Turn Up the Orange | UTEP sports talk

UTEP's season hanging in the balance

UAB had a 2-5 record heading into Saturday's showdown against UTEP in the Sun Bowl. The Blazers hadn't won a game on the road all season. They brought a porous defense (ranked No. 115 nationally) and an offense that, aside from one player, hadn't mustered much consistency throughout the year. UAB was ripe for the picking.

And UTEP made the Blazers look like a conference contender.

The Miners had the perfect setup for a venture into November with a legitimate shot at the Conference USA West division title. UTEP was coming off a big win against West power Tulsa and had nine days to get ready for the Blazers. The game was at home in front of a modest crowd that was ready to explode at various junctures of the game. But true to the inconsistent play it has displayed all season, the Miners let the Blazers walk out of the Sun Bowl with a 38-33 win in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates.

Joe Webb was golden for UAB. The quarterback threw for two scores, ran one in and caught another. The Miners had enough offensive yardage (585 yards) to match Webb's output. But scores weren't a part of those numbers. Two of UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe passes were intercepted deep in Blazer territory. One of those was returned 99 yards for a UAB score. The mistakes led to a 21-3 deficit in the second quarter. And the Miners never recovered, late rally notwithstanding.

UTEP now sits at 3-5, 2-2 in conference play. The Miners remain a game back of Houston, which won a shootout against Southern Miss on Saturday. UTEP still owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Tulsa by virtue of the Golden Hurricane's loss to SMU. So Miner fans have to hope that Tulsa can find a way to upset Houston when the two meet next weekend to get back into contention for the West title. Fans also have to hope that the Miners can find themselves. Something is missing from this team. Maybe it's leadership. Maybe it's coaching. Maybe it's a JUGS machine. Whatever it is, UTEP can ill afford to lose another game if it hopes to maintain its conference title chase. Lose two and postseason hopes are quashed and the season, for all intents and purposes, is over.

History hasn't been kind to the Miners in this scenario. And right now, fans have no reason to be either.

Bobby Bowden to coach UAB?

A win for UTEP’s football team this weekend against Alabama-Birmingham would set up a possible sweet November  for the Miners. 

But it also might help fulfill a rumor that’s been making the rounds on message boards and blogs throughout the southern United States. That is, that current Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden will be at the helm of the Blazers next season. 

The Chopping Block, the Orlando Sentinel’s place for Seminole news and commentary, had a blog post today that addressess that rumor. 

Sentinel writer Andrew Carter asked Bowden about the rumor after Tuesday’s practice. To which Bowden replied, “I have heard that ... I’ve even had people from Birmingham call. I don’t know where it started — there or here or what.”

Bowden went on to say, “Oh, boy. You know, you hear so many different rumors, you get immune to them.”

At no point did he deny the move. Read the entire post here. 

You can say what you want about Bowden, whose Seminoles have struggled this season. But his teams are always ready to play. They scrap and fight and play an entire 60 minutes. That tenacity has helped Bowden bring two national titles to Tallahassee and has led to an amazing 27 consecutive bowl appearances. 

With UAB (2-5) sliding this season, it’s not impossible to think that Blazer coach Neil Callaway might be on the hot seat, especially if a legend like Bowden is considering a move to Alabama. 

And what a wonderful thing that would be for Conference USA. Two coaches who have won the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year award in UTEP’s Mike Price and Bowden. And one coach, Skip Holtz, who keeps getting closer to those accolades. 

This all makes Saturday’s matchup between UTEP and UAB important because it could be the last easy win the Miners will get on the Blazers if Bowden is strolling the sideline in years to come. 

Again, it’s all rumors. But stay tuned. 

Podcast: Can UTEP win west division title in C-USA?

Pablo Villa, Joe Muench and Jay Koester take a look back at UTEP's victory over Tulsa, seen nationwide on ESPN, then look ahead to Saturday's home game against UAB. Plus, they discuss the Miners' chances for winning the Conference USA West division over Houston and Tulsa.

