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UTEP will travel across two time zones this weekend as the Miners head to Miami for a matchup against East Division foe FIU on Saturday.

“I have been very pleased with the way the guys are playing and the type of effort they are putting in, how much they care, and I like the mentality of our football team,” head coach Dana Dimel said.

“FIU is a team that has a lot of speed on offense and defense. They are a really athletic team that had a good season last year and started off this year with some struggles early, but now, I think they have caught a little bit of momentum and rhythm to what they are doing. I think they do a nice job of using their talent-set on offense. They are very, very sound defensive football team that lines up and plays fast, aggressive and does some good things on defense. It will be a definite challenge for us.”

The Miners and Panthers last met in 2016 in a game FIU won, 35-21, in El Paso. FIU leads the all-time series, 2-1, over UTEP, with the Panthers winning the only meeting between the two teams in Miami during the 2015 season.

FIU has won the previous two meetings over the Miners in 2015 and 2016.

The game will be streamed on ESPN+ for subscribers with AJ Ricketts (play-by-play) and Kenny Kelly (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 (play-by-play), Bernie Ricono (analysis) and Mando Medina (sideline).

Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. MT on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami.

PREGAME NOTES

• UTEP enters the week ranked 17th in the nation after putting up near perfect numbers in the red zone through the first seven weeks of the college football season. The Miners enter Saturday’s road game at FIU 15-for-16 inside the 20-yard line.
• In five games, UTEP has eight touchdowns (7 rushing) and seven field goals for a total of 75 points put on the board in the red zone thus far.
• Offensively, the Miners are led by Treyvon Hughes, who has 64 carries for 314 yards and five rushing touchdowns in as many games, which ranks third in C-USA and 40th nationally. Hughes is averaging 62.8 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry this season.
• Brandon Jones leads the way in the passing game for UTEP after going 42-of-78 with 594 passing yards and two touchdowns. Tre’Shon Wolf is UTEP’s leading receiver through five games with 16 catches for 218 yards and a pair of touchdown receptions.
• On defense, UTEP’s leading tackler is senior defensive back Michael Lewis, who has 38 total tackles (22 solo) to go along with one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Justin Rogers leads the Miners with two fumble recoveries on the season, while he is also second on the team with 31 total tackles (16 solo).
• Graduate transfer Ykili Ross enters Saturday’s game with two interceptions on the season, which ranks first on the team.

Sincere McCormick and Lowell Narcisse both went over the century mark in rushing, leading UTSA to a 26-16 victory at UTEP on Saturday night.

McCormick gained 189 yards on 22 carries, and Narcisse added 115 yards on 19 attempts as the Roadrunners (2-3, 1-1 C-USA) compiled 320 yards on the ground and spoiled the Miners’ (1-4, 0-2 C-USA) 88th Homecoming game.

Kai Locksley made his first start of the season at quarterback for the Miners.  He completed 2-of-8 passes for 41 yards and rushed 13 times for 17 yards.  Brandon Jones came on late in the third quarter with the Miners trailing 16-3.

The Miners started the drive at their own 45-yard line after UTSA failed to convert a fourth down conversion.

UTEP took advantage of the excellent field position, as Jones led the Miners to their first touchdown of the night.  He went 2-for-2 passing on the drive, rushed once for four yards, and handed off to Treyvon Hughes for an eight-yard rushing TD that made the score 16-10.

The Miners forced a three and out and had momentum in their favor heading to the fourth quarter.  But their next couple of drives stalled behind a series of penalties.  Meanwhile, Hunter Duplessis kicked a 43-yard field goal, extending the Roadrunners’ lead to 19-10.

UTSA put the game away when McCormick broke free for a 51-yard rushing touchdown and a 26-10 lead with 4:02 to go.

The Miners continued to move the ball with Jones under center, as they put together a 15-play, 50-yard touchdown drive.  Tre’Shon Wolf’s two-yard touchdown reception from Jones sliced the deficit to 10 (26-16) with 44 seconds remaining.  But UTEP was unable to convert the two-point conversion to make it a one-possession game.

Wolf had a big night for the Miners with nine catches for 91 yards.  Jones finished 14-of-22 passing for 140 yards.  Treyvon Hughes rushed 10 times for 62 yards and a score.

UTSA finished with 366 yards of offense while holding UTEP to 280.  The Roadrunner defense tallied nine tackles for losses, four sacks and seven pass breakups.  The defensive standouts for UTSA were Trevor Harmanson (three tackles for losses), Cassius Grady and SaVion Harris (two passes deflected apiece), and Jarrod Carter-McLin (two sacks).

Adrian Hynson and Michael Lewis both had 10 tackles for the Miners.  The tally for Hynson was a career high.

The Miners are idle next week and will return to action on Oct. 19 at FIU.  The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and will kick off at 5 p.m. MT.

UTEP’s next home game is scheduled for Oct. 26 against LA Tech.  The Miners will pay tribute to the nation’s Armed Forces on Military Night, featuring static displays around the stadium and an enlistment ceremony at halftime.  Kickoff is at 6 p.m. MT.

Tickets start at just $12.  Discounted tickets are available for all military personnel by visiting any UTEP Ticket Center location or by calling 747-5234.

Gallery by Johnny Yturales, Photographer, El Paso Herald Post

UTEP returns to the Sun Bowl this Saturday, October 5, as the Miners host Conference USA rival UTSA for the team’s annual Homecoming game.

“We all know this is a big game for us with another University of Texas school,” head coach Dana Dimel said earlier in the week. “We are excited to play them. It will be a good second conference game for us and one that should be fun to watch. We have some incentives to get the fans to come to the ball game. This is a big rivalry game for us just because of the proximity and it being with a University of Texas school. It is really an important game for us. It should be a fun environment and our guys are looking forward to the opportunity.”

Both UTEP and UTSA enter the game with identical 1-3 records and 0-1 marks in Conference USA play. The Miners and Roadrunners both won their season-opening games against Houston Baptist and Incarnate Word, respectively.

