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Fans can get an exclusive look at this year’s UTEP Football Recruiting Class, as well as a preview of the 2020 season direct from coach Dana Dimel, at the Miners’ Signing Day Celebration.

This year’s event is slated for Wednesday, February 5 at the Larry K. Durham Sports Center Hall of Champions.

Program officials share that Coach Dimel will discuss the areas of focus for his staff on the recruiting trail, who’s coming in for 2020 and their potential impact on the field.  He’ll also give fans a preview of what to expect when the Miners take the field for the 2020 season opener versus Texas Tech on September 5.

The celebration will begin at 5:30 p.m., featuring  heavy hors d’oeuvres and a hosted bar with beer and wine.  The event is designed to simulate a game day experience so fans are asked to wear their best Miner gear!

Fans can call to RSVP; tickets are $50 per person and proceeds benefit student-athlete scholarships.

Contact the Miner Athletic Club by phone (915-747-8759), e-mail (MAC@utep.edu), or visit the Miner Athletic Club website to purchase tickets or for more information.

A home opener versus Texas Tech and the Battle of I-10 returning to El Paso are just two of the marquee matchups that highlight the 2020 UTEP football schedule, which was announced on Wednesday.

“We’re excited about entering our third season and putting a team on the field that more closely reflects the style of play that we want to see,” head coach Dana Dimel said. “We’ll have a new quarterback in 2020, which is also exciting. We have a great home schedule this fall. We can’t wait to show off our new-look Sun Bowl Stadium in September with games versus Texas Tech from the Big 12 Conference and our long-time rival NM State. We have another state rival, North Texas, coming to El Paso as well as the defending Conference USA West Division champion UAB.”

The Miners will kick off the 2020 season by hosting the Red Raiders of Texas Tech on Saturday, Sept. 5 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso. Following the season opener, UTEP will hit the road for back-to-back non-conference contests at Nevada (Sept. 12) and Texas (Sept. 19).

“We play at Nevada and Texas in September,” Dimel said. “Those are games that our fans may want to travel to. We also play at UTSA and Rice, so there will be multiple opportunities for our fans to hit the road with us and cheer on their Miners.”

On Sept. 26, the Miners return home to face off against NM State for the 98th meeting in the Battle of I-10. UTEP leads the all-time series 57-38-2 over the Aggies.

The 14-team Conference USA alignment for the 2020 campaign will again feature each team playing eight conference games, along with four non-league contests.  A total of 168 games are featured over 13 regular season playing weeks.

Each Conference USA school will play every team in its division once for six games, while playing two cross-over opponents from the opposite division.  Each team will reverse the location of its 2019 division and cross-division opponents, with intra-division foes finishing a two-year cycle.  The conference is in the fourth year of a rotation between cross-division opponents that will rotate every two years until 2024, when each school has played every opponent in the opposite division once home and away.

After wrapping up non-conference play in the month of September, UTEP will enjoy an open date before jumping head first into Conference USA action at Louisiana Tech on Oct. 10. The road contest versus the Bulldogs will mark the first of eight straight league contests for the Miners.

“The structure of the schedule is good,” Dimel said. “I think it works out well with the bye week coming right after the NM State game. That’s always a huge, emotional game for us and the bye week will allow us to get refocused and geared up for the start of conference play.”

UTEP will host C-USA West Division foe Southern Miss at the Sun Bowl on Oct. 17 before crossing over to the East Division for a road contest at Charlotte (Oct. 24) the following week.

Beginning on Halloween, the Miners will play the five remaining regular season games in the state of Texas, beginning with a pair of home contests versus North Texas (Oct. 31) and FIU (Nov. 7).

Dimel and Co. will then travel to UTSA on Nov. 14 before returning to El Paso for the final home game of the season on Nov. 21 versus UAB.

The 2020 regular-season finale is slated for Nov. 28 when the Miners travel to Houston to face the Rice Owls.

Overall, nine of UTEP’s 12 games next season will be played in the state of Texas.

It is important to note that all games are subject to date changes and some dates are expected to move in the coming weeks in order to accommodate national television.  A schedule of televised games will be released at a later date.

Conference USA’s 16th annual Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5.

UTEP season ticket information will be released later this spring.

For complete coverage of UTEP Football, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPFB (Twitter/Instagram) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.

2020 UTEP FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 5             TEXAS TECH

Sept. 12           at Nevada

Sept. 19           at Texas

Sept. 26           NM STATE

Oct. 3               BYE

Oct. 10             at Louisiana Tech*

Oct. 17            SOUTHERN MISS*

Oct. 24             at Charlotte*

Oct. 31            NORTH TEXAS*

Nov. 7             FIU*

Nov. 14            at UTSA*

Nov. 21           UAB*

Nov. 28            at Rice*

Home games in BOLD

*Conference USA game

UTEP running back Treyvon Hughes has been named to the 2019 InTouch Credit Union Conference USA Football All-Academic Team after excelling both on the field and in the classroom for the Miners.

Hughes, a four-year letterman for the Miners, is one of 11 C-USA football student-athletes named to this year’s All-Academic Team, while a total of 10 schools are represented on the team.

