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UTEP Miners

UTEP Miners
Awatt
UTEP Athletics
13
New Mexico St. NMS 0-3 , 0-0
20
Winner UTEP TEP 1-2 , 0-1
New Mexico St. NMS
0-3 , 0-0
13
Final
20
UTEP TEP
1-2 , 0-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
NMS New Mexico St. 0 0 6 7 13
TEP UTEP 3 14 3 0 20

Game Recap: Football |

UTEP Holds off NM State, 20-13, in the 99th Battle of I-10 Saturday Night


Game Book | Post Game Notes

EL PASO, Texas – Ronald Awatt rushed for 115 yards and a score, and the UTEP defense halted a NM State comeback during a 20-13 victory in the 99th Battle of I-10 in front of 23,325 strong in the Sun Bowl on Saturday night.
 
The Miners (1-2, 0-1 Conference USA) jumped out to a 17-0 lead, while taking a 17-6 advantage into the locker room at the half. The Aggies (0-3) got within seven points (20-13), while gaining possession with four minutes left in the contest. But the UTEP defense forced its third turnover of the night to clinch the victory. 
 
NM State outgained UTEP, 298-274, while each team tallied 17 first downs. 
 
For Awatt, it was his first 100-yard game of the season and fourth in his career. Gavin Hardison threw for 166 yards and a touchdown. Tyrin Smith caught five passes for 64 yards and a score, while Reynaldo Flores 43 yards on four receptions. Linebacker Cal Wallerstedt, in his first career start, led the defense with a career-high nine tackles, while forcing his first career fumble at the end of the contest. Praise Amaewhule and Kobe Hylton each recorded six tackles. Ilijah Johnson, in his first career start, tallied three pass breakups, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. 
 
The Miners looked dominant, forcing two turnovers and five punts on NM State's first seven possessions. 
 
"Obviously, I'm excited about the win in a rivalry game. Hats off to New Mexico State. I thought they played a good second half and did a lot of positive things with their football team," UTEP Head Coach Dana Dimel said. "We didn't play nearly as well as we could have in the second half. First half, we played our style of football. We ate up a lot of time on those first couple of drives and didn't end up with a whole lot of points right on those first couple drives of the first half when we had the turnover and we just had to settle for our field goal. Then we started to play some good football in the early part of the second quarter and got the 17 to nothing lead."
 
UTEP got on the board first after Gavin Baechle hit a 29-yard field goal. The Miners drove the ball 63 yards on 17 plays (8:18) on the games' first possession. Trent Thompson hauled in 20-yard pass on a third-and-8, while Reynaldo Flores reeled in a 12-yard reception on a fourth-and-3 and went to the NMSU 13-yard line.
 
UTEP forced its first turnover of 2022. On the games' second possession (Aggies' first), Tyrice Knight came down with an interception on a tipped pass by Blake Thompson. NM State had driven the ball deep into UTEP territory before the turnover. 
 
The Aggies returned the favor after UTEP had taken the ball to the NMSU7. Deion Hankins fumbled the ball after an attempted a hand off. 
 
The Miners built their lead to 10-0 at the 7:07 mark of the second quarter after Hardison found Smith in the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown. UTEP drove the ball 65 yards on six plays (3:28). Smith hauled in a 20-yard catch on the drive to the NMSU31. 
 
The lead ballooned to 17-0 after James Neal landed on a fumble by the Aggies on the NMSU22. The Miners converted their second turnover into a Awatt 22-yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage with 5:55 left in the first half.
 
NM State finally got on the board after UTEP muffed a punt in which J.J. Dervil recovered the ball at the UTEP14. Diego Pavia scored on the first play from 14 yards out. Keenan Stewart returned the favor by blocking the extra point to make the count 17-6. 
 
Baechle increased the Miners' lead to 20-6 after converting his second field goal of the game, a 46-yard boot through the uprights at the end of the third quarter. 
 
Following the field goal, the Aggies made the count 20-13 on a drive that last 9:22. Pavia capped a 75-yard, 16-play drive with an 11-yard rushing score. 
 
The Aggies forced a three-and-out that gave them the ball at their own 27-yard line with four minutes remaining in the contest. NM State got to the UTEP13 and failed on a pass attempt into the end zone that was broken up by Johnson, his third breakup of the game. Pavia followed with another incompletion, and then Bryton Thompson forced Pavia to fumble in which Wallerstedt made the recovery to seal the deal.
 
UP NEXT
UTEP will take I-25 to take on New Mexico on Sept. 17. The Miners and Lobos are playing in their 80thmeeting, as kickoff is set for 6 p.m. The contest will be streamed on the Mountain West Network and can be heard on 95.5 KLAQ and the UTEP Miners app. The Miners rallied from 13-3 down halftime to defeat the Lobos, 20-13, on Sept. 25, 2021.  
 
NEXT HOME GAME
UTEP will host Boise State on Friday, Sept. 23 with kickoff set for 7 p.m. MT in the Sun Bowl. The Miners and Broncos will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. Tickets are available by calling 915.747.UTEP or by clicking www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets. 
 
 
Help support UTEP student-athletes by making a gift to the Miner Athletic Club.
Visit givingto.utep.edu/mac today!
 
For complete coverage of UTEP Football, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPFB (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.
 
 
 
 
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