UTSA is coming off a bye week after dropping the league-opener on the road at North Texas the week prior. Last week, UTEP fell to Southern Miss, 31-13, in Hattiesburg.

Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m. MT on Saturday 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 is currently one of only eight FBS teams in the nation to put up perfect numbers in the red zone through the first five weeks of the college football season. The Miners enter Saturday’s home game versus UTSA a perfect 12-for-12 inside the 20-yard line. In four games, UTEP has six touchdowns (6 rushing) and six field goals a total of 59 points put on the board in the red zone thus far.

• A season ago, UTEP and the Roadrunners faced off in San Antonio when UTSA edged the Miners, 30-21, in the Alamodome. UTSA enters Saturday’s game having won two straight over the Miners, while the Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 4-2. UTSA also owns a perfect 3-0 record in games played in El Paso, while UTEP leads, 2-1, in San Antonio.

• UTEP tight end Jess Trussell continues to be a go-to target for the Miners on offense through the first four games of the 2019 season. Trussell has caught a pass in four consecutive games for the Miners, including a long reception of 37 yards against Nevada (9/21). He had a pair of 13-yard receptions in the first two games of the season and continued his strong play to start the season with three catches for 53 yards against the Wolf Pack. Last week against Southern Miss, Trussell had three catches for 33 yards. Before becoming a Miner, Trussell transferred from Purdue, where he had no catches in 22 games for the Boilermakers from 2016-18.

GAME DAY CENTRAL

Fans can score a “Winning Combo” and enjoy the game, a hot dog and soft drink for just $15. The “Winning Combo” can be purchased at any UTEP Ticket Center location, or by calling (915) 747-5234.

The main UTEP Ticket Center is at 2901 North Mesa next to the Don Haskins Center, and the Eastside UTEP Ticket Center is at 1452 Zaragoza Suite A-500.  Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Patrons who purchase the “Winning Combo” for $15 will receive a ticket to the football game and a voucher for a free regular hot dog and medium fountain soft drink, redeemable at any concession stand on game day.

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.

Growing up, some kids choose to play football.  Others, like Treyvon Hughes, take up the sport because their mama tells them to.

“When I was in second grade, my mom basically forced us to play football or basketball,” the UTEP senior running back said.  “The sport didn’t matter.  She just wanted us to get out of the house and do something, instead of playing video games.”

Shetara Dickerson just wanted to make sure her son was keeping busy and staying out of trouble.  Little did she know that little Treyvon would fall in love with the sport and, a decade later, he would make it his livelihood at UTEP.

Treyvon Hughes’ football career has taken a long and winding road.  He bounced around between offense and defense in high school, preparing him for a future of bouncing around between offense and defense at UTEP.  But finally, right now in 2019, he has settled in as the Miners’ starting tailback, and is off to a stellar start in his final year with the Orange and Blue.

Hughes treated his mother and his father, Jasper Hughes, with respect during his formative years.

“It was always ‘Yes, Ma’am’ and ‘Yes, Sir,” he said.  “They were pretty religious.  My grandparents on my dad’s side were actually pastors.  And on my mom’s side, my uncle and aunt were pastors.  So I had to go to church every week.

“We didn’t have chores.  We really didn’t have a curfew, either, but we had to be in before the streetlights [turned on].”

Hughes’ football career continued at Waxahachie [Texas] High School.  He played running back as a member of the freshman team.  He moved up to the varsity team as a sophomore and made the switch to linebacker.

As a junior, he played primarily running back and rushed for 1,461 yards and 16 touchdowns, on his way to earning first team All-District honors.  After his junior season, he started getting contacted by college recruiters.

“It was then that I realized, ‘Oh man, I guess I really have a shot at a college scholarship,'” he said.

But before he could figure out where he wanted to go, Hughes moved in with his dad and transferred to Hebron High School in Carrollton.

He piled up another 1,445 rushing yards with 14 rushing touchdowns as a senior, including six games with 120 yards or more on the ground.  Meanwhile, his college search was underway.

“My first offer was from Iowa, and then Northern Colorado,” he said.  “I took visits to Iowa, Northern Colorado at UTEP.  Iowa was a good school – a Big Ten school – but I just didn’t really like it there.  I felt like the people had a lot of animosity.  So I didn’t know if I really fit in.  Northern Colorado was a nice school with nice coaches, but my grandparents really talked me out of that one.  And then they told me, ‘Just go to UTEP.’  So I came here, and I had L.A. (Dowell) and Josh Bell as my hosts.  They showed me a great time, I had fun, and everybody was really welcoming.  I think that is what ultimately persuaded me to come here.”

Hughes played sparingly at running back as a freshman, then redshirted his second year at UTEP.  He moved to linebacker for his sophomore campaign, but it was actually his idea to make the switch to defense.

“I got injured after my freshman year, and I was like ‘Man, maybe if I just go out there and make tackles, I won’t hurt myself again,” he said.  “I just kept thinking about it.  I mentioned it to coach [Sean Kugler] a few times.  And at the beginning of the spring, coach called me into his office and said ‘If you want to do it, go ahead.’  I said ‘All right, I’ll give it a try.'”

In the back of his mind was something his high school coaches had told him when he originally moved from offense to defense.

“They would say ‘Go out there and be an athlete and make tackles,'” he said.  “So that’s what I tried to do, just make plays.”

Hughes made plenty of plays during his sophomore season, tallying 40 tackles and earning six starting assignments.  But prior to his junior year, the Miners landed a new head coach in former Kansas State assistant Dana Dimel.

Dimel needed a big body at the heart of a ball control offense, and at 6-1, 235 pounds, Hughes fit the bill.  He returned to running back, rushed for 320 yards as a junior, and this year, became the Miners’ featured back.

Hughes was asked if he prefers playing on offense or defense.

“It just depends,” he said.  “I like running the ball and scoring touchdowns.  But on defense, you don’t get hit as much.  So it can vary, honestly.  Basically, whatever position I’m playing right now is the position that I love.”