To listen to the podcast, click here. (right click, save-target-as to download)

Or better yet, subscribe the Times sports podcasts on iTunes! That's right, with one click of the subscribe button, you'll automatically get the weekly UTEP football and high school sports podcasts.

Get signed up here: El Paso Times podcast page on iTunes.

Back in the bowl hunt

UTEP has regained favor with one of ESPN’s bowl projectors. 

ESPN writer Mark Schlabach has UTEP in his weekly list, sending the Miners to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl to face Troy. UTEP hasn’t done enough to impress TUTO’s most hated prognosticator, Bruce Feldman. 

Interesting that both writers still project Houston will be in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, which goes to the Conference USA champion. UTEP is currently tied for first place with SMU in the West division with a 2-1 league record. Houston and Tulsa have the same mark, but the Miners possess the head-to-head tiebreaker against both squads by virtue of their wins — a 58-41 win over Houston on Oct. 3 and a 28-24 win over Tulsa last Wednesday.   

Should UTEP stay even with both schools, there will be nothing the Golden Hurricane or the Cougars, who are the nation’s No. 18-ranked team, can do to surpass the Miners for the right to go to the Conference USA title game. 

And while we’re on this topic, the conference rule awarding the championship game host site to the school with the best conference record is good news for UTEP. It makes the Miners’ tough pre-conference schedule a non-issue. Not yet, anyway. And how great would it be if the Miners close the season with Marshall in the Sun Bowl, only to have the Thundering Herd, who have a shot at the East title, return to El Paso the following week with the league championship on the line. 

Lot of football left to play, but that is an interesting scenario. 

Halloween at the Sun Bowl

The Miners once again will use some ticker promotions to get fans to the Sun Bowl this week. 

Saturday marks “Take a Kid to the Game Day” and a youth ticket is free with the purchase of an adult ticket. There will be Halloween-themed activities in the “Fun Zone,” including trick or treating and a costume contest. The top five costume winners will be on display during the game on the field. The UTEP Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be collecting canned goods for the West Texas Food Bank.

The Miners are 6-6-1 all-time when playing on Halloween. They also played on this date in 1914, 1925, 1931, 1936, 1942, 1953, 1959, 1964, 1970, 1981, 1987, 1992 and 1998. UTEP is 5-3 in home games on Halloween and 2-3 on Halloween in the Sun Bowl. The Miners beat Hawaii, 30-13, in their last Halloween home game in 1998.

UTEP needs to chill on tailgating

UTEP has some silly rules regulating tailgaters for their home football games.

How silly? Well, their final two home games begin at 1 p.m., but I haven't seen anything saying they have backed off their main rule: No tailgating or tailgating set-up on Inner Campus prior to 12 noon.

So, I hope you can eat fast this Saturday tailgaters! Not only can you not tailgate before noon for the 1 p.m. kickoff versus UAB, but don't forget another one of UTEP's rules: "Tailgating will cease at the end of the 1st quarter with all participants required to enter the stadium or leave university property at this time."

So, you think, with a game that early, you'll just celebrate the victory with a fun, post-game tailgate? Not so fast, my friend. Another UTEP rule: "All fans must leave university property one hour after the conclusion of the game."

Sometimes I wonder if the UTEP administration really wants football fans on their campus at all.

I recently attended a tailgate at a school that will remain nameless where we ate and drank for hours before the game, ran out for some refreshments at halftime, then celebrated the Jayhawk (Oops!) victory for hours after the game. All things UTEP won't allow its fans to do.

UTEP needs to respect its fans and let them enjoy themselves without all the silly stipulations.

