UTEP Hosts UIW on “Miner Magic/80’s Night” Saturday in the Sun Bowl

8/31/2023 5:33:00 PM

UTEP Notes | UIW Notes

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP will open home action against UIW on Saturday night in Sun Bowl Stadium with kickoff set for 7 p.m. The home opener will also mark 60 years in the Sun Bowl. The Miners (0-1) are coming off a setback on week zero while the Cardinals (0-0) are opening their 2023 season.

Saturday night's promotion is "Miner Magic/80's Night", while the contest is presented by GECU. Tickets are available by calling 915.747.UTEP, emailing at tickets@utep.edu, or by visiting www.utepminers.com/tickets.

The 1988 UTEP Miners will be inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 1, along with '88 head coach Bob Stull, volleyball's Christine Brandl, soccer's Holly Cohen, men's hoop's Fred Reynolds and track & field's Anthony Rotich.

The Miners and Cardinals will air on 95.5 KLAQ with "The Voice of the UTEP Miners Jon Teicher", and former UTEP WR Cole Freytag with the call, and Mando Medina roaming the sidelines.

UTEP and UIW are meeting for only the second time ever and first since 2015 when the Miners clipped the Cardinals 27-17 in the Sun Bowl. Current UIW head coach Cliff Killough played in that contest, hauling in a pair of receptions for 36 yards.

The Miners are coming off a narrow 17-14 loss at new Conference USA opponent Jax State on Aug. 26. Torrance Burgess Jr. led the Miners with 58 yards on the ground, while Deion Hankins scored his 19^th career touchdown. Gavin Hardison threw for 208 yards and a touchdown, his 36^th career TD toss.

The Cardinals are coming off a historic season in which they finished 12-2 overall, advancing to the FCS semis with an offense that averaged over 50 points per contest.

"Incarnate Word is an interesting study for us. They pretty much don't have very many guys back from last year's team. It's pretty much a new coaching staff and a whole new team. It's a very transfer-oriented team, whether it be junior college, but mostly four-year transfer players on their team," UTEP head coach Dana Dimel said. "Last year, they had a tremendous, tremendous football team. I mean, a team that would have finished in the upper level of Conference USA, a team that went deep, deep into the playoffs and was a really, really good football team. This year they got a lot of really talented players on their team. They've got a quarterback that's a Texas A&M transfer who had success at Texas A&M."

UIW's starting QB is Zach Calzada who threw for over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns at Texas A&M last season.

UTEP (0-1, 0-1) vs. UIW (0-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2
Time: 7:00 p.m. MT
Location: El Paso, Texas
Venue: Sun Bowl Stadium (45,971)
X Updates: @UTEPFB

TV: ESPN+
PxP: Duke Keith
Analyst: Jacob Boggs

Radio: 95.5 KLAQ
PxP: Jon Teicher
Analyst: Cole Freytag
Sideline: Mando Medina

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN
The contest will be nationally streamed on ESPN+ with Duke Keith (play-by-play) and Jacob Boggs(analysis) calling the action. Fans can tune into 95.5 KLAQ with "The Voice of the Miners" Jon Teichercalling play-by-play in his 43^rd season. 'Teich' is joined by former UTEP WR Cole Freytag (2012, 2014-16) in the booth providing analysis in his second season and Mando Medina reporting from the sidelines. The action can also be heard on the UTEP Miners app.

SERIES VS. UIW
The Miners won the only meeting against UIW 27-17 on Sept. 26, 2015 in the Sun Bowl.

LAST MEETING
Freshman Ryan Metz rallied UTEP from a second-half deficit as the Miners scored the game's final 17 points in a 27-10 victory over UIW on Sept. 26, 2015. Metz completed 20-of-28 passes for 275 yards and two TDs. Incarnate Word put a scare into the Miners, taking a 17-10 lead midway through the third quarter after Trent Brittain thew a 90-yard TD pass to Jamari Gilbert. The Miners drew even with a 12-play, 75-yard drive, punctuated by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Metz to Autrey Golden. UTEP went ahead for good, 20-17, on a 32-yard FG by Jay Mattox with 10:01 to play. Jaquan White hauled in a 46-yard score from Metz to put UIW away. UTEP outgained UIW 414 yards to 356.

