UTEP NOTES | UNLV NOTES | CONFERENCE USA NOTES
THE KICKOFF
UTEP (0-1) plays its first road game of the season on Saturday at UNLV (0-1). Kickoff is at 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. MT. The game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet. The Miners are coming off a 30-10, season-opening loss to Northern Arizona on Sept. 1 in the Sun Bowl. UNLV kicked off the 2018 campaign with a 43-21 setback at No. 15 USC on Sept. 1. UTEP was 0-7 away from home last season and is looking to snap a nine-game road losing skid dating back to the 2016 campaign. The Miners' last road victory came on Oct. 22, 2016, at UTSA, 52-49 in five overtimes. UTEP is facing former Western Athletic Conference member UNLV for the eighth time and for the first time since the 1993 season.
SATURDAY'S OPPONENT
The Rebels were 5-7 overall and 4-4 in the Mountain West Conference (third place in the West Division) in 2017. UNLV returned 48 letter winners and 16 starters (seven offense/seven defense/two kickers). NM State alum Tony Sanchez is in his fourth season as head coach and has posted a 12-24 record. UNLV's starting signal-caller, sophomore Armani Rogers, was the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2017. He was one of just five players in the nation to average at least 140 yards passing and 75 yards rushing a year ago. Senior RB Lexington Thomas heads up the ground game. He posted 1,336 rushing yards last season, the fourth-top total in the Rebel record book. UNLV players on preseason watch lists include Rogers (Maxwell Award), Thomas (Doak Walker Award/Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award), senior PK Evan Pantels (Lou Groza Award) and junior OL Justin Polu (Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award). The Rebels were within striking distance heading to the fourth quarter at USC, trailing 19-14, before the Trojans outscored them 24-7 over the final 15 minutes. All four of the Trojans' touchdown drives were under two and a half minutes. The two teams combined for 906 yards of offense (501 USC, 405 UNLV). JT Daniels completed 22-of-35 passes for 282 yards for the Trojans, and Aca'Cedric Ware rushed for 100 yards on only 10 carries. Rogers finished 12-for-27 passing for 97 yards and a pair of scores for the Rebels. Thomas gained 136 yards on 14 carries and Rogers chipped in with 82 yards rushing for UNLV, which picked up 308 yards on the ground.
THE SERIES
The Miners are 2-5 all-time versus UNLV (2-1 home, 0-4 away). UTEP and UNLV were joint members of the Western Athletic Conference from 1996-98, but were in separate divisions and did not face one another during that time. The first meeting between the Miners and the Rebels came on Nov. 18, 1978, a 27-0 setback in Vegas. The teams squared off once annually from 1978-82. The series was renewed 10 years later (Sept. 12, 1992) with the Rebels' 19-17 triumph at the Sam Boyd Silver Bowl. UTEP won the last meeting between the teams, 41-24, on Sept. 11, 1993, in the Sun Bowl. Incidentally, that was the Miners' lone victory in a 1-11 season as they finished off the campaign with a 10-game losing streak. UTEP's Dana Dimel is 2-1 as a head coach against UNLV. His Wyoming Cowboys defeated the Rebels during the 1997 (35-23) and 1998 (28-25 OT) seasons, and dropped a 35-32 decision to UNLV during the 1999 campaign.
A QUARTER CENTURY
It's been a while since the Miners battled the Rebels on the gridiron. On Sept. 11, 1993, Bill Clinton was President of the United States, "The Fugitive" topped the box office, "Dreamlover" by Mariah Carey was the number one single, "Home Improvement" battled "Seinfeld" for the top-rated sitcom, Montreal had a major league baseball team and Steffi Graf defeated Helena Sukova 6-3, 6-3 to win the U.S. Open.
THE LAST MEETING
After spotting UNLV the game's first 14 points, UTEP outscored the Rebels 41-10 over the final three quarters and ran away to a 41-24 victory on Sept. 11, 1993, in the Sun Bowl. The Rebels threw three interceptions that the Miners converted into two touchdowns and a field goal – all in the second half, when they scored 34 points. UTEP piled up 319 yards rushing as RB Kaio Aumua had a banner day with 12 carries for 100 yards. QB Shawn Gray threw for 85 yards and rushed for 85 more for the Miners. UNLV led 24-17 entering the final period, but the tide turned as Gray capped a 10-play, 72-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, and Aumua put the finishing touches on a nine-play, 68-yard drive with a 17-yard rushing TD. LB Barron Wortham, who will be inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 21, came up big for the Miners with 18 tackles, a tackle for loss, interception and pass breakup.
