Turn Up the Orange | UTEP sports talk

UTEP-NMSU podcast: The future of Mike Price

Turn Up the Orange's UTEP-NMSU football podcast

Pablo Villa, Felix Chavez and Jay Koester talk about UTEP and NMSU football, looking ahead to UTEP vs. Marshall and NMSU vs. San Jose St. They also talk about (gasp!) the future of Mike Price after last week's loss to Tulane.

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

Or better yet, subscribe the Times sports podcasts on iTunes! With one click of the subscribe button, you'll automatically get the weekly podcasts. Get signed up here: El Paso Times podcast page on iTunes.

Or, if you have 20 minutes to spare at work, you can just hit the play button below and listen right now. Let us know what you think.

 

UTEP football: What's the matter with Kansas?

On the podcast yesterday, I mentioned that after I attended the K-State demolition of the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, it was clear that UTEP had a great shot at beating the Jayhawks when traveling to Lawrence next year. Now it looks like that trip won't happen next year after all.

Miner Rush broke the news (at least to me) in a post titled, UTEP Miners Football Team Will Play USF in 2011; Kansas Game Moved?  They pointed out that on the date, Sept. 24, 2011, that UTEP was supposed to travel to Lawrence, they are now traveling to play South Florida.

I was looking forward to the game, so I tried not to believe it. But I then checked KU athletics department official schedule for 2011, and it now has Sept. 24 as an open date for the Jayhawks.

Too bad.

Paydirt Pete news

It's been hard to keep up with all the Paydirt Pete news this year. First, Pete is still undefeated in the Capitol One National Mascot of the Year competition. But this week, the Idaho Vandals are coming, and they are ready to defeat Pete.

But Paydirt Pete is an another competition, as well.

Go vote for Pete in the The 2010 Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year competition.

Podcast: UTEP, NMSU try to bounce back

Turn Up the Orange's UTEP-NMSU football podcast

Pablo Villa, Felix Chavez and Jay Koester talk about UTEP and NMSU football, looking ahead to UTEP vs. Tulane and NMSU vs. Idaho.

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

Or better yet, subscribe the Times sports podcasts on iTunes! With one click of the subscribe button, you'll automatically get the weekly podcasts. Get signed up here: El Paso Times podcast page on iTunes.

Or, if you have 15 minutes to spare at work, you can just hit the play button below and listen right now. Let us know what you think.

UTEP football podcast for Oct. 18

UTEP's season salvageable

Commenter Sweetlou said in a previous post on this blog that pointing to UAB’s offensive line as a reason for UTEP to have a healthy fear of the Blazers heading into Saturday’s Conference USA showdown was a copout.

But it became pretty obvious with 12:05 remaining in the fourth quarter and UAB pinned at its own 1-yard line clinging to a 14-6 lead how the Blazers took charge of the game.

Behind their five monoliths, UAB began chewing up the yards, gashing the Miners on the ground and holding steady through the air, to march down the length of the field and score the decisive touchdown in their win in Birmingham, Ala.

UTEP was out-physicaled and was not able to overcome hapless play on offense and defense, along with a spate of injuries.

And so, the Miners will have to wait a week for another attempt to assure themselves bowl eligibility. The chance will come against Tulane in the Sun Bowl on Saturday. The Green Wave has never beaten the Miners in El Paso and UTEP opens as an 11-point favorite.

But read some of the comments posted on our Topix forums and over on Joe Muench’s blog, and you’d think the Miners have no chance of winning any of their remaining five games, the next two being games the Miners will be favored to win.

Odd that so much faith is seemingly gone after a loss against a very physical team — on the road, no less — and the squad is left with a 5-2 record. And while a Conference USA West title is less likely now than it was a week ago, it is not mathematically impossible.

The wheels are far from coming off this season.

Why is UTEP an underdog?

Many are asking why UAB is favored to beat UTEP when the two teams meet in a pivotal Conference USA showdown Saturday at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.

The Blazers (1-4, 0-2 in Conference USA) are 2.5-point favorites in their fourth-ever meeting with the Miners (5-1, 2-1).

So why the love for UAB?

Is it because the Blazers haven’t won a game in 26 days?

Is it because UAB hung tough before eventually falling to a Tennessee squad that is now 2-4 and can notch Tennessee-Martin as its only other victory?

Is it because do-it-all quarterback Joe Webb, who single-handedly beat the Miners last season, moved on to the NFL?

None of those sound like good reasons.

