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Kam 83 yd TD
10
Texas Southern TSU 1-2 , 0-1
51
Winner UTEP TEP 1-1 , 0-0
Texas Southern TSU
1-2 , 0-1
10
Final
51
UTEP TEP
1-1 , 0-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
TSU Texas Southern 7 3 0 0 10
TEP UTEP 7 14 21 9 51

Game Recap: Football |

UTEP Rolls Past Texas Southern 51-10 on ‘Heritage Night’


GAME BOOK | POSTGAME NOTES

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP erupted for 51 points, its highest scoring output since 2016, as the Miners pulled away from Texas Southern for a convincing 51-10 victory Saturday night before 24,580 fans at the Sun Bowl. 
 
The Miners (1-1) scored 44 unanswered points after facing a 10-7 deficit early in the second quarter, dominating on both sides of the ball while the "Blue Blaze" offense piled up 491 yards of total offense. It's the most in the Scotty Walden era, and most since 2022. UTEP finished with 252 rushing yards and 239 passing yards while limiting Texas Southern (1-2) to just 211 total yards. The Miners' 252 rushing yards was the most since 2023. 
 
"I'm obviously proud of the win. It was very exciting once we settled in. First off, I want to thank our fans. It felt loud, and it was awesome, and I really appreciate the people who stayed the entire time," third-year UTEP head coach Scotty Walden said. "When you support our kids and cheer for them, it makes such a difference. Our guys really felt that energy. They were ready and prepared, and I'm proud of the preparation this week that allowed us to have a game like this. We played ticked off, and that's what I like. Once we settled in, there was no panic. We settled in defensively and shut them out in the second half, and I'm very proud of that."
 
UTEP wasted little time striking first when quarterback EJ Colson Jr. connected with Kam Thomas on a collegiate career-best 83-yard touchdown pass on the Miners' first offensive play from scrimmage, putting UTEP ahead 7-0 just 2:28 into the contest. It was also Colson Jr.'s career-long pass. 
 
Texas Southern answered with a 75-yard scoring drive capped by Athean Renfro's 16-yard touchdown run and later added a 43-yard field goal to claim a 10-7 lead with 12:05 remaining in the second quarter. 
 
The Miners responded immediately following an Esteban Guillory interception; his first in a UTEP uniform and first Miners' turnover forced in 2026. After the takeback, Colson Jr. guided a six-play, 37-yard drive and scored on a three-yard quarterback keeper to restore the lead. With 37 seconds left before halftime, Colson Jr. found Cash Cheeks for a 13-yard touchdown pass, sending UTEP into the locker room up 21-10. For Cash Cheeks, it was his first touchdown in his college career. 
 
UTEP took complete control in the third quarter, scoring touchdowns on three consecutive possessions. Cash Cheeks recovered a fumble in the end zone after a 29-yard reception by Jeremiah Nash for the first score of the half. Moments later, a Texas Southern turnover set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Colson to Carver Cheeks. Tavorus Jones then broke free for a 33-yard touchdown run as the Miners stretched the lead to 42-10 entering the fourth quarter. 
 
"Offensively, I thought we had our best execution of the middle eight," Walden said. "We had a 21-point swing there and started to play complementary football. The defense created takeaways, and the offense capitalized on them. Against Oklahoma, we couldn't finish drives in the red zone, and tonight we were able to finish drives. I thought there were a lot of great individual performances, but it was a great team performance. Our special teams were a lot better and more consistent tonight. There are still things we need to clean up, but I'm very proud of our team and our coaches. We're going to need everybody as we continue to move forward."
 
Colson Jr. enjoyed an efficient night, completing 14-of-21 passes for 239 yards and a collegiate career-high four touchdowns while adding 49 rushing yards and a rushing score. His previous best was three TD tosses on two occasions while at UIW. 
 
UTEP's rushing attack was equally impressive. Jones rushed for a game-high and career-best 104 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, while Raymond Moore III added 93 yards on only three attempts, highlighted by a 79-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds remaining that capped the scoring. UTEP racked up 252 yards on the ground. 
 
Thomas led the receiving corps with 92 yards and a touchdown on two catches, including the 83-yard scoring strike. Carver Cheeks hauled in three receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown, while Cash Cheeks caught two passes for 29 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Defensively, the "Orange Swarm" forced two turnovers and recorded two sacks. Guillory intercepted a pass in the second quarter, while Shay Smith recovered a third-quarter fumble that led directly to a UTEP touchdown. Sterling Miles registered a 10-yard sack and forced a fumble during the decisive third-quarter surge. The Miners yielded only 211 yards of total offense. Xavier Smith led the Miners with seven tackles while Garrett Hawkins registered six, his most in a UTEP uniform. Former Texas Southern Tiger Isaiah Bogerty tallied six tackles. Royce Wilson and Leander Parrish shared a sack, the first of their careers. 
 
UTEP finished with 21 first downs and averaged 9.1 yards per play, scoring touchdowns on six of its seven scoring drives while posting its most points in a game in a decade.
 
Renfro led the Tigers with 45 yards rushing while former Miner Xavier Phipps led TSU with 31 yards on three catches. Aaron Kizzee led the Tigers with 10 tackles to go along with a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.
 
UP NEXT
UTEP will take the road to No. 16 Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Miners and Wolverines are set for a 1:30 p.m. MDT/3:30 ET kickoff. The contest will be televised on the B1G Network and can be heard on the home of the Miners 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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