CONNECTIONS
UTEP offensive coordinator Mike Canales and offensive line coach Mike Simmonds were on the North Texas staff when the Mean Green beat UNLV, 36-14, in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Jan. 1, 2014. UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez played at I-10 rival NM State from 1994-95 and appeared in two games versus the Miners. He had one catch for 25 yards in the 1994 matchup, and two receptions for 27 yards in the 1995 game. Sanchez was the wide receivers coach at Irvin High School in El Paso in 2000. Rebels offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Barney Cotton was also on the NMSU staff from 1997-02 as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, and UNLV defensive line coach Tony Samuel was head coach of the NMSU Aggies from 1997-04. UNLV safeties coach Al Simmons served in the same role at UTEP during the 2011 season. UTEP junior DL Jimmy Quemado and UNLV junior DB Luca Vartic were teammates at Saint Louis High School in Hawaii. Vartic also played alongside Miner senior TE David Lucero and junior K Brady Viles at Arizona Western College. UTEP senior WR Erik Brown and senior DB Kahani Smith played at Riverside City College, as did UNLV junior OL Sid Acosta. UTEP junior OL Ruben Guerra and UNLV freshman OL Michael Bray are both products of Liberty High School in Bakersfield, Calif. UTEP freshman DB Nathan Logoleo and UNLV sophomore WR Andre Collins Jr. both attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif. UTEP graduate transfer LB A.J. Hotchkins and UNLV sophomore WR Brandon Gahagan were teammates at Oregon. UTEP senior OL Bijan Hosseini and UNLV junior DL Dominion Ezinwa both played previously at Chaffey College.
UTEP IN ROAD OPENERS
The Miners are 5-8 in road openers since joining Conference USA for the 2005 season. Four of the five wins came in the state of New Mexico (W 34-17 at NM State 2005, W 38-12 at NM State 2009, W 42-21 at NM State 2013, W 31-24 at New Mexico 2014). The Miners christened the 2006 campaign with a 34-27 triumph at San Diego State. The last time UNLV served as the adversary for UTEP's first road game of the season was in 1992.
LAST GAME
Case Cookus completed 19-of-26 passes for 211 yards, and connected with Emmanuel Butler for a couple of scores as Northern Arizona spoiled UTEP's 2018 home opener with a 30-10 victory in the Sun Bowl on Sept. 1. Butler reeled in six catches for 138 yards for the Lumberjacks, who were coming off a seven-win campaign in 2017. Junior college transfer Kai Locksley saw the bulk of the action at quarterback for the Miners and was the team's leading passer (120 yards) and rusher (50 yards). With Derron Gatewood and Greg Long both out with injuries, the Miners started two freshmen on the offensive line in LG Bobby DeHaro and LT Zuri Henry. UTEP tallied 229 yards of offense (127 passing, 102 rushing). UTEP fell behind 17-0 late in the second quarter after the Lumberjacks turned a couple of Miner turnovers into a touchdown and a field goal. UTEP got back in the game by scoring 10 points in the final 2:42 of the half. Quardraiz Wadley had a big second period for UTEP with 32 yards rushing and 26 receiving. His career-long 32-yard scoring run concluded a four-play, 75-yard drive and pulled the Miners within 10 at 17-7. Jason Filley connected on a 24-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half to make it a seven-point game heading to the locker room. But Northern Arizona put it away with a couple of touchdowns in the third period. The Lumberjacks finished with 318 yards as the UTEP defense turned in a promising effort behind transfer linebacker A.J. Hotchkins, who registered 13 tackles. The special teams star for UTEP was senior Terry Juniel with 124 all-purpose yards, including 96 on kickoff returns.