The senior back boasts a 3.42 GPA as a graduate student in UTEP’s leadership studies master’s program. Additionally, Hughes was named to the 2019 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll last spring.

On the gridiron, Hughes led the Miners this season in carries (167), rushing yards (682) and rushing touchdowns (12).

His 12 touchdowns on the year ranked second in Conference USA and 20th nationally, while he scored a touchdown in all but four games for the Miners this season.

Over the course of his senior campaign, Hughes became the first UTEP player to rush for 10 or more touchdowns in a season since Aaron Jones had 17 in 2016.

Hughes also rushed for multiple scores in a game on three separate occasions in 2019, including scoring three touchdowns in a road game at North Texas.

For complete coverage of UTEP Football, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPFB (Twitter/Instagram) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics.

Aston Walter rushed for 149 yards, including a 64-yard scamper in the fourth quarter that set up Rice’s final touchdown, and the Owls topped UTEP in the season finale for both teams, 30-16, on Saturday.

Rice (3-9, 3-5 C-USA) ended the campaign on a three-game win streak, while denying UTEP (1-11, 0-8 C-USA) a shot at its second victory.  Twenty-two seniors played their final game for the Miners.

The Miners led 16-14 at halftime but were held scoreless over the final 30 minutes after quarterback Kai Locksley exited with an apparent hand injury.

Jovoni Johnson chipped in with 62 yards rushing for Rice and two touchdowns.  The Owls finished with 371 total yards, including 256 on the ground.

Locksley, playing in his final game for the Miners, completed 8-of-12 passes for 100 yards and a TD, and rushed 12 times for 63 yards in a little less than two quarters of action.

The Owls had great field position to start their initial drive, as the Miners went three-and-out on their first series and Mitchell Crawford’s punt was returned to the UTEP 28-yard line.  Three plays later, Rice had a 7-0 lead as Tom Stewart completed a three-yard TD pass to Austin Trammell.

Crawford was more successful on his second punt as it was downed at the Owl two-yard line.  On third and nine, Stewart fumbled in the end zone and the ball was recovered by Praise Amaewhule for the Miners’ first defensive touchdown of 2019.  The extra point was no good and the score was 7-6.

The Owls extended their lead to 14-6 on a 30-yard rushing TD by Walter late in the first quarter.  The Miners pulled within one once again early in the second period when Locksley completed a 12-yard TD pass to Justin Garrett.

The Miners lost Locksley late in the second quarter, but not before he once again led UTEP deep into Owl territory.  Gavin Hardison took over at quarterback, and the Miners finished off the drive with a 45-yard field goal by Gavin Baechle to take a 16-14 edge to the locker room.

The Owls went back on top, 17-16, on a 21-yard field goal by Chris Barnes with 7:16 left in the third quarter.  And on their next drive, they moved 67 yards on six plays and finished it off with an eight-yard rushing TD by Johnson for a 24-16 lead.

The Miners’ best scoring chance in the second half ended on a 50-yard field goal attempt by Baechle that was wide left late in the third quarter.

Rice put the game away with 4:27 remaining on Johnson’s 11-yard rushing touchdown.  Three plays earlier, Walter set up the score with his 64-yard run.

Hardison was 11-of-24 passing for 113 yards.  As a team, the Miners gained 312 yards, including 117 in the second half.

Two Rice defenders posted double-digit tackles, as linebackers Blaze Alldredge and Antonio Montero were credited with 14 and 11 stops respectively.  Alldredge was responsible for 3.5 of the Owls’ eight tackles for losses.

Gallery by Andres ‘Ace’ Acosta & Ruben R. Ramirez – El Paso Herald Post

UTEP will close out the 2019 campaign this Saturday at home as the Miners host Rice this Saturday, November 30 at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso.

Prior to Saturday’s season finale against the visiting Rice Owls, the Miners will honor 22 seniors before kickoff at the Sun Bowl.

“These seniors have been rock solid for us, the whole group of them,” head coach Dana Dimel said. “They are really good individuals. They are all good students and are going to go out in the community and do a lot of positive things, especially the group who has been here for a while. The ones who have been here the last three years – I am really proud of them because they are a great, solid group of people, and that is important to have. It is going to be enjoyable trying to get them a win. We want to get them a win more than anything because they need to get that taste of winning as they leave the program.”

The Miners and Owls have previously met 22 times on the gridiron in a series that dates back to 1996. Rice leads the all-time series, 14-8, over UTEP. However, the Miners got the better of Rice most recently with a 34-26 win over the Owls last season in Houston.

In last season’s meeting between the Miners and Owls, UTEP burst out to a 27-0 lead in a dominating first-half performance, then held off resurgent Rice in the second half for a 34-26 win in Houston, its first victory since 2016.

The Miners (1-8, 1-4 C-USA) stamped out their 20-game losing streak, notched their first win under coach Dana Dimel and handed Rice (1-9, 0-6 C-USA) its ninth consecutive defeat.

It was UTEP’s first triumph at Rice Stadium since 2005, its initial year in Conference USA.

Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. MT this Saturday, Nov. 30 at the Sun Bowl. The game will be streamed on ESPN3 with Andy Morgan (play-by-play) and Trevor Vittatoe (analysis) calling all the action on Saturday afternoon.

Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 600 El Paso to hear Jon Teicher (PxP), Bernie Ricono (analysis) and Mando Medina (sideline).

PREGAME NOTES

• Through the first 11 games of the 2019 season, UTEP has proven to be one of the nation’s best teams when it comes to fourth down success. Entering the week, the Miners are ranked 7th nationally in fourth down conversion percentage (.739) after successfully converting 17 of 23 fourth-down attempts up to this point of the season. UTEP’s fourth down percentage is also ranked first among Conference USA teams.

• Senior running back Treyvon Hughes currently leads the Miners in TDs with 12 rushing scores in 11 games, which ranks 2nd in C-USA and 17th nationally. Hughes scored his first two TDs of the season in the 2019 season opener versus Houston Baptist, while he followed that performance with another pair of scores in UTEP’s home game versus Nevada. Hughes has scored a touchdown in all but three games this season, including scoring in six of the last seven games.

• Kicker Gavin Baechle enters Saturday’s game 12-of-14 on field goals and a perfect 21-of-21 on PATs, making him second on the team in scoring behind only Treyvon Hughes. Baechle’s 12 field goals makes him the first Miner kicker since 2015 to connect on at least nine field goals in a season. The last UTEP kicker to do so was Jay Mattox, who was 15-of-19 on field goals in 2015. Baechle is ranked second in C-USA and 16^th nationally in field goal percentage (.857).

• Defensively, UTEP’s leading tackler this season is senior safety Michael Lewis, who has 93 total tackles (51 solo) to go along with an interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Justin Rogers leads the Miners with three fumble recoveries this season, while he also had an interception versus LA Tech (10/26) to make it four straight years he has recorded an interception for the Miners. Rogers is ranked second on the team with 68 total tackles (46 solo).

LAS CRUCES  – NM State erupted for 23 fourth-quarter points, capitalizing on some late UTEP turnovers, and beat the Miners 44-35 on Saturday afternoon at Aggie Memorial Stadium.

The Aggies (2-9) won their second consecutive game while topping UTEP (1-10) in the Battle of I-10.

The teams combined for 42 points in the wild final period.  But after the Miners went ahead 22-21 on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Kai Locksley to Jacob Cowing with 14:55 remaining, the Aggies scored 16 unanswered points to pull in front 37-22.

Locksley had a career game with 358 yards passing and 103 yards rushing.  But his interception and fumble in the fourth quarter led to 10 critical points for the Aggies.

The first half was a showcase for NMSU’s Jason Huntley, who rushed six times for 167 yards including runs of 39, 53 and 57 yards.  NM State took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter on Huntley’s 39-yard touchdown run.  The Miners tied it up early in the second quarter on Treyvon Hughes’ 12th rushing touchdown of the season, an 11-yard dash into the end zone.

UTEP took its first lead when Gavin Baechle converted a 34-yard field goal with 4:36 remaining in the second quarter.  They extended their advantage to 13-7 on a 21-yard field goal by Baechle with 1:29 on the clock.  But the Aggies regained the lead as Huntley busted loose for the 53-yard rushing score shortly before halftime.

The third quarter was relatively uneventful as Baechle converted his third field goal and Huntley picked up his third rushing TD of the game.  NMSU held a slim 21-16 lead heading into the final period.

After the Miners went ahead for the last time, quarterback Josh Adkins led the Aggies on a nine-play, 69-yard drive and found Tony Nicholson for a seven-yard touchdown.  The two-point conversion attempt was no good, but NMSU led 27-22 and wouldn’t trail again.

Locksley’s first turnover of the game, an interception into the hands of Rashie Hodge, Jr., led to a 53-yard field goal by the Aggies’ Dylan Brown.  Then, on the next series, Locksley was sacked, the ball was pried loose and Matthew Young returned it 19 yards for a TD and a 37-22 lead.

The Miners tacked on a couple of late touchdowns but weren’t able to get closer than eight points.

UTEP racked up a season-high 557 yards of offense to NMSU’s 441.  Adkins threw for 175 yards for the Aggies, and Huntley rushed for 191 yards.

Justin Garrett had 101 receiving yards for UTEP and Hughes went over 1,000 yards rushing for his career, finishing with 60 yards on the ground.

The Miners will conclude the 2019 season at home against Rice on “Senior Day” next Saturday (Nov. 30) at 1 p.m.  Fans can receive one youth ticket (ages 12 and under) for free with the purchase of an adult ticket.  Tickets, starting at $12, are available by calling 747-5234 or by going online.

Gallery by Ruben R. Ramirez | Video Clips by Johnny Yturales – El Paso Herald Post | Video Highlights by UTEP

The annual gridiron edition of the “Battle of I-10” will kick off this weekend when UTEP makes the short trip to Las Cruces on Saturday to take on New Mexico State in non-conference action.

“This is always a big game for everybody involved in El Paso, everyone involved in the program and everyone who cares about our program,” head coach Dana Dimel said.