He has forged close relationships with his Miner teammates.

“The guys that I hang out with the most are Walter Dawn, Q [Quardraiz] Wadley and Josh Fields,” he said.  “Those are the guys that I gravitate towards, as well as Chris Richardson and Ron Awatt.  I usually stick with that group.”

He has also developed a tight bond with the UTEP coaches.

“I love the coaching staff,” he said.  “I think they’ve brought out some leadership qualities that I didn’t know I had.  [Running backs] coach [Reggie] Mitchell has gotten me to talk to the other guys a lot more.”

He sees the UTEP offense progressing from game to game, and credits the line for its success.

“We have [Derron] Gatewood and Greg Long back, so they really help me out a lot,” he said.  “Without them, I wouldn’t have the yards or the type of season I’ve had.

“I’m frustrated with how we played against Texas Tech, but you have to move on.  Since then, we’ve talked about being fast and physical, and we’ve tried to bring that mentality into every game.”

Hughes is on a fast track to receive his Masters of Leadership Studies in December of this year.  He’s waiting to see whether his future will feature the extension of his football career, or a joining of the work force.

“Depending on what type of season I finish with, I’ll try to keep playing,” he said.  “At first I wanted to work in the FBI, but now it’s more up for grabs.  I’m even thinking about getting into coaching.”

Perhaps Hughes will wind up working for the FBI and coaching.  After all, his time at UTEP has shown that he’s capable of doing just about anything.

Author: Jeff Darby – UTEP

HATTIESBURG, MS. – Kai Locksley gave the Miner offense a spark with 109 yards passing and 114 yards rushing, including a 63-yard touchdown, but UTEP wasn’t able to overcome a slow start and dropped a 31-13 decision at Southern Miss on Saturday night.

“We were playing a really good football team in Southern Miss and in a tough environment and we go down 14-0 early in the ball game, but I thought after that it was a really solid football game,” head coach Dana Dimel said. “I was mostly proud of the way we competed. Obviously, we had our mistakes and we have to eliminate the unforced errors. But with the way our guys are fighting and the effort they are giving, it is just unbelievable and I am so proud of that. We have a big game coming up this week against UTSA, so the challenge was to have a great week next week, get better and get ourselves ready for a huge game against UTSA.”

Jack Abraham threw for 351 yards for the Golden Eagles (3-2), who won their Conference USA opener over the Miners (1-3).

Southern Miss jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the opening minutes.  Abraham completed a 74-yard touchdown pass to De’Michael Harris on the third play from scrimmage. Then, after the Miners had a punt blocked, Southern Miss set up shop at the UTEP two-yard line and Harris ran for another score.

After that, the Miners hung in with the Golden Eagles, who are picked to finish second in C-USA’s West Division, for the final 55 minutes.

UTEP shaved three points off the two-touchdown deficit when Gavin Baechle nailed a 28-yard field goal with 14:02 remaining in the second quarter.

The Miners stayed within striking distance until late in the second quarter, when Abraham connected with Jordan Mitchell for a 22-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 21-3.  The Golden Eagles converted three third downs on the drive, as they moved 78 yards on 12 plays.

Baechle’s career-long 46-yard field goal made it 21-6 with 16 seconds left in the half.  The Miners squib kicked and the Golden Eagles recovered near midfield.  Abraham got Southern Miss in field goal range with a 29-yard pass to Tim Jones, and Andrew Stein cashed in with a 38-yarder to make it 24-6 at halftime.

The Miners reached paydirt early in the second half when Kai Locksley broke free for a 63-yard touchdown run, the longest by a UTEP quarterback in 18 years.  But Southern Miss got the seven points back as Abraham engineered a 10-play, 82-yard TD drive, capped by his six-yard pass to Jaylond Adams in the end zone.

Neither team scored the rest of the game, as UTEP and Southern Miss played to a 7-7 deadlock in the second half.

Locksley, who didn’t play in the fourth quarter, tallied his third 100-yard rushing game as a Miner.  He accounted for 114 of the team’s 126 rushing yards.  Brandon Jones also saw extensive action for UTEP at quarterback and completed 6-of-13 passes for 59 yards.

Southern Miss outgained the Miners in total yards, 519-294.  Kevin Perkins (65 yards) and Harris (62) combined for 127 of the Golden Eagles’ 168 rushing yards.

The Miners will take on UTSA in their 88th Homecoming game next Saturday (Oct. 5) at 6 p.m.  Fans can score a “Winning Combo” and enjoy the game, a hot dog and soft drink for just $15.  The “Winning Combo” can be purchased at any UTEP Ticket Center location, or by calling (915) 747-5234.

The main UTEP Ticket Center is at 2901 North Mesa next to the Don Haskins Center, and the Eastside UTEP Ticket Center is at 1452 Zaragoza Suite A-500.  Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.  Patrons who purchase the “Winning Combo” for $15 will receive a ticket to the football game and a voucher for a free regular hot dog and medium fountain soft drink, redeemable at any concession stand on game day.

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.

UTEP travels to the Magnolia State this week to open C-USA play against Southern Miss in a game that kicks off at 5 p.m. MT on Saturday, September 28 at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

“The first conference game of the season is a really exciting thing to look forward to,” head coach Dana Dimel said in his weekly press conference.

“Southern Miss is a really big challenge for us. I think they are a really, really good football team in our conference. We know the kind of athletes and talent that they get. They are very diverse in their offense. It is as diverse of an offense that you are going to see anywhere in the country. I said last week going into the Nevada game that I thought it was going to be a measuring stick for our football team. From the measuring stick that I saw, we have made some tremendous strides, but we just have to eliminate the mistakes and we win a football game against a really good football team.”

The game will be streamed on ESPN+ for subscribers with Jason Baker (play-by-play) and Marchant Kenney (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 (play-by-play), Bernie Ricono (analysis) and Mando Medina (sideline).