NEW BEGINNINGS
Not only did the Northern Arizona game ring in the Dana Dimel era at UTEP, it marked the first appearance for several Miners in the Orange and Blue. Making their first starts for UTEP were FB Winston Dimel, LG Bobby DeHaro, LT Zuri Henry and RG Bijan Hosseini on offense, and WILL LB A.J. Hotchkins, DE C.J. Reese and MIKE LB Sione Tupou on defense. DeHaro, Henry and Tupou are freshmen and Henry is a true freshman. Henry became the first true freshman to start on the offensive line for the Miners since Greg Long manned the left tackle spot at UTSA on Oct. 22, 2016.
FRESH LOOK
Twenty-one players -- out of the 52 who saw action in the game -- made their UTEP debuts against Northern Arizona. They are K/P Gavin Baechle, DB Josh Caldwell, K Mitchell Crawford, FB Winston Dimel, LG Bobby DeHaro, RB Reynaldo Flores, OL Josiah Gray, LT Zuri Henry, LB A.J. Hotchkins, LB Thomas Lash, OL Robert Lazarin, QB Kai Locksley, DL Jenson Misaalefua, WR Jonathan Patrick, DE C.J. Reese, WR Richie Rodriguez, TE Trent Thompson, LB Sione Tupou, LB James Tupou, LS Ryan Warren and DB Tyson Wilson. Eight are true freshmen (Baechle, Henry, Misaalefua, Patrick, Thompson, James Tupou, Warren, Wilson), and five are redshirt-freshmen (DeHaro, Flores, Lazarin, Rodriguez, Sione Tupou).
REBUILDING THE LINE
The UTEP offense was dealt a major blow with returning offensive line starters Derron Gatewood (knee) and Greg Long (shoulder) out for the season. Gatewood, a senior center, was on the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy. Gatewood has made 22 career starts and Long has made six starts at the left tackle, right guard and right tackle positions. The starting O-line for the opener against Northern Arizona consisted of true freshman Zuri Henry at left tackle, redshirt-freshman Bobby DeHaro at left guard, junior Ruben Guerra at center, senior Bijan Hosseini at right guard and senior Jerrod Brooks at right tackle. Henry and DeHaro were making their UTEP debuts, while Hosseini was playing in only his second game for the Miners. Guerra made his first start at center after starting a total of eight games at right tackle in 2017.
True Start
Zuri Henry is one of eight true freshmen in FBS to start their first game this season. The list includes Spencer Burford (UTSA), Trace Clopton (Southern Miss), Donovan Laie (Arizona), IIm Manning (Hawaii), Christaphany Murray (UCLA), Penei Sewell (Oregon), and Solo Vaipulu (Hawaii). The left tackle is also one of three true freshman offensive linemen to start in Conference USA.
LOCKSLEY'S THE KEY
Junior Kai Locksley showed some of the versatility and explosiveness that made him the 2017 Spalding NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American in his UTEP debut against Northern Arizona. Locksley got most of the reps at quarterback and led the team in rushing (50) and passing yards (120), becoming the first Miner player to achieve the feat since Kavika Johnson tallied 75 yards on the ground and 43 through the air at North Texas on Nov. 28, 2015. That was also the last time a UTEP quarterback led the team in rushing. Locksley's 18 rushing attempts were the most by a Miner QB since Blaire Sullivan rushed 23 times for 74 yards versus UCF on Nov. 10, 2012. Locksley was responsible for 10 of the Miners' 15 first downs (six passing/four rushing), and could have accounted for three more on pass attempts that were nullified due to penalties on the Lumberjacks.
TRACKING METZ
Senior Ryan Metz, who split time with Kai Locksley at quarterback in the season opener versus NAU, ranks No. 10 on the program's all-time completion list with 277. Metz is 21 completions away from the No. 9 spot. Metz has also tossed 23 scores during his career, needing one to crack the program's top 10 list. Metz has also been responsible for 26 touchdowns, needing eight to crack the school's top 10 list. The El Paso native fought off injuries during his junior campaign, but showed the ability to lead as he put up nice numbers his sophomore campaign – he threw for 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions on 130-of-201 passing for 1,375 yards. Metz's 64.7 completion percentage in 2016 ranked second on UTEP's single-season list.