“This is a big game and it will be a fun challenge. New Mexico State had a nice win last week and did some positive things both offensively and defensively. They are a football team that is hot from that win last week and they are obviously a much better football team than their record indicates. They have a lot of talented players with good athleticism and they are coached extremely well. This is always a fun game for our guys. We’ve been getting ready to have an exciting weekend with our guys and we are ready to play a really good football game and try to get better every day.”

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. MT on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces.

The Miners and Aggies have previously met 96 times on the gridiron in a series that dates back to 1914. UTEP leads the all-time series, 57-37-2, over NM State.

The Aggies have won two straight in the series, including a 27-20 win over UTEP last season in El Paso.

PREGAME NOTES

• The winner of the annual matchup between UTEP and NM State will take home a pair of traveling trophies. The older of the two is known as the Silver Spade. It is a replica of an old prospector’s shovel found in an abandoned mine in the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces and has been traded between the schools since 1955. A second trophy is officially titled the Mayor’s Cup, but is commonly referred to as the Brass Spittoon and was added in 1982.

• This Saturday’s annual matchup between UTEP and NM State will mark the first time since 1969 that the two teams have met on the gridiron in the month of November. The Nov. 23 kickoff is also the latest the Miners and Aggies have faced off since 1960 when the two squads played on Nov. 26 in a game NM State won, 27-15, in Las Cruces.

• On offense, the Miners are led by senior running back Treyvon Hughes, who has 137 carries for 593 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in 10 games, which ranks second in C-USA and 19th nationally. Hughes is averaging 59.3 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry this season. Hughes has scored a touchdown in all but three games this season, including scoring in five of the last six games.

• Kicker Gavin Baechle enters Saturday’s game 9-of-10 on field goals and a perfect 19-of-19 on PATs, making him second on the team in scoring behind only Treyvon Hughes. Baechle’s nine field goals makes him the first Miner kicker since 2015 to connect on at least nine field goals in a season. The last UTEP kicker to do so was Jay Mattox, who was 15-of-19 on field goals in 2015.

• Defensively, UTEP’s leading tackler this season is senior safety Michael Lewis, who has 81 total tackles (47 solo) to go along with an interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Justin Rogers leads the Miners with three fumble recoveries this season, while he also had an interception versus LA Tech (10/26) to make it four straight years he has recorded an interception for the Miners. Rogers is ranked second on the team with 64 total tackles (43 solo).

The game will be broadcast on FloFootball with Adam Young (play-by-play) and Danny Knee (analysis) calling all the action on Saturday afternoon. Fans can also watch the game via FOX Sports Arizona Plus and FOX Sports Go.

Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 600 El Paso to hear Jon Teicher (PxP), Bernie Ricono (analysis) and Mando Medina (sideline).

Sophomore quarterback Gavin Hardison gave UTEP a lift against the nation’s sixth-ranked defense, but the Miners were unable to overcome a rough start and dropped a 37-10 decision at UAB on Saturday afternoon.

After Kai Locksley opened the game with four incompletions and an interception on the Miners’ first three drives he was replaced by Hardison, who saw his first action of the season.  Hardison came on for the final series of the first quarter with the Miners behind 17-0.

Two field goals later, UTEP trailed 23-0 and Hardison went to work.  He completed 3-of-5 passes for 60 yards on the next drive and led the Miners to their first touchdown.  He hooked up with Alan Busey for an eight-yard score with seven seconds remaining in the first half.  It was Hardison’s first TD pass as a Miner and Busey’s first TD reception.

After six fruitless possessions to open the game, Hardison led the Miners into Blazers territory on five consecutive series.  Following the touchdown drive, Hardison directed the Miners to the Blazer five-yard line, but his fourth-down pass to the right corner of the end zone was out of Tre’shon Wolf’s reach.

UTEP trailed 23-7 at the time.  The Miners’ next two drives stalled at the UAB 23 and 38, respectively, but produced a 41-yard field goal by Gavin Baechle.

Meanwhile, quarterback Dylan Hopkins spearheaded a Blazer rushing attack that put up 353 yards.  His 78-yard run set up Jermaine Brown Jr.’s six-yard TD, which increased UAB’s lead to 30-7 late in the third quarter.  Following Baechle’s field goal, Hopkins took to the air to connect with Myron Mitchell on a 40-yard TD pass, making the score 37-10.

Hardison got the Miners to the Blazer three-yard line in the final minutes, but his fourth-down pass intended for Justin Garrett in the end zone was incomplete.

Hopkins rushed 14 times for 163 yards for UAB (7-3, 4-2 C-USA), and Brown added 116 yards on 22 carries.

Hardison, the transfer from New Mexico Military Institute, finished 16-for-37 passing for 222 yards.  Five of his completions went to Jacob Cowing, who had 85 receiving yards.

With Denzel Chukwukelu serving a half-game suspension, senior Stephen Forester made his first career start at linebacker and was a star on defense for the Miners.  He posted career-highs across the board with 11 tackles (11 solo), two tackles for losses, a sack and a quarterback hurry.