The Miners and Golden Eagles last met when the two teams closed out the regular season in 2018 in a game Southern Miss won, 39-7, in El Paso.

The all-time series dates back to the 1953 season when the two teams played in the Sun Bowl in a game the Miners won, 37-14, over Southern Miss.

The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series, 7-4, including having won four straight contests over the Miners. The series is tied 2-2 in games played in Hattiesburg.

PREGAME NOTES

• UTEP continued its red zone perfection last weekend against Nevada as the Miners are now one of only 12 FBS teams in the nation to put up perfect numbers inside the red zone through the first four weeks of the college football season. The Miners enter Saturday’s road game versus Southern Miss a perfect 10-for-10 inside the 20-yard line. In three games, UTEP has six touchdowns (6 rushing) and four field goals for a total of 53 points put on the board in the red zone thus far.

• UTEP running back Treyvon Hughes is making a living finding paydirt for the Miners this season. The senior currently leads the Miners in touchdowns with four rushing scores in three games, which ranks first in Conference USA and 23rd nationally. Hughes scored his first two touchdowns of the season in the 2019 season opener versus Houston Baptist, while he followed that performance with another pair of scores in UTEP’s latest home game versus Nevada. Following his performance against the Wolf Pack, Hughes became the first Miner to score multiple touchdowns in the first two home games of a season since Aaron Jones in 2014.

• Prior to the start of the 2019 season, the Miners saw two key additions to the team during fall camp, both of which are paying off in a big way early in the campaign. Ykili Ross (USC) and Devaughn Cooper (Arizona) both joined the Miners midway through camp, but it didn’t take long for the two to make an impact. Ross currently leads the defense with a pair of interceptions, while Devaughn Cooper (Arizona) is one of the top receivers on the team with six catches for 96 yards.

• UTEP tight end Jess Trussell, one of the many new additions for the Miners this season, has turned into a big target on offense through three games. The 6-5, 250-pound Trussell has caught a pass in three consecutive games for the Miners, including a long reception of 37 yards against Nevada (9/21). Trussell had a pair of 13-yard receptions in the first two games and continued his strong play to start the season with three catches for 53 yards against the Wolf Pack. A transfer from Purdue, Trussell had no catches in 22 games for the Boilermakers from 2016-18.

When the UTEP football team returns to the Sun Bowl to battle UTSA on Homecoming October 5, fans can plant themselves right in the middle of the action by purchasing a pass to the all-new Party Patio.

Located at field level behind the North End Zone, the Party Patio provides an exclusive and fun-filled experience like never before.

“The Party Patio offers numerous fan amenities including breathtaking views of the field and stadium, food options, and the opportunity to purchase premium game day beverages including draft beers from MillerCoors and Deadbeach Brewery,” UTEP officials shared.

Single-game Party Patio passes are $20 and are available to all Miner fans with a game ticket.

Party Patio passes can be purchased at the UTEP Ticket Center (2901 North Mesa, next to the Don Haskins Center), at all game day Sun Bowl box office locations, or online.

Kickoff for the UTSA game is at 6 p.m.  The Party Patio opens 90 minutes prior to kickoff and closes at the end of the game.

UTEP battled Mountain West power Nevada on virtually even terms for three quarters, but the Wolf Pack took control in the final frame and escaped El Paso with a 37-21 victory on Saturday night.

The Miners (1-2) trailed 24-21 heading into the final period before Nevada (3-1), an eight-game winner and Arizona Bowl champion in 2018, pulled away down the stretch.

“I wanted to put the whole night into perspective,” head coach Dana Dimel said. “You are going against a Nevada team that was 8-5 last year and an upper Mountain West divisional foe. The turnovers and the penalties ended up having a major influence on the outcome of the game. It would be very easy to look at that game say it could have easily been a 37-21 victory for us if certain plays were made here or there, we eliminate a couple of the huge penalties that we had and if we don’t turn the ball over.”

“Overall, I thought our defense played fine. They can play better, but they got some short fields at times. We have to do a better job of not throwing the ball to the other football team. If you talk about the overall pace of the game and physicality that we played with, you can see we are making some huge strides as a football team. They are an upper Mountain West team and it was a very competitive football game throughout the night,” Dimel added.

The Wolf Pack took advantage of a Kai Locksley interception deep in Miner territory late in the third quarter.  Kelton Moore’s five-yard rushing touchdown extended Nevada’s lead to 30-21.  UTEP’s next drive stalled at its own 43-yard line, and the Wolf Pack put the game away with an eight-play, 70-yard scoring drive, as Moore found the end zone once again on a one-yard scamper.

The UTEP offense gained 253 yards on 50 plays (5.1 avg.) in the first three quarters, but was held to 25 yards on 14 plays (1.8 avg.) in the final period.

Still, it was an encouraging performance on a lot of fronts for UTEP, which opens Conference USA play at Southern Miss next week.

Locksley and Brandon Jones split time at quarterback for the Miners, combining to complete 10-of-17 passes for 116 yards.  Jones was 8-for-11 for 106 yards with an interception, and Locksley was 2-for-6 for 10 yards with two picks.

The Miners enjoyed more success running the ball, as they gained 162 yards on 47 carries with Treyvon Hughes (17 carries-80 yards) and Josh Fields (10 carries-44 yards) carrying the load.

Wolf Pack quarterback Cristian Solano beat the Miners with his arm and his feet, as he finished 13-of-19 passing for 182 yards and two TD’s, while also gaining 100 yards on 10 rushes.

The Miners got the fast start that they needed, forcing a three-and-out on the Wolf Pack’s first series then driving 70 yards on 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead.  Hughes rushed five times for 41 yards in the sequence, including a four-yard touchdown.

After the Wolf Pack knotted the score early in the second quarter, the teams traded turnovers.  The Miners, however, were able to convert a forced fumble by Miles Banks and recovery by Michael Lewis into their second touchdown of the night.

