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UTEP Miners

UTEP Miners
Jake Mac
24
Winner Louisiana Tech LAT 3-3 , 2-0
10
UTEP TEP 1-5 , 0-2
Winner
Louisiana Tech LAT
3-3 , 2-0
24
Final
10
UTEP TEP
1-5 , 0-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
LAT Louisiana Tech 14 3 0 7 24
TEP UTEP 0 7 3 0 10

Game Recap: Football |

LA Tech Jumps Out to Early Lead, Defeats UTEP 24-10

GAME BOOK | POSTGAME NOTES

EL PASO, Texas – LA Tech used a pair of early touchdowns including a long punt return for a score as the Bulldogs (3-3, 2-0 Conference USA) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, defeating UTEP (1-5, 0-2 CUSA) 24-10 on Friday night in Sun Bowl Stadium. 
 
LA Tech stopped a 14-game road losing streak as Tyre Shelton rushed for a game-high 104 yards on 16 carries (6.5 avg.) and a score. UTEP rushed for 220 yards on 46 attempts with a touchdown, led by Deion Hankins's 83 yards on 15 carries (5.5 avg.). 
 
Smoke Harris broke the game open early when he took a punt back 67 yards for a touchdown that put his squad up 14 points in the first quarter. 
 
Backup quarterback's Jack Turner and Kevin Hurley got the nod to start under center for their respective teams, while for Hurley it was his first career one. Freshman Jake McNamara also saw action as he rushed for a two-yard score to put the Miners on the board. Hurley and McNamara would eventually leave the contest with injuries. That made way for Cade McConnell to see his first action at UTEP. The trio of UTEP field generals finished 9-of-28 for 101 yards.
 
It was a penalty-laden contest with the two teams being called for a combined 22 penalties for 201 yards. The Miners were called for nine of them for 78 yards, while the Bulldogs were whistled for 13 (123 yards). A glaring stat for UTEP was going 3-for-18 on third-down plays. 
 
The Bulldogs struck first with a 75-yard drive on four plays that resulted in a Shelton one-yard touchdown run. Cyrus Allen sped out to an 85-yard reception on the third play of the drive – his only catch of the game – that helped set up the early score. 
 
LA Tech built its lead to 14-0 after Harris's 67-yard punt return for a score at the 11:28 mark.
 
"(It was) a slow start for us, giving up the big play. (It was) second and long, and they hit us on a slant over the middle of the field, which kind of shocked everybody right there from the get-go of the game," UTEP Head Coach Dana Dimel said. "We felt like we had a good chance to get a stop there and then have them punt in the wind because we deferred and won the toss. There was a little bit of wind, and it would've been a factor on the punt. They got the big play there, and now we're put in a position where you're starting new quarterbacks. The very first time they get to touch the ball, they're down 7-0. We don't convert on that first drive, and now we punt, and they take it back for a touchdown. Before you blink, it's 14-0. When you're starting young quarterbacks, that's not a great situation for them to be put into."
 
UTEP answered with a 15-play, 93-yard drive that took up just under eight minutes off the clock. The Miners started the drive at their own seven at the 7:12 mark of the first quarter, as Hankins opened the drive with a nine-yard rush, followed by a 10-yard gain. Torrance Burgess Jr. tallied two carries for 42 yards. McNamara capped the drive with a two-yard rushing score that opened the second quarter of play.   
 
LA Tech took a 17-7 advantage on a 32-yard field goal by Jacob Barnes with 2:28 left in the first half. The drive took up over five minutes on eight plays for 63 yards. 
 
Coming out of the second – as they did last week – the Miners engineered a scoring drive that was capped by a Buzz Flabiano 36-yard field goal at the 10:30 mark of the third to make the count 17-10. Hurley highlighted the 56-yard, 10-play drive with a career-long 18-yard rush to the LT 22 on a third-and-2 play. 
 
LA Tech built its lead to 24-10 on a Tru Edwards 20-yard touchdown pass from Jack Turner. The Bulldogs drove 65 yards on nine plays. Penalties marred any key defensive plays on the drive. The first was a facemask penalty by James Neal on a third-and-10 that moved the ball to midfield. On a third-and-25 play at the UTEP 26, Keenan Stewart made a stop at the UTEP 25, however he was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty to keep the drive going and moved the ball to the UTEP 13. 
 
UTEP held LA Tech to 294 yards of total offense, while it was 3-for-11 on third-down conversions. 
 
The nation's leading tackler Tyrice Knight continued his strong play, posting 10 more tackles. Praise Amaewhule tallied his second sack of the season, while he now has 19.5 in his career and only half a sack away from tying the program record. Kobe Hylton added eight tackles. Kanious Vaughn posted his first career sack. 
 
LA Tech's Myles Heard led the way with 10 tackles, while Zach Zimos and Willie Roberts each posted nine stops. 
 
UP NEXT
UTEP will have its first of two bye weeks following the LA Tech contest. The Miners will return to action on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at FIU. The Miners and Panthers will kick off at 5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 ET and will be nationally televised on ESPN2. 
 
 
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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