UTEP (1-9, 0-7 C-USA) will match up with NM State in the Battle of I-10 next Saturday (Nov. 23) at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces.  Kickoff is at 2 p.m. MT.  The teams will meet for the 97th time overall.  It’s the latest Battle of I-10 since a Nov. 26, 1960 matchup in Las Cruces.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling (575) 646-2770 or (575) 646-1420.  Miner fans should request tickets in sections Q and R, which are the designated UTEP sections.

The UTEP Alumni Association will sponsor a tailgate party from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on game day at La Posta de Mesilla, 2410 Calle de San Albino in Mesilla.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online by Nov. 20.

The Miners will conclude the 2019 season at home against Rice on “Senior Day” Nov. 30 at 1 p.m.  Tickets for that game are available by calling 747-5234 or by going online.

The UTEP Football team will hit the road this weekend as the Miners travel to take on UAB in Conference USA action this Saturday, November 16 with kickoff set for 11 a.m. MT at Legion Field in Birmingham.

“As we move forward to this week’s ball game, it will be a challenge for us, but it’s one that we are excited about,” head coach Dana Dimel said. “We played this team really competitive last year and they had 37 seniors that they lost, so we feel like we can definitely go down to Birmingham and have a very competitive game. Hopefully, games like this that we just lost the way we lost it where we played well enough to win, will give us that catapult in confidence that we need to win some games down the stretch.”

The Miners and Blazers have previously met six times on the gridiron, with UAB leading the all-time series, 5-1, over UTEP. The Blazers have won four straight in the series, including a 19-0 win over UTEP last season in El Paso.

The game will be streamed on ESPN3 with Curt Bloom (play-by-play) and Chad Pilcher (analysis) calling all the action on Saturday afternoon. Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 600 El Paso to hear Jon Teicher (PxP), Bernie Ricono (analysis) and Mando Medina (sideline).

PREGAME NOTES

• Freshman wide receiver Jacob Cowing set a UTEP freshman record with 145 yards receiving on six catches in last Saturday’s game versus Charlotte. Cowing’s previous best was 70 yards receiving versus Louisiana Tech on Oct. 26. Cowing is the first UTEP freshman to post a 100-yard receiving game since Eddie Sinegal recorded 102 yards at Louisiana Tech on Oct. 1, 2016.

• Offensively, the Miners are led by Treyvon Hughes, who has 127 carries for 567 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in nine games, which ranks second in C-USA and 14th nationally. Hughes is averaging 63.0 yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry this season. Hughes has scored a touchdown in all but two games this season, including scoring in each of the last five games.

• Through the first nine games of the 2019 season, UTEP has proven to be one of the nation’s best teams when it comes to fourth down success. Entering the week, the Miners are ranked sixth nationally in fourth down conversion percentage (.824) after successfully converting 14 of 17 fourth-down attempts up to this point of the season. UTEP’s fourth down percentage is also the best among any Conference USA team.

• UTEP’s leading tackler this season is senior defensive back Michael Lewis, who has 73 total tackles (41 solo) to go along with an interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Justin Rogers leads the Miners with three fumble recoveries on the season, while he also had an interception this season to make it four straight years he has recorded an interception for the Miners. Rogers is ranked second on the team with 61 total tackles (40 solo).

Charlotte erased a 21-7 halftime deficit by scoring 21 unanswered points over the final two quarters, escaping El Paso with a 28-21 win over UTEP on Saturday afternoon in the Sun Bowl.

The red-hot 49ers (5-5, 3-3 C-USA) won their third consecutive game behind quarterback Chris Reynolds, who completed 24-of-35 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns.  Reynolds was 14-of-21 for 213 yards in the second half in leading the 49ers to their first road win of the season.

Over the last 30 minutes, Charlotte posted 297 yards to UTEP’s 127.  The Miners (1-8, 0-6 C-USA) were limited to five first downs in the second half while being kept off the scoreboard, but the game’s outcome was undecided until the final minute.

With the Miners trailing 28-21, quarterback Kai Locksley led the offense to the Charlotte 20-yard line.  But on second and nine, his pass was intercepted by 49er linebacker Henry Segura and Charlotte ran out the final 1:03 on the clock.

Reynolds also burned the Miners with his legs, rushing 18 times for 91 yards.  Cameron Dollar had nine catches for 157 yards for Charlotte.

Locksley completed 15-of-20 passes for 215 for UTEP, and Jacob Cowing set a UTEP freshman record with 145 yards on six receptions.  The Miners enjoyed success running the football with 37 carries for 174 yards, as Locksley picked up 84 yards on 15 rushing attempts.

The Miners got the fast start that they needed, building a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.  Locksley was 6-for-6 passing on UTEP’s first two drives as he rushed for one touchdown and passed for another.

Charlotte made it a 14-7 game when Reynolds hit Tyler Ringwood for a 16-yard touchdown pass.  But the Miners reinstated the two-touchdown lead right before halftime behind Treyvon Hughes, who scampered three years into the end zone to put the exclamation point on a 10-play, 81-yard drive.

The 49ers started their comeback with a 45-yard field goal by Jonathan Cruz.  Then, Ishod Ringer rushed for a three-yard TD and the ensuing two-point conversion was good, pulling Charlotte within three points (21-18) with 4:48 remaining in the third period.

