It's football time

It's time to kick off a new season.

Throughout the country, hopes for a stellar year begin to reach a crescendo this week. The same is true in El  Paso, where the Miners begin play this Saturday against Mid-American Conference champion Buffalo. The Bulls got the better of UTEP in a 42-17 blowout in last season's opener, but there are plenty of reasons to believe the Miners can win.

Here are some things to keep an eye on this week and on game day.

1.) The revenge factor: There's no way UTEP didn't see Buffalo appear on national TV last season in all those late-season midweek games. The Bulls were one of the feel-good stories of the year and had the next big thing at head coach. If that didn't stick in the Miners' craw, I don't know what would. Look for UTEP to come out and wanna punch Buffalo in the mouth.

2.) Players out: Everyone probably knows Buffalo all-everything running back James Starks is out with a shoulder injury. It'll be a huge blow to an offense that will have a first-time starter at quarterback in Zach Maynard who replaces star slinger Drew Willy. But now the Bulls will be without senior defensive tackle Dane Robinson, who was listed as a starter in fall practice. Robinson will be suspended the first two games of the season for what Buffalo head coach Turner Gill calls disciplinary reasons.

3.) Turnover margin: Gill is notorious for doing all he can to take care of the ball. This is evidenced by Buffalo's phenomenal +19 turnover margin in 2008 (UTEP's was +12). That +19 is sure to change with a new quarterback at the helm for the Bulls. With that in mind, it's possible we'll see Maynard tasked with nickel and diming the ball down the field with hitches and passes to the flat. This probably means not too many passes over 20 yards for the sophomore. That's a good thing for the Miner secondary, which was prone to the big play last season.

4.) The weather: Seems like in every conversation about the game, someone's bringing up the weather as a huge factor. It's not. Granted, Buffalo enjoys much cooler days than El Paso does. But the Bulls aren't gonna experience the dog days of July during their visit. The projected high temperature Saturday in El Paso is 89 degrees. That's sure to cool a few points by kickoff. And after the last shards of sunlight leave the stadium, it shouldn't be hotter than any day this week in upstate New York. Buffalo's projected high this Saturday is 74 degrees.

So there's some things to think about. Feel free to add in yours and check back in with Turn Up the Orange this week as we look ahead to UTEP's season opener.

Comments

[javi]

Utep has the schedule and the possibility to be a BCS buster. You might say im dreaming but i say why not us why not UTEP?
Should UTEP go 13-0 were in for a magical season.

[Devon]

"...Utep has the schedule and the possibility to be a BCS buster...."

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This is UTEP we're talking about, not Boise St. or Utah. The reality is that we will be in a dogfight for second place in our division of CUSA.

[Rooster]

Baby steps Javi... I'm a dreamer too, but BCS buster is a little over the top. I hope we start the season off on the right foot and for once finish it on a good note!

[Orangefever]

javi's right on. I've said it before, if you look at Coach Price's history, then, "This is the Year". Go Miners ! Yes We Can !

[MinerManiac in SA]

I agree with Rooster, but I like Javi's post. The Miners can possibly go 10-2, with the 2 losses against Kansas and Texas. But, UTEP has pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history. In 1985, defending national champs, BYU, came to town. The Cougars were ranked 4th in the nation at the time, but that didn't deter the Miners. The Miners upset BYU that chilly October night. Ironically, that was the only game UTEP won that season. I know that was 24 years ago, a different Miners team, and 99.9% of the current players weren't even born, but I can dream. I live in San Antonio now and plan on being in Austin to cheer on the Miners, win or lose.