Hughes’ six-yard rushing TD capped a 10-play, 86-yard drive, and UTEP had a 14-7 advantage.

Nevada answered with back-to-back touchdowns and went to the locker room leading 21-14, as Solano connected with Elijah Cooks on a pair of long touchdown passes.  Cooks finished with four receptions for 82 yards.

The Miners tied it up with an epic 17-play, 75-yard drive elapsing 9:59 in time to start the third quarter.  Fifteen of the 17 plays were of the rushing variety, including the last 12.  Kai Locksley’s quarterback sneak from the one-yard line knotted the game at 21 with 5:01 remaining in the third quarter.

Nevada took the lead for good, 24-21, on a 27-yard field goal by Brandon Talton with 1:49 to go in the third quarter.

The Wolf Pack scored two touchdowns off the Miners’ three interceptions.

Justin Prince was UTEP’s leading tackler for the second straight game with 10 stops.  The Miner defense forced two turnovers, leading to seven points, and yielded 403 yards.

UTEP will kick off C-USA action at Southern Miss (2-3, 0-0 C-USA) next Saturday (Sept. 28) at 5 p.m. MT.  The game will be streamed on ESPN+.  The Miners’ next home game is versus UTSA on Homecoming Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. MT.  For tickets starting at just $12, call (915) 747-5234.

Gallery by Andres ‘Ace’ Acosta – Chief Photographer – El Paso Herald Post

UTEP senior defensive back Justin Rogers followed in his father Jeff’s footsteps to El Paso.

Sort of.

“He was recruited to play basketball here,” Justin Rogers said.  “He actually signed, and he was part of the last recruiting class of coach [Don] Haskins.  But he had some issues with his SAT and never made it here.”

Fortunately, there were no such issues for Justin Rogers and he has settled in as a leader in the UTEP secondary.  The Los Angeles native has also acclimated nicely to his new home in the Sun City.

“I love El Paso,” he said.  “The pace is much slower.  And people treat each other well here.  I think sometimes in L.A., it’s so fast that people don’t care about doing the little things, like opening the door for somebody.”

Rogers was well-traveled before making El Paso his home for the last four years.  He actually attended three different high schools.

He passion for the game of football started in a Pop Warner league at a very young age.

“I think a lot of times parents put kids in a bunch of sports, as many as they can,” he said.  “But I only wanted to play football.”

Rogers attended Serra High School in Gardena, Calif. his freshman year.

“I was on the freshman team, but we had an ‘A’ team and a ‘B’ team, so I didn’t play much,” he said.  “There are a lot of reputable players that have come out of that school.  [Arizona quarterback] Khalil Tate was on our team.  One of our coaches said that he thought I’d have the best chance of playing varsity the following year.  That was funny to hear, because I didn’t consider myself, nor did anybody else consider me to be a really good player on the team.”

Rogers never got a chance to make an impact on the Serra varsity team, as he ended up transferring to Cabrillo High School in Long Beach for his sophomore campaign.

“I was the second nickel guy, and my friend got hurt in game four and the next thing I knew, I was starting three games when he was down,” Rogers said.  “So I got to play early in my career.”

He spent the final two years of his prep career at Los Angeles High School, where he really made a name for himself.  Slotted in at both the cornerback and wide receiver positions, Rogers led the team to its first CIF Los Angeles City Section Championship in 49 years in 2014.  A year later, he was named All-City on both sides of the ball.

“I remember that the summer going into my senior year was where I gained a lot of confidence with my play,” he said.

However, he attracted only mild recruiting interest.  His high school coach, Eric Scott, was a former assistant at UCLA and got him in the mix with the Bruins, Fresno State, San Diego State and UNLV.  But Rogers’ only scholarship offer came from a program down in the West Texas town of El Paso.

“UTEP was the only school to offer me, which I think was a blessing because I couldn’t have imagined having 35 offers and trying to decide between Alabama and Clemson,” he said.  “The decision was made for me and I accepted.  I figured this would be the best place for me.”

Rogers played immediately as a rookie in 2016, and was appointed to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team after ranking second on the team with seven pass breakups.  He registered 109 tackles, four interceptions and 15 pass breakups in his first three seasons with UTEP, while earning 14 starting assignments.

The last two years have been tough on the Miners, as they’ve had to deal with coaching changes and a dearth of victories.

It took Rogers a little time to embrace his position coach, Remington Rebstock.

“When I was first around him, I kind of had the mentality that I liked my last coach,” he said.  “And then I softened, learned about him and we spent the season together.”

What Rogers learned was that he and Rebstock embraced the same guiding principles.

“He shows the same dedication that I show, and he wants to win as bad as I do,” he said.  “I can expect the same thing from [defensive coordinator] Mike Cox.  I really respect them as men.  They not only show us how to play football, but how to handle a lot of stuff.  I really love the coaching staff.  They’re all my boys, and I appreciate everything that they’ve done.”

The Miners made progress in 2018, winning a game for the first time in nearly two years and enjoying staunch improvement on defense.  Rogers knows that if UTEP is going to continue its upward trajectory and increase its victory tally in 2019, the defense will need to stand tall once again.

“Our defense was pretty good last season, but I think we can take another step just by creating more turnovers,” he said.  “To be as good of a defense as we’d like to be, we have to get the ball.”

Rogers finds himself in a different position this year as one of the grizzled veterans on the team, and a co-captain to boot.

“Being an old guy is funny,” he said.  “I talk to [former Miners] Nik Needham, Alvin Jones, Kalon Beverly, Kahani Smith and A.J. Hotchkins about how I can affect the team and the program.  I think it’s really important that our culture changes, and being in a position of leadership, I can voice that.

“This year coach [Dana] Dimel allowed us to vote for captains earlier, and I think that was important.  The previous year, we voted for captains before the season.  This year, captains were named at the end of the spring.  So being a captain and having the team with me going into the summer was huge.”

Rogers has imparted a lot of knowledge on his fellow Miners over the last few months.