Four Quarters: UAB Blazers

Four keys in the matchup between UTEP and Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday at Sun Bowl Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

1.) Blazing trails: UAB had one of the conference's worst defenses heading into its Conference USA game against Marshall on Saturday. The Blazers did little to shed that label, allowing 450 yards of offense in their 27-7 loss. Saturday marked the first time Marshall had a 300-yard passer and 100-yard rusher on the same day since 2003. And it could've easily been worse defensively for UAB if the the Thundering Herd hadn't milked the clock so thoroughly in the second half. UTEP should be able to move the ball against the Blazers, especially through the air, where UAB, heading into the Marshall game, allowed a league worst 313 yards per game. But Trevor Vittatoe will have to be on target and his receivers will need to haul in his passes consistently.
 
2.) Tangling with Webb: UAB's best player is quarterback Joe Webb. He is one of the league's best athletes and is a threat on the ground and through the air. Webb led all UAB rushers with 129 rushing yards Saturday against Marshall and also threw for 200 yards with a score. It's likely Webb will get his yards against UTEP. The task for the Miners will be to keep him from getting the Blazers into the end zone. It's gonna take a mix of coverages, perhaps a linebacker or safety spying. Disciplined defensive line play won't hurt either. And sure tackling will be essential. Webb burned Marshall on second efforts and broken tackles enough to make Herd linebacker Mario Harvey say "Joe Webb is an amazing athlete. He's hard to bring down." But if UTEP can stop Webb, it stops the UAB offense.
 
3.) Primed for a letdown?: It'll be Halloween. A day when scary things can happen. And plenty of Miner fans have expressed their fear of UTEP playing flat after its big ESPN win, much like it did against Memphis after its big win against then-No. 12 Houston. For the Miners, a win -- and a 4-4 record -- Saturday sets them up for an easier November, a month they perennially struggle in. Two things work in UTEP's favor. First, the game's at home. And if the same 37,000 that arrived for the Tulsa game show up this Saturday, then the crowd will be a factor. UAB has not won on the road all season. The Blazers have dropped their previous four away games including last weekend's loss to Marshall. Second, UTEP has had ample time to prepare coming off a Wednesday night game. 

4.) Laundry: Both teams have had their struggles with penalties. UTEP has gone into double digits in penalties twice this season but has cut back on flags significantly. UAB meanwhile committed 15 infractions last weekend. Several of those took away prime scoring opportunities. Both teams are capable of sloppy football at times. You figure the team that stays disciplined will have a better shot at coming out on top.

Letter to the fans from Mike Price

I appreciated the comments on the last post in support of Mike Price. Whatever troubles the team has had this year, anyone with any sense of UTEP history should be behind Price. He should be UTEP's coach as long as he wants to be.

Which leads me to the letter to the fans Price wrote. Here it is in its entirety:

To the 37,368 Miner Fans who cheered us on Wednesday night . . .THANK YOU!

I can't tell you how much we appreciate your support. El Paso really showed the country on live TV just how important the Miners are to our Community. The response from around the country is unbelievable. You proved to me that no matter how tough it gets, you still BELIEVE, THANK YOU!

Here is the way I saw it Wednesday night:
-- What a beautiful night!
-- What Great Weather!
-- A great night of appreciation to our Honorable Soldiers. It was awesome to have them at our game.
-- Pink shoe laces and pink wrist bands to bring National Attention to Breast Cancer Awareness and a tribute to the people surviving breast cancer.
-- Introductions of our basketball teams. A chance to get excited about their upcoming season.
-- A crowd that just kept on coming in the gates, late or not, you MADE THE EFFORT to come and cheer on your team.
-- A TV Audience that saw not only a beautiful stadium, but one of the most picturesque stadiums in the America.
-- Fans wearing orange, fired up, and cheering for their team.
-- The band, cheerleaders, and golddiggers all performing at their best.
-- And most important, a football team that would not give up.
-- A victory that proved the great character of this team. I'm honored to be their coach!

I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge what a great job Bob Stull and his marketing staff did for this game. We took a chance playing a game on a Wednesday night, because it was a chance to showcase our program, and it worked.

We control our own destiny -- One Game at a Time. We continue to get better at fundamentals. We need to stay healthy, and continue to strive to be more consistent in all phases of the game.