Later, Cruz kicked a 34-yard field goal and the game was deadlocked at 21 heading to the fourth quarter.

Charlotte took its first lead of the game with 7:06 to play, when Reynolds connected with Jacob Hunt for a 19-yard TD.  Charlotte scored on its first four possessions of the second half, while UTEP’s five second-half drives ended with three punts, a loss of downs and the interception.

On their game-winning drive, the 49ers traveled 95 yards on 10 plays and converted two third downs.  Charlotte was 5-of-8 on third down conversions in the second half

UTEP will play back-to-back road games at UAB (Nov. 16) and NM State (Nov. 23) prior to closing out the season at home against Rice on Nov. 30.  Tickets to the Rice game are available by calling 747-5234 or by going online.

Next week’s matchup at UAB will be streamed on ESPN3 beginning at 11 a.m. Mountain time.

Photo gallery by Ruben R. Ramirez – El Paso Herald Post

UTEP returns home this Saturday when the Miners host East Division foe Charlotte for the first time ever on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso.

Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. MT Saturday, November 9 at the Sun Bowl.

“Getting into these last four games, we are planning on playing some of our younger players now in the ball game coming up this week,” head coach Dana Dimel said at his weekly press conference.

“We will start using the four games they have available to them for a redshirt season. We are playing Charlotte this week, which will be a big test for us because they are on a nice roll. When they came from behind and got that win against North Texas, I think they gained a lot of momentum and came out and played a really good ball game against Middle Tennessee. They are executing their offense at a very high level. It will be a test for our defense.”

The Miners and 49ers have never met on the gridiron, making Charlotte the only school in the league UTEP has not faced in football. Charlotte officially joined the FBS subdivision and Conference USA on July 1, 2015 after the program was brought back in 2013.

UTEP enters the week looking for the team’s first Conference USA win of the season, while Charlotte has won back-to-back C-USA games (vs. North Texas; vs. Middle Tennessee) for the first time since 2016.

The 49ers have scored 10 touchdowns over the last two weeks and had three different 100-yard rushers.

PREGAME NOTES

• Through the first eight games of the 2019 season, UTEP has proven to be one of the nation’s best teams when it comes to fourth down success. Entering the week, the Miners are ranked second nationally in fourth down conversion percentage (.875) after successfully converting 14 of 16 fourth-down attempts up to this point of the season. UTEP’s fourth down percentage is also the best among any Conference USA team.

• Sophomore Duron Lowe provided a spark of energy for the Miners early in the second quarter of last Saturday’s game at North Texas when he went untouched and returned a kickoff the full 100 yards to cut the North Texas lead to 10. Lowe became the first Miner since Autrey Golden in 2014 to return a kickoff for a touchdown in a game. Overall, Lowe had five kick returns for 204 yards in Saturday’s game, which is the second-most in UTEP history. His performance against North Texas earned him Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week accolades for the week of Nov. 4.

• Senior running back Treyvon Hughes has been a bright spot for the Miners this season with a total of 10 rushing touchdowns on the season, making him the first UTEP player to rush for 10 or more touchdowns in a season since Aaron Jones had 17 in 2016. Most recently, Hughes had three touchdowns in UTEP’s road game at North Texas, including a career-long 42-yard rushing touchdown against the Mean Green. His three-touchdown game marks the third time this season Hughes has rushed for multiple scores in a game.

The game will be streamed on ESPN+ for subscribers with Andy Morgan (play-by-play) and Trevor Vittatoe (analysis) calling all the action on Saturday afternoon.

Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 600 El Paso to hear Jon Teicher (PxP), Bernie Ricono (analysis) and Mando Medina (sideline).

DENTON, Texas – The first 29 seconds of the game spelled doom for UTEP as the Miners fell to North Texas, 52-26, on Saturday in front of an announced attendance of 22,548 at Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas.

North Texas improved to 4-5 on the season, including a 3-2 mark in league play, while the Miners dropped to 1-7 overall.

The Mean Green found themselves up by a pair of touchdowns just 29 seconds into the game after a 63-yard kick return led to a UNT score, followed by a UTEP fumble on the ensuing kickoff resulted in another touchdown for the home team.

Treyvon Hughes was a bright spot for the Miners with three rushing touchdowns and 97 yards on the ground. His three touchdowns give him 10 on the season, making him the first UTEP player to rushing for 10 or more touchdowns in a season since Aaron Jones had 17 in 2016.

UTEP totaled 285 yards of offense on Saturday with 166 of those coming on the ground, while North Texas racked up 479 yards of total offense with 332 of those coming through the air.

Down 14-0 before the offense took the field, the Miners rallied to put together a 65-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Treyvon Hughes, his eighth of the season, to cut the lead in half.

North Texas extended the lead to 21-7 later in the first half when Mason Fine found Jyaire Shorter for a 48-yard strike to make it a two-score game with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.

After nearly an hour-long first quarter, North Texas opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 44-yard field goal by Ethan Mooney, but the Miners responded in a big way on the ensuing kickoff.