“Early in our careers we struggled, so we know what’s it’s like to lose and we can point out what made us lose,” he said.  “We can fix that and try to change the culture.  Defensively, I just try to emphasize to the guys what’s important.  And base level, what’s important is being respectful to the coaches.  Everybody gets here and wants to play immediately, and I just try to tell them that it’s important they learn the defense.

“Knowing what you’re doing is super important.  That’s what wins and loses games.  On third down, 10 people do their job and one doesn’t, and we lose.  I try to emphasize to the newer guys that I know coach Reb and coach Cox.  They may be killing you about something that you think is super duper small, but I promise you it’s huge.  I think everybody is starting to understand the importance of doing their job.”

The Miners did their jobs in the season opener against Houston Baptist and came away with a 36-34 victory.  It may not have been pretty, but it was big for a program thirsty for a win.

“You learn something about yourselves when you play in close games, make plays late and show perseverance and fight,” Rogers said.  “You don’t get a lesson in adversity from blowing somebody out.  Granted, I hate sloppy play and sloppy play is definitely what we put out there at times.  But it’s something that we needed to progress.  We showed we have guys that aren’t going to quit, and that’s great.”

Author: Jeff Darby – UTEP

After resting up during an early-season bye week, UTEP returns home Saturday to play hosts to the Nevada Wolf Pack out of the Mountain West at the Sun Bowl.

“This is a Mountain West opponent coming in to our stadium, which is really exciting for our fans,” head coach Dana Dimel said.

“We had a great turnout at our first game and we are excited to play at home again. This will be a big test, a big challenge and opportunity for us to get back and play well and put all the pieces of our football program together offensively, defensively and on special teams. This Nevada team is going to be a big test for us. They are obviously a team that went 8-5 last year and has beaten a Big 10 opponent already this year. They are just a well-coached, good football team that plays physical football on both sides of the ball.”

UTEP enters the game with a 1-1 record after notching a season-opening win over Houston Baptist and falling to Texas Tech two weeks ago on the road. As for the Wolf Pack, they come into the contest with a 2-1 overall mark with wins over Purdue and Weber State. Nevada’s one loss came on the road at Oregon in week two.

UTEP and Nevada last met on the gridiron in 2002 in a game the Wolf Pack won, 23-17 in Reno, while the all-time series dates back to the 2000 season when both teams were members of the Western Athletic Conference.

Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m. MT on Saturday 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 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 is currently one of only 20 FBS teams in the nation to put up perfect numbers in the red zone through the first three weeks of the college football season. The Miners enter Saturday’s home game versus Nevada a perfect 7-for-7 inside the 20-yard line. In two games, UTEP has three touchdowns (3 rushing) and four field goals for a total of 32 points put on the board in the red zone thus far.
• For the first time since 2002, UTEP and Nevada will meet on the gridiron, only this time it will be a non-conference showdown between the Miners and Wolf Pack. From 2000-02, the two programs met as conference foes as UTEP and Nevada were both members of the Western Athletic Conference at that time. In the first meeting between UTEP and Nevada, the Miners came out on top, 45-22, but the Wolf Pack owned the next two contests in 2001 and 2002. The Sept. 21 matchup between the two teams will be the first meeting on the gridiron since the 2002 season and the fourth meeting in the all-time series.
• The Miners own a 6-4 all-time record in games played on Sept. 21. The first meeting on that date came during the 1940 season when UTEP won, 28-7, at Northern Arizona. UTEP went on to win the next four contests on Sept. 21 in 1957 (W, 14-13 vs. North Texas), 1963 (W, 34-7 vs. North Texas), 1968 (W, 44-15 vs. New Mexico) and 1974 (W, 34-7 vs. Utah)

GAME DAY CENTRAL

Tickets: The UTEP Ticket Office is located at Brumbelow Building Room 109 (next to the Don Haskins Center). Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Single-game tickets can also be purchased online at www.utepminers.com, or by calling (915) 747-5234.

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.

Alan Bowman completed 30-of-45 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns, including two to T.J. Vasher, leading Texas Tech to a 38-3 win over UTEP on Saturday night at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Vasher had six receptions for 78 yards for the Red Raiders (2-0), who compiled 424 yards of offense while holding the Miners (1-1) to 131 yards and 11 first downs.

The Miners were unable to convert a first down on their initial series, and the Red Raiders took over at midfield following a 31-yard punt by Mitchell Crawford.  Bowman completed four of his first five passes to get Texas Tech inside the red zone, before handing off to Ta’Zhawn Henry on three consecutive plays.

Henry closed out the drive with runs of eight, four and five yards, the last giving Texas Tech its first touchdown of the night.

The UTEP defense forced punts on the Red Raiders’ next two possessions, but the offense was held in check as the Miners were held to 11 yards in the first quarter.  Early in the second quarter, Texas Tech increased its lead to 14-0 as Bowman capped a 10-play, 77-yard drive with a 13-yard scoring toss to Vasher.

With the Red Raiders driving for another score late in the second quarter, USC transfer Ykili Ross stepped up with a big interception at the UTEP 17-yard line, keeping it a two-possession game momentarily.

But, following a three and out for the offense, Bowman found receiver Dalton Rigdon streaking down the left sideline for a 49-yard touchdown and a 21-0 advantage.

After Trey Wolff’s 45-yard field goal early in the third quarter made it 24-0, Kai Locksley relieved UTEP starting quarterback Brandon Jones.

Locksley gave the Miners an offensive spark, as they crossed midfield for the first time.  However, Gavin Baechle’s 47-yard field goal attempt was wide left.

Bowman’s 30-yard TD pass to Vasher late in the third quarter extended the Red Raider lead to 31-0.  The lead reached 38-0 with 12:51 left in the game after Armand Shyne rushed for a seven-yard touchdown.

UTEP put points on the board with 5:32 remaining, as Baechle nailed a 45-yard field goal to make it 38-3.  Baechle improved to 4-for-5 on field goal tries this season with a career-long make.  The key play on the 12-play, 48-yard drive was a 25-yard pass from Locksley to Devaughn Cooper.

