-back eight-win seasons (2004 & 2005) and a trio of bowl appearances (2004 Ev1.net Houston Bowl, 2005 GMAC Bowl & 2010 New Mexico Bowl).  Price ranks fifth among active FBS coaches in wins.

LOCAL FLAVOR
The 2017 roster features 29 players from the El Paso/Las Cruces area -- DB Deaumonjae Banks (Chapin), LB Chris Barnwell (Eastlake), WR Brannon Bullitt (Chapin), OL Bobby DeHaro (Montwood), OL Derek Elmendorff (Franklin), RB Joshua Fields (Americas), K/P Jason Filley (Coronado), LB Sergio Gonzalez (El Dorado), FB David Jackson (Parkland), DL Christian Johnson (Parkland), WR Kavika Johnson (Mayfield [Las Cruces]), LB Alvin Jones (Burges), OL Greg Long (Eastwood), LB Erick Lopez (Canutillo), OL Markos Lujan (Americas), P/K Alan Luna (Franklin), OL Rey Mendez (Socorro), QB Ryan Metz (Andress), FB Forest McKee (Onate [Las Cruces]), RB Jonathon Millan (Coronado), WR Brandon Moss (Chapin), DL Josh Ortega (Montwood), DB Elijah Perales (Chapin), OL Jaime Perales (Cathedral), WR Warren Redix (Montwood), WR Richie Rodriguez (Eastwood), WR Eddie Sinegal (Andress), QB Keith Tarango-Lopez (Eastlake) and QB Mark Torrez (Eastwood).

SUN CITY SENSATIONS
Eleven players from El Paso grace the two-deep heading into the UAB game. RG Derek Elmendorff, TB Joshua Fields, K/P Jason Filley, FB David Jackson, MIKE Alvin Jones, RG Markos Lujan, K/P Alan Luna, QB Ryan Metz, NT Josh Ortega, WR (X)/KR/PR Warren Redix, and QB Mark Torrez are listed on the two-deep chart. Of the 11, four of the players (Elmendorff, Jones Filley and Luna) are listed no. 1 at their respective positions.