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Kam Thomas
24
Winner San Jose St. SJS 4-3 , 2-1
11
UTEP TEP 1-6 , 0-3
Winner
San Jose St. SJS
4-3 , 2-1
24
Final
11
UTEP TEP
1-6 , 0-3
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
SJS San Jose St. 7 0 14 3 24
TEP UTEP 0 0 3 8 11

Game Recap: Football |

UTEP Falls to San José State, 24-11, Saturday Night


GAME BOOK | POSTGAME NOTES

EL PASO – UTEP outgained San José State in total offense, but the Spartans used a dominant pass rush and a pair of explosive touchdown runs in the second half to claim a 24-11 victory on Saturday night at the Sun Bowl. 
 
The Miners (1-6, 0-3 CUSA) finished with 462 total yards and 27 first downs, compared to 426 yards and 17 first downs for San José State (4-3, 2-1 MW). However, the Spartans recorded 11 sacks and limited UTEP to one touchdown while building a 24-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter. It was the most yards on offense by UTEP since 2023, and most first downs since 2022.
 
"I thought our kids competed and played hard, but we let the game get away from us in the third quarter," third-year UTEP head coach Scotty Walden said. "Ultimately, I think the game came down to red-zone scoring on offense and giving up explosive plays on defense. We were in the red zone three or four times and couldn't come away with touchdowns. We've got to score more points."
 
UTEP threatened on its opening possession after a 64-yard completion from EJ Colson Jr. to Kam Thomas moved the ball deep into Spartan territory. The drive stalled, though, when a 37-yard field-goal attempt missed wide left. San José State capitalized later in the quarter, marching 80 yards in nine plays before Daniel Rolovich connected with Carson Clark for an 11-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead with 7:59 remaining in the opening frame. 
 
The Miners controlled possession for much of the first half and kept the Spartans off the scoreboard in the second quarter, but UTEP could not break through offensively as San José State carried a 7-0 advantage into halftime. 
 
The Spartans seized momentum coming out of the locker room. Rolovich hit Clark for a 63-yard pass to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Viliami Teu, extending the lead to 14-0. Later in the quarter, Teu broke free for a 67-yard scoring run to push the margin to 21-0. 
UTEP finally got on the board when Carlos Arreola connected on a 47-yard field goal with 2:07 left in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 21-3. 
 
San José State added a 26-yard field goal early in the fourth period before the Miners answered with their lone touchdown drive of the night. Raymond Moore III guided an 11-play, 75-yard march that ended with Nik Henry's eight-yard touchdown run. Cash Cheeks then hauled in a two-point conversion pass from Jaden Smith to make it 24-11 with 10:52 remaining. 
 
UTEP continued to battle in the final quarter, putting together a 56-yard drive into Spartan territory, but San José State's defense stopped the Miners on downs with less than two minutes left to seal the victory. 
 
Moore III led UTEP with a season-high 195 passing yards on 19-of-28 passing, while Smith hauled in a career-high 12 receptions for 90 yards. Smith's total tied for third most all-time in program history. Thomas added 96 receiving yards, highlighted by his 64-yard catch on the game's opening drive. Tavorus Jones paced the rushing attack with 62 net yards, and Henry accounted for the Miners' touchdown. Colson Jr. finished 6-of-6 for 87 yards before being knocked out of the game.
 
Defensively, Esteban Guillory led UTEP with a career-high six tackles. Sterling Miles recorded the Miners' lone sack, while the defense also forced a fumble. Miles leads the team with 3.5 sacks. 
 
San José State was powered by Teu's 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Clark finished with five catches for 104 yards and a score, while the Spartan defense amassed 11 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. 
 
"We're making adjustments, and we've got the right mentality there," Walden said. "Guys are saying the right things, talking about coming out ready to play. Now we've got to go execute. We've got to keep getting better. They were the better team tonight. We've got to utilize our opportunity this week, come back ready to go and play up in Fargo."
 
UP NEXT
UTEP will have its bye week. The Miners will return to action on Halloween at North Dakota State. The Miners and Bison will kick off at 1:30 p.m. MT in Fargo. The contest will be streamed on MW+. 
 
 
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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