UTEP received a spark of energy early in the second quarter when Duron Lowe returned a kickoff exactly 100 yards to cut the North Texas lead to 10, while becoming the first Miner since Autrey Golden in 2014 to return a kickoff for a touchdown.

North Texas resumed the scoring three minutes later after an 11-play, 72-yard scoring drive was capped off by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Fine to Jaelon Darden. Those two connected once again later in the quarter for another 6-yard score to put the Mean Green on top, 38-14, at the half.

Both teams held each other scoreless for most of the third quarter, but with just over a minute left in the period, Hughes broke away for a career-long 42-yard rushing touchdown, his second of the day and ninth of the season. It marked the third game this season Hughes has rushed for multiple scores.

UNT added a 20-yard touchdown pass from Fine midway through the fourth quarter, while UTEP wrapped up the scoring late in the game with a 3-yard rushing touchdown by Hughes, his third and final of the day.

Hughes’ touchdown made it an 18-deficit for the Miners, but North Texas responded almost immediately with a 71-yard kickoff return, which set up Fine’s six touchdown pass of the day to extend the North Texas lead to 45-20.

In addition to Hughes’ big day on the ground, the Miners were led by Justin Garrett, who had a career-high 11 catches for 77 yards. His 11 catches tied him for ninth in program history for most catches in a single game by a Miner.

Duron Lowe’s 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was just one of many impressive returns by him on the day. Lowe had five kick returns for 204 yards, which gives him the second-most return yards in UTEP history.

Kai Locksley was 17-for-29 passing for 119 yards, while he also rushed for 37 yards on 14 carries. For North Texas, Mason Fine completed 24 passes on 39 attempts, while he totaled 332 passing yards and seven touchdowns for the Mean Green. Darden was on the receiving end of three of Fine’s touchdown passes.

The Miners return to action next Saturday when Charlotte comes to town for the first ever meeting between the two programs. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. MT on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso.

Tickets start at just $12 and are available by calling 747-5234 or by visiting www.utepminers.com/tickets.

For complete coverage of UTEP Football, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPFB (Twitter/Instagram) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics.

UTEP heads to the Metroplex this weekend when the Miners travel to face North Texas in a West Division matchup in Conference USA.

“North Texas has a very good offense,” head coach Dana Dimel said. “They have been good in the conference for the last three or four years and it is going to be a big test for us. It will be a challenge for us, but again, I think that in a lot of ways we are getting closer and we just have to play better defensively, eliminate the mistakes on offense, continue to be balanced with what we are doing offensively, and continue to throw the ball downfield like we did last week.”

The Miners and Mean Green last met in 2018 in a game North Texas edged UTEP, 27-24, in El Paso.

North Texas leads the all-time series, 15-8-3, over UTEP, with the Mean Green having won the last two meetings over the Miners entering Saturday’s matchup. The last time the Miners defeated North Texas was the 2016 season when UTEP won, 52-24, at the Sun Bowl.

Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. MT on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas.

The game will air on NFL Network with Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Ben Leber (analysis) and Ashley Stroehlein (sideline) calling all the action on Saturday afternoon.

Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 600 El Paso to hear Jon Teicher (play-by-play), Bernie Ricono (analysis) and Mando Medina (sideline).

J’Mar Smith completed 29-of-35 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns, as LA Tech maintained its first-place standing in Conference USA’s West Division with a 42-21 win over UTEP on Saturday in the Sun Bowl.

The Bulldogs (7-1, 4-0 C-USA) scored half of their points off three fumbles by the Miners (1-6, 0-4 C-USA) in building a 42-7 lead.  The UTEP offense came alive in the fourth quarter as starting quarterback Kai Locksley rushed for a one-yard TD, and connected with Jacob Cowing on a 54-yard pass for another score.

Locksley set UTEP highs with 17 completions, 30 pass attempts and 227 passing yards.

Smith completed 20 of 23 passes for 220 yards in leading the Bulldogs to a 28-7 halftime lead.  At one point, he connected on 13 straight attempts.  UTEP’s Locksley, meanwhile, got off to a hot start of his own.  He went 6-for-6 on UTEP’s second drive of the game, leading to a five-yard TD run by Treyvon Hughes.

Locksley was 8-for-9 passing for 92 yards in the first half but had a crucial fumble inside the Bulldog 10-yard line with the Miners down 14.  LA Tech converted two first-half turnovers by the Miners into 14 points.

LA Tech turned another miscue by the Miners into seven points late in the third quarter.  Locksley was sacked by Bulldog cornerback Amik Robertson.  The ball was pried loose and recovered by LA Tech at the UTEP 26-yard line.  Six plays later, Justin Henderson ran for his second touchdown of the night, putting the Bulldogs up 42-7.

The Miners scored their second TD early in the fourth quarter when Locksley’s one-yard quarterback sneak capped a 15-play, 81-yard drive.  The big play of the sequence was a 21-yard pass from Locksley to Tre’Shon Wolf to convert a fourth and one.

UTEP’s 21 points matched its high against an FBS opponent this season.  The Miners topped the 300-yard mark (325) for the first time since the season opener against Houston Baptist.