The Miners gained 77 of their yards on the ground with three players – Josh Fields (27), Treyvon Hughes (27) and Locksley (21) – responsible for 75 of those yards.

Jones completed 4-of-12 passes for 21 yards, and Locksley finished 3-of-7 for 33 yards.

The Miners played a turnover free game.

Justin Prince led the Miners in tackles for the second time in as many games with 10 stops, including nine of the solo variety.

The Miners have an early-season bye week coming up and they’ll return to the field to host Nevada in two weeks on Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. MT.  Tickets, starting at just $12, are available by calling (915) 747-5234.

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.

Photo gallery by Andres ‘Ace’ Acosta – Chief Photographer – El Paso Herald Post | Video courtesy UTEP

The UTEP Miners hit the road for the first time this week to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders at 6 p.m. MT on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.

“It is going to be a fun challenge for us to go play in Lubbock, which is always a good environment to play in,” head coach Dana Dimel said at his weekly press conference. “It has always been a tough place to play and they always play well at home. They are a good home football team.”

UTEP and Texas Tech last met on the gridiron in 2015 in a game the Red Raiders won, 69-20 in Lubbock, while the all-time series dates all the way back to the 1930 season. The first meeting between the two programs resulted in a 31-0 win for the Miners in Lubbock.

Texas Tech leads the all-time series 16-6-1 over UTEP, including having won seven straight contests over the Miners. The Red Raiders own an 8-3 record over the Miners in games played in Lubbock.

The game will be broadcast to a regional audience on FOX Sports Net with Mark Followill (play-by-play), Brian Baldinger (analysis) and CT Steckel (sideline) on the call.

The game can be seen locally on FOX Sports Southwest or on any streaming device using the FOX Sports Go app.

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).

PREGAME NOTES

• UTEP compiled 508 total yards of offense against the Huskies on opening weekend, which is the most under head coach Dana Dimel and most in a game since the 2016 season finale versus North Texas (555). UTEP has posted six consecutive wins when tallying 500 yards or more dating back to the 2013 season.

• Senior RB Treyvon Hughes was a force to be reckoned with on the ground for the Miners in the 36-34 win over HBU after recording a career-best 23 carries for 144 yards and two rushing TDs. His previous UTEP best was 76 yards rushing. UTEP pounded out 240 yards on the ground in the season-opening win, marking the first win in the Sun Bowl for the Miners since the 2016 season.

• Gavin Baechle was a key component for the Miners last weekend with a total of 12 points after booting a career-best three field goals in as many attempts, including the eventual game-winning 35-yard field in the fourth quarter. Baechle also added three PATs to finish the night with 12 points. He became the first Miner to make three field goals in a game since Oct. 15, 2011. He is also the first UTEP kicker to connect on three field goals in the Sun Bowl since Sept. 25, 2010. Baechle connected on field goals from 30-, 21-, and 35-yards, while also recording 8 kickoffs for 517 yards (64.6 avg.) and 6 touchbacks.

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

The Laufenberg family has teamed with UTEP Athletics to establish the Luke Laufenberg FIGHT Endowed Scholarship, in honor of the former Miner who passed away at the age of 21 on August 22 following a two-year battle with cancer.

A tight end from Dallas, Laufenberg joined the Miners for 2019 spring ball after playing at Mesa Community College in 2017.  He played his senior season at Argyle Liberty Christian High School, where he was named 2016 Offensive Newcomer of the Year and honorable mention All-District.

He initially walked on at Texas A&M before continuing his football career at Mesa Community College, prior to being diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma.

“On behalf of Luke’s mom, Joan, and his brother, Joe Willie, we are incredibly grateful to UTEP and the entire Miners community for helping make our Luke’s dream of playing Division I college football a reality,” said Luke’s dad, Babe Laufenberg.  “We hope this scholarship will honor Luke’s legacy and allow other hardworking, dedicated athletes with big dreams and even bigger ‘FIGHT’ the opportunity to wear Miners’ orange and blue.”

“The scholarship endowment for Luke is really special because he is going to stay in our hearts and souls for many years,” UTEP head coach Dana Dimel said.  “He was a fighter, a champion and a wonderful person.  He was a very talented young man who left a huge mark on everyone he came in contact with.”

Contributions to the Luke Laufenberg FIGHT Endowed Scholarship are now being accepted online.  Multiple giving options are available.  For more information, please call (915) 747-6787 or email MAC@utep.edu.

Treyvon Hughes rushed 23 times for a career-high 144 yards and two touchdowns, and UTEP pounded out 240 yards on the ground in a 36-34, season-opening win over Houston Baptist on Saturday night in the Sun Bowl.

“It is about finding a way to win a football game,” head coach Dana Dimel said. “That is such a big step for our football team right now because we had a ton of adversity. There is no better thing than a young football team to overcome adversity like we did and still find a way to scratch out a win. It was not perfect. We did not win the turnover margin, but we were able to establish a very physical run game.”

The Miners (1-0) rallied from a 28-20 third-quarter deficit, scoring 16 of the game’s final 22 points before a crowd of 34,646, the largest for a UTEP home opener in five years.

UTEP scored an emotional win while playing for the city of El Paso and fallen teammate Luke Laufenberg.

Gavin Baechle converted three field goals for UTEP, including a 35-yarder with 8:15 to go for the game winner.

After Baechle’s 30-yard field goal accounted for the only points of the first quarter and a 3-0 Miner lead, UTEP and HBU combined to score 34 points (17 each) in the second period.

The Miners extended their lead to 10-0 on an 80-yard TD pass from Brandon Jones to Tre’Shon Wolf with 12:57 remaining in the half. However, the Huskies accounted for 17 of the game’s next 24 points to knot the contest at 17 on a 47-yard field goal by Gino Garcia with 1:14 to go in the second quarter. Baechle connected on a 21-yard field goal right before halftime to send UTEP to the locker room leading 20-17.