WADLEY'S BURST
Junior RB Quardraiz Wadley, who showed signs of being a breakout back in his first two seasons at UTEP, had a big second quarter versus Northern Arizona in the opener. He posted his career-long rush and catch in the period. His 32-yard TD run eclipsed a 29-yard dash against NM State on Sept. 3, 2016. His 26-yard reception surpassed a 15-yard grab at Army on Sept. 30, 2017. Wadley finished with 43 yards rushing and 26 receiving against the Lumberjacks and averaged 7.7 yards every time he touched the ball. Wadley is closing in on the 500-yard rushing mark at UTEP; he has compiled 488 yards on 113 carries (4.3 avg.) during his time in El Paso.
HOTCHKINS'S BREAKOUT
Graduate transfer LB A.J. Hotchkins tallied eight first-half tackles on his way to 13 stops against Northern Arizona. His previous career high for tackles was nine versus Colorado on Sept. 24, 2016, while a member of the Oregon Ducks. The 13 tackles were the most by a UTEP player in an opener since Traun Roberson also had 13 stops against New Mexico on Sept. 7, 2013. It marked the most tackles by a Miner making his debut in a season opener since UTEP's all-time leading tackler, Barron Wortham, produced 15 stops against BYU on Sept. 1, 1990. Hotchkins had the second-most tackles of any C-USA player in week one behind FIU junior LB Sage Lewis, who was credited with 18 stops versus Indiana.
NEEDHAM WHEN YOU NEED HIM
Senior CB Nik Needham figures to be the leader of the UTEP secondary this fall, and he was his usual reliable self in the opener against NAU. Needham was third on the squad with seven tackles and matched his career high with two tackles for losses (he also recorded two at Southern Miss on Oct. 14, 2017). Needham has 24 pass break-ups in his career and needs two to surpass Jahmal Fenner (25) and become UTEP's all-time leader.
A FIRST FOR SMITH
Senior DB Kahani Smith registered the Miners' lone quarterback hurry -- and the first of his career -- versus NAU. He was also second on the team with eight tackles while adding a pass break-up. Last year, Smith was one of four Conference USA players to score a pair of defensive touchdowns. He became the first Miner in 10 years to turn the trick, as he had a 52-yard pick-six at Army and added a 45-yard fumble return for a TD at North Texas.
APPLYING PRESSURE
The Miner defense generated one sack and six tackles for losses in week one. The sack went to senior DE Mike Sota and was the first of his career. Senior DB Nik Needham was responsible for two of the tackles for losses, with junior DL Denzel Chukwukelu (1.0), grad transfer LB A.J. Hotchins (0.5), grad transfer DE C.J. Reese (1.0), sophomore DE Christian Johnson (0.5), senior LB Jamar Smith (0.5) and Sota (1.0) chipping in. Hotchkins's TFL was his first since his junior year at Oregon (2016), and Reese's was the first of his career (he played at Kansas State in 2016 and 2017).
GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN WITH
The Miner defense yielded 318 yards to Northern Arizona, but that number was misleading since the Lumberjacks gained 84 yards on one play -- a spectacular one-handed catch by Emmanuel Butler for a touchdown in the second quarter. Throw that out and UTEP surrendered just 234 yards on 61 plays, an average of 3.8 per play. The Miner "D" was particularly stout against the NAU ground game, giving up 107 yards on 36 carries for 3.0 per rushing attempt. The Lumberjacks punted on six of their 14 drives and scored 17 of their 30 points off Miner turnovers.
MR. SPECIAL TEAMS
WR Terry Juniel had an exceptional start to his senior year at UTEP, as he accumulated 124 all-purpose yards (96 kickoff returns, 24 punt returns, four receiving) versus NAU. The 124 all-purpose yards were the second most in his career, as he tallied 142 against NM State on Sept. 3, 2016, (his season high was 121 all-purpose yards at Southern Miss last year). Juniel now has 1,383 all-purpose yards (one rushing, 311 receiving, 278 punt returns, 793 kickoff returns) in his UTEP career.