See you next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the Sun Bowl for a Halloween Game to Remember!

Go Miners
Mike Price
Head Football Coach

UTEP football gives some Orange Fever

My surreal life: Watching the second half at home on ESPN (yes, at home. Sorry, I have a first-grader who needs help with her homework), I'm cheering as much as anybody and overcome with joy when the UTEP Miners pull off a stunning comeback. The shot ESPN showed of the young kid yelling like crazy with his picks up was great.

Then, I get to work and find comments on this and Joe's blog calling me names and acting like UTEP winning hurts me in some way. Weird.

Have I been down on the Miners at times? Sure. Find a UTEP fan who hasn't been down on the team at times this year, and I'll show you someone who has a bad case of Orange Fever.

Oh well, on to some links.

The Tulsa World's Hurricane blogger says it's an embarrassing loss.

The Tulsa World itself says there were Miner Issues for TU.

And I didn't get to post this before the game, but I thought you'd enjoy some excerpts from this Yahoo preview of the game:

There are thin places in this world, children, where weird and wacky things just always seem to happen when the sun goes down. If you're a college football fan, you know them by heart, these places you just know in the marrow of your bones you don't want to play at night. Lubbock. Columbia. The greatest of these is El Paso, where we're almost positive giant bats roam the streets without fear after dark ... Will noted night prowler Mike Price actually bury that axe of his in someone's skull on the run in? Will the entire Tulsa team be intercepted en route to the stadium and funneled across the border to human traffickers in Juarez? Neither would surprise us, frankly.

Uhhh, is El Paso really THAT scary to outsiders? If so, I guess that's a good thing during football season, at least. It's good to have the opponents a little freaked out.

UPDATE: This link didn't deserve it's own post, but I couldn't resist putting it somewhere, so here it is: OMG! Not on national TV, Price!

Shock at the Sun Bowl

Football on a Wednesday night was strange enough. But the UTEP football team took strange to new heights in the Sun Bowl.

With the nation watching on ESPN, with their backs against the proverbial wall, with a late 11-point deficit and no signs of an offense since the first half, the Miners shocked El Paso and stormed to a 28-24 victory over Tulsa.

The Golden Hurricane suffered their second loss in two weeks in front of ESPN cameras. Only this one wasn't against the nation's No. 5 team. It was against a team that was written off by so many after a loss to Conference USA cellar dweller Memphis two Saturdays ago. That one came after a special win against then-No. 12 ranked Houston in the Sun Bowl on Oct. 3.

Topping Tulsa didn't get fans on the field, but it wasn't any less sweet. The defense played with fire. The offense shook off a slew of mid-game miscues. The fans held out despite their Thursday work and school days awaiting. And the whole thing reached a crescendo when Donald Buckram -- who chewed up 160-plus yards -- took a 3-yard jaunt into the end zone with 28 seconds left. The Tulsa defense hadn't allowed a rushing touchdown all season. Buckram scored two.

The win renews hope. The Miners are 3-4, 2-1 in Conference USA. They are three wins from being bowl eligible and control their own destiny in the West division.

There are plenty of questions hanging over this team. Can the running game keep churning? Can the defense hold up against the conference's prolific offenses? Can wide receivers catch balls that are catchable? Can this team win games its supposed to win as well as those it isn't?

And while the Miners are making their fans run the gamut of emotions with their inconsistent performances, kudos are in order for those that stuck it out Wednesday night. You made El Paso and the program proud. May your bosses and teachers not mind your bleary-eyed look Thursday.

And how fitting is it that the Miners' next home game -- a 1 p.m. kickoff against UAB -- will be on Halloween, a night reserved for the ghoulish and peculiar? The Miners are, after all, familiar with strange.

Chatting about UTEP football

We're inching close to game time. As promised, here is the live chat, which will go live about 6 p.m. Enjoy the game and let us know what you think.