ABOUT UIW
The Cardinals are opening the 2023 campaign with new head coach Clint Killough on Saturday night against the Miners. UIW is coming off a 12-2 overall record in 2022 behind a high-octane offense that rewrote the record books. Lindsey Scott Jr. threw 60 TDs and 4,686 yards on over 70 percent passing. UIW averaged over 51 points per game, while racking up over 580 yards per game of total offense. Killough served as associate head coach and wide receivers coach last season before being named head coach in the midst of the best season in program history, heading to the FCS Semifinals for the deepest playoff run in the UIW football era. With Killough mentoring the WRs, a pair went for over 1,000 yards in 2022. Darion Chafin tallied 1,244 yards on 70 catches with 18 TDs, while Taylor Grimes recorded a team-high 83 receptions for 1,221 yards and 15 scores. With Killough at the helm, the UIW will see a new squad for '23. Namely, 6-4, 217-pound QB Zach Calzada transferred to UIW after playing at a pair of Power Five programs with Texas A&M and Auburn. At A&M last season, he played in 12 games with 10 starts, and threw for over 2,000 yards and 17 TDs. The Cardinals are picked to finish second in the Southland Conference Preseason Poll. Seven UIW players were selected to the Southland 2023 Preseason All-Conference Team. Junior DL Steven Parker (48 tackles, 11.0 TFL, 7.0 sacks, 5 QB hurries) led the way for the Cardinals making the first team, and is joined by his teammates WR Brandon Porter (37 rec., 601, 6 TD), DB Brandon Richard (79 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 5 PUB, 4 QB hurries) and OL Stanley Mark on first team. Second team members include WR CJ Hardy (40 rec., 547 yards, 6 TD), DE Marcus Brown (All-MEAC First Team, 36 tackles in 10 games at Howard in 2022) and WR Dekalon Taylor (193 ret. Yards on 10 attempts, 19 rush yards).

CONNECTIONS
This isn't UIW Head Coach Clint Killough's first time in the Sun Bowl. While a student-athlete at UIW, Killough tallied a pair of receptions for 36 yards on Sept. 26, 2015 against UTEP. Former UTEP WR Kahlil Warfield (2021) transferred to UIW prior to 2022 and is listed as a DB. UTEP freshman OL Jake Utley and UIW graduate student WR Marquez Perez are both graduates of College Station High School (College Station, Texas). UTEP's S Lantz Russell and TE Judah Ezinwa, and UIW's P/K Ben D'Aquila and LS Bryce Felt are all transfers from Mt. SAC (San Antonio College) from last season.

IN THE SUN BOWL
UTEP is 11-3 in Sun Bowl Stadium over the last three seasons. The Miners finished 4-2 in 2022. It's the best three-season run since going 13-5 from 2004 to 2006 under Mike Price. From 1986 thru 1988 under Bob Stull, the UTEP went 13-4 in the Sun Bowl. The Flying Miners of '65 to '67 was 14-3.

60 YEARS IN SUN BOWL STADIUM
The 2023 season marks the 60th year for the Miners at iconic Sun Bowl Stadium, which is considered one of the most picturesque settings for any stadium in the country. It was clear from the very first snap from scrimmage that it would be a special venue. Miner running Larry Durham bolted 54 yards for a touchdown on the way to a 34-7 win against North Texas on Sept. 21, 2023. It originally held 30,000 fans, but the present capacity is now 45,971. UTEP sold out its home opener in 2022.

