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UTEP Miners

UTEP Miners
Deion Hankins
UTEP Athletics
14
UTEP UTE 0-1 , 0-1
17
Winner Jacksonville St. JSU 1-0 , 1-0
UTEP UTE
0-1 , 0-1
14
Final
17
Jacksonville St. JSU
1-0 , 1-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
UTE UTEP 0 7 0 7 14
JSU Jacksonville St. 3 7 7 0 17

Game Recap: Football |

Miners Come up Short in Season, CUSA Opener at Jax State, 17-14


Game Book | Postgame Notes

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – UTEP had possession in the final seconds with a chance to win, but missed on a pair of plays, sending Jacksonville State to a narrow 17-14 victory on Saturday at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium.
 
The Gamecocks (1-0, 1-0 Conference USA) opened with a victory in their first ever game as an FBS program and first in CUSA. The Miners (0-1, 0-1 CUSA) outgained their opponent 364 to 275 yards of total offense and 22 to 15 on first downs. UTEP controlled the clock at 34:38 to JSU's 25:22, but the Gamecocks rushed for 208 yards on 44 attempts (4.7 avg.) and two scores.
 
"It was a dogfight to the bitter end," UTEP Head Coach Dana Dimel said. "We didn't make enough plays to win the game. After the game I told [the team] it came down to a couple plays that would've made a difference in the football game."
 
Gavin Hardison 17-of-29 for 208 and a TD with a pair of interceptions, including his second pick in the final seconds that clinched the win for JSU. Hardison's TD gives him 36 in his career, now ranking third on the program's all-time list. 
 
The Miners forced the Gamecocks to punt getting the ball back at their own 12 with 4:41 left in the contest. Hardison found Kelly Akharaiyi on a 21-yard pass to the JSU 44, and followed that with an 11-yard run to the JSU 33. After Torrance Burgess Jr. tallied nine yards on a back-to-back carries to the JSU 24, Hardison missed on Akharaiyi in the end zone on a play broken up by Derek Carter. 
 
UTEP went for it on a fourth-and-1, but Jeremiah Harris picked off Hardison's pass to seal the win. 
 
Burgess Jr. led the team with a career-high 58 yards, while Deion Hankins rushed for 54 yards and a score. Akharaiyi gained a career-high 104 yards on four receptions with a score.
 
Jax State took a 17-7 lead following a Malik Jackson rushing score, but UTEP got within three points (17-14). 
 
The Miners took advantage of a JSU missed field goal (44-yard attempt) and got back into the ball game after Hardison found Akharaiyi on a 32-yard touchdown reception with 12:19 left in the contest. UTEP drove the ball 74 yards on eight plays that took 4:02 off the clock.
 
JSU struck first on an Alen Karajic 40-yard field goal at the 4:57 mark of the first quarter. The Gamecocks started at the UTEP 47 after a failed fourth-down conversion by the Miners. 
 
The Gamecocks took a 10-0 lead at the 13:26 mark of the second quarter after a 12-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by a Ron Wiggins's four-yard touchdown rush. 
 
The Miners had a chance to get on the board but redshirt freshman kicker Buzz Flabiano missed his first career attempt was a 43-yard miss wide right at the 6:26 mark in the second. 
 
Hankins finally got the Miners on the board with no time left in the first half after scoring on a one-yard surge into the end zone. UTEP drove the ball 74 yards on nine plays. The Miners forced JSU to punt, getting the ball back at their own 26 with 1:31 left in the half. Two key plays that kept the drive going was a career-long 19-yard reception that was followed by a targeting call by JSU's Larry Worth that moved the ball to the JSU 29. On a third-and-9, Hardison attempted a pass to Akharaiyi that resulted in a passing interference to the JSU 2. 
 
Hankins now has 19 career rushing TDs, ranking tied ninth with three Miners on the program's all-time list. 
 
UTEP opened the second half with a turnover. After three consecutive running plays, two by Hankins that included a 20-yard run, Hardison threw his first interception of the game to Kolbi Fuqua. 
 
JSU went up 17-7 in the middle of the third quarter on a Malik Jackson seven-yard score. On the previous play, Jackson sprinted down the sideline for 44 yards before being pushed out of bounds by McKel Broussard. 
 
Tyrice Knight led the team with 13 tackles, giving him 13-career double-digit tackle performances in his career, while fellow linebacker James Neal in his first start tallied 10 stops. 
 
Praise Amaewhule got off to a fast start with his first sack of the season, while also recording four tackles and a QB hurry. Amaewhule has 18.5 career sacks, needing 2.5 to become the program's all-time leader. 
 
For the Gamecocks, Quae Drake led the team with 11 tackles, while Harris had eight stops. Jackson gained 76 yards on 13 carries (5.8 avg.), Wiggins gained 63 yards and scored a TD, while Webb had 55 yards on 10 carries. 
 
UP NEXT
UTEP will host Incarnate Word on Sept. 2 in the Sun Bowl. The Miners and Cardinals are set to kick off at 7 p.m., while the contest will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard on 95.5 KLAQ. For tickets, call 915.747.UTEP, email tickets@utep.edu or visit the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office located at 201 Glory Road. 
 
 
Help Support UTEP student-athletes by making a gift to the Miner Athletic Club. Visit https://givingto.utep.edu/mac today!
 
UTEP football is celebrating 60 years in the historic Sun Bowl. You're invited to pledge to support the Miners' success during the 2023 season. You can pledge to support each Miner win, bowl eligibility and even a CUSA Championship. Personalize your support of the Miners! https://caringcent.org/utep/football23
 
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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