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UTEP Miners

UTEP Miners
Davis Jr., Wondame
31
Winner ULM ULM 2-1 , 0-0
25
UTEP TEP 1-3 , 0-0
Winner
ULM ULM
2-1 , 0-0
31
Final
25
UTEP TEP
1-3 , 0-0
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ULM ULM 14 10 7 0 31
TEP UTEP 7 0 3 15 25

Game Recap: Football |

UTEP Erases 24-Point Deficit, but Rally Bid Falls Short as ULM Wins 31-25 Saturday Night in the Sun Bowl


GAME BOOK | POSTGAME NOTES

EL PASO – Malachi Nelson became the first Miner quarterback to surpass 400 yards in passing in 16 years, but the UTEP football team's rally came up short in a 31-25 setback at the hands of ULM in the Sun Bowl Saturday night.
 
The Warhawks (2-1) took a commanding 31-7 advantage midway through the third quarter before UTEP (1-3) started to mount a comeback. Carlos Arreola started it with a 27-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 21 (31-10) heading to the fourth quarter.
 
Nelson then connected with Wondame Davis Jr. on a 44-yard strike to bring the Orange and Blue a bit closer. A two-point conversion toss to Hahsaun Wilson made it a 13-point game. After another stop, Nelson found Davis Jr. from 20 yards out to cut the deficit to six.
 
Nelson threw for a career-best 404 yards on 22-of-46 passing and three touchdowns. He became the first UTEP QB to eclipse 400 yards since Trevor Vittoe did so in 2009. Davis Jr. produced breakout numbers as the redshirt freshman, who had one catch for seven yards in his career, gained 119 yards on six catches and two scores. 
 
The Miners gained 442 yards of total offense, while the Warhawks put up 399 yards, including a staggering 250 yards rushing on 42 attempts (6.0 avg.). The Miners only gained 33 yards on 28 carries (1.2 avg.)
 
"We talked all week about what we needed to do to win this game, and it was to stop the run and run the football. We failed to do both of those things," second-year UTEP Head Coach Scotty Walden said. "We give Louisiana-Monroe credit. They played harder than us especially in that first half. I did feel a surge of energy coming out of the second half. We had a team that fought – and I'm very proud of that – but to win college football games at the Division I level, you can't play a first half like that and put yourself in a bind."
 
On the game's first possession, the Miners drove the ball to the ULM 4 before giving up the ball on a turnover on downs. Nelson connected on multiple big plays, highlighted by Judah Ezinwa's 31-yard catch and run to the ULM 43. Nelson hooked up with Jaylan Brown for a 23-yard touchdown, but the play was nullified by a holding penalty that took the ball back to the ULM 33. On the next play – a third-and-20 – Hahsaun Wilson took a Nelson pass 24 yards to the ULM 9. The Miners got the ball to the four, but on fourth-and-goal, the Warhawks' defense forced an incomplete pass, forcing a turnover on downs. 
 
On the ensuing possession, Dorian Lewis took ULM's first play from scrimmage 72 yards to the UTEP 26. Two plays later, Aidan Armenta found Jake Godfrey on a 12-yard touchdown pass to take an early 7-0 edge following the PAT. 
 
The Miners answered as Nelson hooked up with Trevon Tate for a 73-yard touchdown on the only play of the drive. Tate finished with 126 yards on six catches, his first 100-yard game as a Miner and eighth overall in his collegiate career. 
 
The UTEP defense forced a ULM punt that gave the Miners the ball back at the ULM 47 after Eric Willis III's 23-yard return. Nine plays later, Arreola attempted a 40-yard field goal, only to miss it wide left. 
 
The Warhawks used only two plays to take a 14-7 lead. Armenta found Godfrey on a 37-yard completion to the UTEP 40, followed by Braylon McReynolds's 40-yard touchdown run. 
 
The ULM defense held the Miners to negative eight yards on their next possession, forcing a Noah Botsford punt. The Warhawks took over at their own 26 and went 74 yards on six plays to take a 21-7 lead at the 12:42 mark of the second quarter. 
 
Luke Stagg's 44-yard field goal gave the Warhawks a 17-point lead (24-7) with 5:40 left in the half. 
 
The Warhawks got on the board first to start the second half following another UTEP fourth-down failed conversion. ULM took over at the UTEP 27, used seven plays that was capped by a Hunter Herring one-yard touchdown rush to go up 31-7.
 
Arreola hit a 27-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 21 points (31-10) at the 5:39 mark of the third. The Miners drove 78 yards on nine plays for the score. 
 
The Miners made things interesting when Nelson threw a 44-yard touchdown to Davis Jr. – the first of his young college career. Following Nelson's two-point conversion pass to Hahsaun Wilson made the score 31-18 with 13:31 left in the game. Nelson hooked up with Davis Jr. again on a touchdown to get within six points. 
 
The Miners had two opportunities to try to win the ball game. UTEP got possession at its own 20 following a ULM punt. Nelson threw a pair of incompletions on the first two plays of the drive while tossing his first INT of the game. 
 
ULM took over at the UTEP 30, but the Miners' defense came up with a stop on fourth-and-4 to regain possession. However, after converting on a fourth-and-2 to the UTEP 43, Nelson threw his second pick of the game to seal the deal for the Warhawks. 
 
 McReynolds rushed for a game-high 107 yards on 18 attempts, while Lewis gained 79 on five carries (15.8 avg.). Armenta finished with 136 yards (8-14) and two touchdown passes. 
 
UP NEXT
UTEP will host LA Tech to open Conference USA action on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. in the Sun Bowl. The Miners and Bulldogs can be heard on "The Home of UTEP Football" 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners app.
 
  
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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