BREAKING THE CENTURY MARK
WR Kelly Akharaiyi, after coming on strong late last year, finally hit over 100 yards receiving as he gained a career-high 102 receiving yards. He matched his career best with four receptions and added a 32-yard TD at Jax State on Saturday. The redshirt junior has big-play potential as he's recorded nine receptions for 219 yards (24.3 avg.) and two touchdowns the last three games dating back to last season.

BURGESS JR. ON BURGESS-SNOW FIELD
RB Torrance Burgess Jr. saw his real action as a Miner at Jax State on Saturday. The redshirt sophomore rushed for a career-high 58 yards on a career-most 12 attempts. The shifty back added his first career reception, a six-yard catch during the first half. Overall, Burgess Jr. tallied a career-best 64 yards of all-purpose yards against the Gamecocks.

MOVING UP THE PASSING TD LIST
QB Gavin Hardison tossed his 36^th-career touchdown at Jax State on Saturday. He moved past Sammy Garza (35 TD) and ranks fourth on the program's top-10 list. Billy Stevens ranks third with 51 passing scores.

IN THE TOP 10
RB Deion Hankins scored his 19^th-career touchdown on a one-yard rush to cap the first half at Jax State. Hankins is now ranked tied ninth with three other Miners (Toraino Singleton, Clovis Riley, Ken Heineman) and on the program's all-time list. Owen Price and Donald Buckram rank tied seventh with 21 rushing touchdowns each. Fred Wendt (23 TD), Howard Jackson (25 TD), Marcus Thomas (26 TD), Pug Gabrel (27 TD), Aaron Jones (33 TD) and John Harvey (42 TD) round out the top 10.

FRANKLIN MOUNTAIN
RB Mike Franklin, a 6-2, 225-pound RB, rushed for 28 yards on eight carries, while adding an 11-yard reception in his UTEP debut at Jax State. The sophomore transfer from Costa Contra College totaled 39 yards of all-purpose yards on nine touches.

AMAEWHULE VYING TO BECOME SACK KING
DE Praise Amaewhule recorded his first sack of 2023 during the first quarter at Jax State on Saturday. The redshirt senior now has 18.5 career sacks and is second at UTEP behind Gonzalo Floyd's school standard (20, 1990-91, 93). He took sole possession of second place in the category last year by recording a pair of sacks, which propelled him past both Herman Whiting (16, 1979-82) and Chris Mineo (16.5, 2002-05).

KNIGHT TIME
LB Tyrice Knight opened his final campaign with 13 tackles at Jax State. The redshirt senior now has 13 double-digit tackle performances in his career. Knight tallied 14 at UTSA and 11 against North Texas in 2020. In 2021, he recorded double-digits six times, highlighted by his career-high 15 against Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. Also, that season he tallied 12 against UNM, 11 at UNT, 10 against UTSA and 10 more at UAB. In 2022, he added four more with 14 stops at UNM, 12 at Rice, 11 against UNT and 10 versus Middle Tennessee.

IMPRESSIVE FIRST START
LB James Neal started his first game on Saturday, tallying a career-high 10 tackles at Jax State. Neal registered nine assists with one solo stop. His previous best was four tackles which he did two times with the last being four stops at UNM last season.

CAREER BEST FOR MCKEL
S McKel Broussard started his second career start at Jax State. The redshirt junior tallied a career-high six tackles against the Gamecocks, ranking third on the defense.

NO FLY ZONE
The UTEP defense yielded only 67 yards on 10-of-20 passing from JSU's Zion Webb on Saturday. It was the least since allowing 56 against FIU last season. The Miners ranked third in Conference USA in passing yards allowed per game (216.5). The previous season, UTEP also ranked third (210.0).

UP NEXT
UTEP will hit the road for the first of back-to-back road games versus Power Five opponents as it will play at Northwestern on Saturday, Sept. 9 with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. MT on the Big Ten Network. The Miners and Wildcats can also be heard on 95.5 KLAQ. It will mark the first-ever meeting.

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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