PROMISING START
Behind Terry Juniel, UTEP averaged 32 yards on three kickoff returns in the opener against NAU. The Miners have the second-best kickoff return average in C-USA behind North Texas (58.0 avg. on two returns) with a week's worth of games in the books. The UTEP record for kickoff return average was 27.3 ypr by the 1996 squad.
NEW FACES IN THE KICKING GAME
Aussie Mitchell Crawford was solid in his first game for UTEP, punting eight times for 319 yards (39.9 avg.). Crawford's punts traveled 39, 35, 33, 45, 39, 37, 47 and 44 yards, so three of his last five went for 44 yards or more. His net average was 39.4 yards. Crawford was the leading goal kicker in the Black Diamond AFL (Australian Football League) while a member of the Newcastle City Blues in 2016. Another newcomer, true freshman Gavin Baechle, handled kickoffs and booted both of his attempts into the end zone against Northern Arizona.
FILLING IT UP
Senior Jason Filley has been money since taking over as the Miners' kicker five games into the 2017 season. The El Paso native and Coronado High School graduate is 3-for-4 on field goals and a perfect 8-for-8 on PATs since. He has scored a total of 17 points, including four in the season opener versus Northern Arizona.
WINNING THE T.O.P. BATTLE
UTEP had a decisive advantage in time of possession despite coming up short against NAU. The Miners controlled the clock for 34:41 to the Lumberjacks' 25:19. Aiding the discrepancy was a huge advantage in the first quarter (10:58 to 4:02). In fact, in the first half UTEP dominated time of possession 20:39 to 9:21. But in the second half, NAU turned the tables with an edge of 15:58 to 14:02.
NOTING NEW HEAD COACHES
With the Miners' 30-10 loss to NAU, the last six UTEP head coaches (David Lee, Charlie Bailey, Gary Nord, Mike Price, Sean Kugler, Dana Dimel) have come up on the short end of the scoreboard in their first game on the sideline. The good news, however, is the last three (Nord, Price, Kugler) were triumphant in week two.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
There are nine programs in the FBS, including UTEP, that have sons playing for their fathers. UTEP first-year head coach Dana Dimel has his son, Winston, at fullback. The other eight programs include UAB (head coach Bill Clark and son Jacob), Colorado (head coach Mike Macintyre and son Jay), Tulsa (head coach Philip Montgomery and son Cannon), Navy (head coach Ken Niumatalolo and son Ali'i), TCU (head coach Gary Patterson and son Blake), Middle Tennessee (head coach Rick Stockstill and son Brent), Clemson (head coach Dabo Swinney and son Will) and Old Dominion (head coach Bobby Wilder and son Derek). Winston previously played at Kansas State (2015-17) where his father was the offensive coordinator. The younger Dimel earned a spot on the 2018-19 Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List after garnering All-Big 12 honors each of the last three years.
THE GRADUATES
Eight players on the 2018 roster are graduate students. They are OL Jerrod Brooks, FB Winston Dimel, OL Derron Gatewood, LB A.J. Hotchkins, QB Ryan Metz, DL C.J. Reese, DL Michael Sota and TE Josh Weeks.
GETTING IT DONE IN THE CLASSROOM
Twenty players on the 2018 roster were named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll this spring for sporting grade point averages of 3.0 or better. They are RB Ronald Awatt, DL Christian Buckingham, QB Alex Fernandes, K/P Jason Filley, RB Reynaldo Flores, LB Stephen Forester, WR Keynan Foster, OL Derron Gatewood, LB Kalaii Griffin, DL Christian Johnson, OL Robert Lazarin, FB Forest McKee, QB Ryan Metz, FB Jonathan Millan, DL Jimmy Quemado, LS Jake Sammut, DB Kahani Smith, LB Sione Tupou, LB Anthony Ulmer and K Brady Viles. Fernandes and Flores were recipients of C-USA Academic Medals for logging GPAs of 3.75 or higher.
Next up
The Miners will play at Tennessee for the first time since 1990, and only the third time ever, on Sept. 15. Kickoff is at 10 a.m. MT and the game will be televised on the SEC Network. UTEP will be facing an SEC opponent for the first time since Sept. 5, 2015, at Arkansas.