UTEP fell just shy of hitting the 100-yard rushing mark, gaining 98 yards on 34 carries.  Hughes rushed 13 times for 60 yards, and Josh Fields gained 52 yards on seven attempts including a season-long 30-yard run.  The aerial attack was bolstered by Cowing and Jacob Garrett, who established UTEP bests with 70 and 60 receiving yards, respectively.

While the Miners were hurt by turnovers, they weren’t victimized by penalties.  Their three penalties for 30 yards were both season lows.

Smith completed 29 passes to eight different receivers, as Cee Jay Powell led the way with six catches for 85 yards.  Henderson rushed 17 times for 65 yards.  LA Tech finished with 490 yards of offense and 29 first downs.

Michael Lewis paced the UTEP defense with a career-high 14 tackles.  The Miners were able to get to Smith in the second half as Denzel Chukwukelu and Adrian Hynson both registered sacks.

The Miners will be on the road for three of the next four games, starting next Saturday (Nov. 2) when they play at North Texas.  The game will be televised on the NFL Network with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. MT.

UTEP’s next home game is on Nov. 9, when the Miners will square off against the Charlotte 49ers for the first time.  Early kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.  Tickets start at just $12 and are available by calling 747-5234 or by visiting the UTEP Miners website.

Photo gallery by Andres Acosta – Chief Photographer – El Paso Herald Post

UTEP returns to the Sun City this weekend as the Miners play hosts to Louisiana Tech in a West Division matchup in Conference USA on Saturday night in El Paso.

“This week will be Military Appreciation Night for us here and we invite everybody from Fort Bliss to come on out and see the ball game,” head coach Dana Dimel said. “We are obviously very thankful for all the military does for us. It should be a good evening. We are playing LA Tech, who is a very good football team. Right now, they are on top of our conference and on a good run. They consistently have a good football team. It will definitely be a big challenge for us. Again, this is a game that we just have to control the things that we can control and make it a very competitive game to give ourselves a chance to win.”

The Miners and Bulldogs last met in 2018 in a game LA Tech won, 31-24, in Ruston. LA Tech leads the all-time series, 12-2-1, over UTEP, with the Bulldogs having won six straight over the Miners entering Saturday’s matchup.

In last year’s meeting between the two teams, the Bulldogs held the Miners inside the red zone on what would have been the game-tying scoring drive, securing a seven-point victory for LA Tech.

UTEP enters the week looking to snap a five-game winless streak as the Miners are aiming for the team’s first Conference USA win of the season. LA Tech comes to town riding a six-game winning streak, including a 3-0 mark in league play, while the Bulldogs currently sit atop the Conference USA West Division standings through seven games.

Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m. MT on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Sun Bowl. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ for subscribers with Andy Morgan (play-by-play) and Trevor Vittatoe (analysis) calling all the action on Saturday night.

Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 600 El Paso to hear Jon Teicher (PxP), Bernie Ricono (analysis) and Mando Medina (sideline).

PREGAME NOTES

• UTEP enters the week ranked 12th in the nation after putting up near perfect numbers in the red zone through the first eight weeks of the college football season. The Miners enter Saturday’s home game versus LA Tech 17-for-18 inside the 20-yard line. In six games, UTEP has nine touchdowns (8 rushing) and eight field goals for a total of 85 points put on the board in the red zone thus far.

• Kicker Gavin Baechle enters Saturday’s game 8-for-9 on field goals this season, which makes him the first UTEP player to connect on at least eight field goals in a season since Jay Mattox in 2015. Additionally, Baechle is a perfect 10-for-10 on PATs this season and also has 24 kickoffs for 1,483 yards and an average of 61.8 yards per kickoff with 14 touchbacks.

• Senior running back Treyvon Hughes currently leads the Miners in touchdowns with six rushing scores in as many games, a mark that ranks fourth in Conference USA and 37th nationally. Hughes scored his first two TDs of the season in the 2019 season opener versus Houston Baptist, while he followed that performance with another pair of scores in UTEP’s home game versus Nevada. Following his performance against the Wolf Pack, Hughes became the first Miner to score multiple TDs in the first two home games of a season since Aaron Jones in 2014. Hughes also added touchdown runs against UTSA and FIU.

GAME DAY CENTRAL

Military Appreciation: UTEP will celebrate our nation’s military on Saturday with activities planned for pregame and halftime during the Miners’ Conference USA matchup versus LA Tech. A giant American flag will be displayed on the field during the national anthem prior to kickoff, while a re-enlistment ceremony will be held at halftime. There will also be static displays that include Army tanks and combat vehicles in the North Sun Bowl lot pregame and throughout the third quarter for fans to visit and take photos.

Pregame Activities: Prior to each home game this fall, team buses will drop off the Miners at the GR2 parking lot off of Glory Road. With the UTEP band, cheerleaders and spirit teams leading the way, the student-athletes will walk to their locker room in the Larry K. Durham Sports Center. Fans are invited to the drop-off point at 4 p.m. to cheer on the team as it starts the “Miner Walk.”

Also new in 2019 is a spectacular chrome pick that will be on display in the North concourse of the Sun Bowl Stadium, adjacent to the Durham Center. Fans can take pictures with the pick as a new UTEP game day tradition is forged.