UTEP compiled 289 yards of offense in the first half, including 75 on a nifty seven-play scoring drive that culminated in a three-yard TD run by Hughes late in the second quarter. Hughes and Jones did the heavy lifting on the drive, combining for 73 of the team’s 75 rushing yards.

The third quarter got off to an inauspicious start for the Miners as HBU reeled off 11 unanswered points to build a 28-20 lead. But UTEP responded by putting together back-to-back touchdown drives to take a 33-28 edge into the final frame.

First, Jones put the finishing touches on a 75-yard drive with a three-yard scoring run, then Hughes continued his big night by dashing for a 19-yard TD to conclude a 74-yard possession.

After HBU regained the lead, 34-33 early in the fourth quarter, Hughes went back to work. His 32-yard run on the first play of the next series set up Baechle’s 35-yard field goal with 8:15 remaining, putting the Miners ahead for good, 36-34 with 8:15 to go.

Jones, making his second start for UTEP under center, completed 10-of-20 passes for 268 yards. His ten completions went to eight different receivers, as Wolf led the way with 96 yards on two catches.

El Paso’s own Josh Fields supplemented Hughes in the ground game, as he racked up 61 yards on only seven carries (8.7 ypc).

The Miners outgained HBU (0-1) 508-413 in total yards. With UTEP clinging to a 36-34 lead midway through the fourth quarter and the Huskies driving for another score, the defense needed to make a big play and it did.

Chris Richardson sacked HBU quarterback Bailey Zappe inside the red zone and teammate Justin Rogers recovered the fumble to give the ball back to the Orange and Blue. The Miners were able to run out the final 5:57 on the clock.

A UTEP defense with a lot of new pieces was led by returning safety Rogers, who tallied 10 tackles.

The Miners will play their first road game of 2019 next Saturday (Sept. 7) at Texas Tech. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. MT and the game will be televised on FSN.

UTEP’s next home game is on Sept. 21 versus Mountain West foe Nevada at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale by calling (915) 747-5234.

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.

Gallery by Andres ‘Ace’ Acosta – Chief Photographer – El Paso Herald Post

UTEP is set to begin a new season on the gridiron today when the Miners welcome Houston Baptist to the Sun Bowl in El Paso for the 2019 opener, which is set for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

“We are looking forward to playing some football,” head coach Dana Dimel said at his weekly press conference. “It seems like fall camp went by really quickly for us, as it always does. We had a good trip up to Ruidoso and then came back, so the last couple of weeks we have been hitting it pretty hard. I have been happy with the way the team has been working and what we have been putting out on the field to this point. We invite everyone to come out and see us play. Our team is really looking forward to having a good crowd and a fun environment on Saturday.”

UTEP enters season No. 2 under head coach Dana Dimel, who directed the Miners to their first victory in two years with a 34-26 win at Rice on Nov. 3, 2018. Houston Baptist is led by sixth-year head coach Vic Shealy, while the Huskies are looking to rebound from back-to-back 1-10 seasons in 2017 and 2018.

The Miners and Huskies have met once before in 2016 when UTEP hosted Houston Baptist in a game the Miners won, 42-10, in the Sun City. HBU is 0-5 all-time against FBS opponents.

Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m. MT on Saturday 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 KLAQ 95.5 FM to hear Jon Teicher (PxP), Bernie Ricono (analysis) and Mando Medina (sideline).

PREGAME NOTES

• Last year, the Miners suffered multiple season-ending injuries early on that hindered the offensive line, but UTEP enters the 2019 season with more strength, returning eight players who have combined for 84 starts. Derron Gatewood brings the most experience to the line, having made 22 starts. Also adding depth at the line are seniors Ruben Guerra, Greg Long, Markos Lujan and Bijan Hosseini. Sophomore Bobby DeHaro was relied on the most last season, starting all 12 games. The El Paso native was the most consistent part of the offensive line, starting at left guard in 11 games.
• The Miners increased their scoring average from 11.8 points per game in 2017 to 17.7 points per game last season. UTEP also increased its total offense per game from 230.5 ypg (2017) to 307.7 ypg (2018). Defensively, UTEP allowed 48 fewer points and 623 fewer yards in 2018 as opposed to the 2017 season, while the Miners were within 12 points of the opposition entering the fourth quarter in five of eight C-USA games in 2018.
• Following the tragedy in the Sun City on Aug. 3, the UTEP football team will wear #ElPasoStrong decals on their helmets throughout the duration of the 2019 season, beginning against Houston Baptist on Aug. 31.
• The UTEP football team will pay tribute to the late Luke Laufenberg at Saturday’s season opener versus Houston Baptist in the Sun Bowl. Laufenberg passed away at the age of 21 on Thursday, Aug. 22 after battling cancer for two years.  A tight end from Argyle, Texas, Laufenberg joined the Miners for 2019 spring ball after playing at Mesa Community College in 2017. The tribute to Laufenberg will take place between the first and second quarters at Saturday’s game.  A framed jersey will be presented to the Laufenberg family.  UTEP players will wear black “Luke” stickers on their helmets throughout the 2019 season.

GAME DAY CENTRAL

#ElPasoStrong: The HBU game will include recognition of the victims and heroes of the Aug. 3 tragedy as well as a halftime celebration of “Everything El Paso” including performances by the UTEP band, cheer and spirit teams, as well as other special appearances. The football game will be held in conjunction with a busy weekend of #ElPasoStrong events on the UTEP campus, with Minerpalooza slated for Friday, Aug. 30 and a Khalid benefit concert scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 1 in the Don Haskins Center.

Tickets: UTEP Football Season Tickets are on sale now and prices have been reduced at all levels for the 2019 season. The UTEP Season Ticket Office is located at Brumbelow Building Room 109 (next to the Don Haskins Center). Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased online or by calling (915) 747-6150.

Pregame Activities: Beginning 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 dropoff 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 gameday tradition is forged.