Some will point to UTEP’s 5-16 Conference USA road record, including 11 losses in the past 12 games. Others will mention that UAB will have nine days to prepare for the Miners. A few pessimistic souls will even bring up UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe’s atrocious game against the Blazers last season.

Eh, not buying it.

For one, Trevor Vittatoe is a changed man this season. His focus this year has been refreshing and is helping make believers of not only the few fans who are showing up to the Sun Bowl, but his team as well.

The road wins thing is a bit of an anomaly. The Miners haven’t played consistent ball the last three seasons. Road losses come with that. So do home ones.

But there’s one reason UAB might have an edge in this game. A big one. Literally.

Matt McCants will line up at offensive left tackle for the Blazers. He’s a behemoth at 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds. The Blazers like to run behind him, but have plenty more sirloin to run behind on an offensive line that averages 6-foot-4 and 292 pounds across the board.

And let’s not forget that while junior Bryan Ellis will likely get the start under center for UAB, sophomore David Isabelle is a big-time threat on the ground behind that line. Isabelle set the C-USA record for most rushing yards by a quarterback back on Sept. 2 against Troy. Who held the record previously? The aforementioned Joe Webb. The Blazers are just as talented at the quarterback position this year with this two-pronged attack. And if you want to say that quarterback play did the Miners in last season, it is in position to do the trick this year. 

Big test for the Miner defensive front seven this week. If they can’t get it done, it could be a long day. But if the game does come down to a field goal, you have to like UTEP’s chances with kicker Dakota Warren.

UTEP is No. 39

UTEP is quietly beginning to get a little respect.

The Miners received a vote in Sunday’s Harris Top 25 college football poll, which was released mere hours after UTEP defeated Rice 44-24 in the Sun Bowl on Saturday night. The win was the Miners’ fourth consecutive win and their second Conference USA victory.

UTEP is one win from bowl eligibility with six games left to go this season. There’s definitely reason to be excited about Miner football.

And while the Associated Press and USA Today polls haven’t hopped on the Miner bandwagon, UTEP can get their attention during the next few weeks.

Here is the complete Harris poll.

Harris Top 25
The Top 25 teams in the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 9, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:
     Record    Pts    Pv
 1. Ohio State (79)    6-0    2,793    —
 2. Oregon (23)    6-0    2,722    —
 3. Boise State (10)    5-0    2,601    —
 4. TCU    6-0    2,409    —
 5. Nebraska    5-0    2,363    —
 6. Oklahoma (2)    5-0    2,276    —
 7. Auburn    6-0    2,105    —
 8. Alabama    5-1    2,030    —
 9. LSU    6-0    1,942    —
10. Utah    5-0    1,793    —
11. South Carolina    4-1    1,616    —
12. Michigan State    6-0    1,591    —
13. Arkansas    4-1    1,433    —
14. Stanford    5-1    1,361    —
15. Iowa    4-1    1,253    —
16. Wisconsin    5-1    969    —
17. Florida State    5-1    913    —
18. Oklahoma State    5-0    863    —
19. Missouri    5-0    776    —
20. Nevada    6-0    741    —
21. Arizona    4-1    717    —
22. Florida    4-2    450    —
23. Air Force    5-1    349    —
24. Michigan    5-1    336    —
25. West Virginia    4-1    172    —
Other teams receiving votes: North Carolina State 137; Miami (FL) 124; Oregon State 93; Northwestern 38; Texas 30; Kansas State 20; Virginia Tech 19; Syracuse 4; Georgia Tech 3; California 2; Illinois 2; Maryland 2; Baylor 1; UTEP 1.

UTEP tailgating and NMSU girlfriends

UTEP tailgating

UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull wrote a letter to students asking for their support during the football game Saturday against Rice, and also explaining the reason behind the tailgating rules. Excerpt:

We have always encouraged tailgating on our campus – that's what makes the UTEP football game day experience special! ... Unfortunately, in recent years this safe environment has been threatened, particularly with the influx of underage drinkers on campus. We have found that many people are coming to our campus just to party and aren't even going to the game. ...

The UTEP athletic department, in conjunction with university police, is working very hard to eliminate underage drinking and re-install a safe tailgating atmosphere on campus. But in the meantime, in the best interest of all of our students – including those who have classes on game day – we have had no choice but to push the inner campus tailgating start time back two hours.

I've complained in the past that the rules seemed excessive. But after seeing some of the out-of-control drinking Stull is talking about, I've changed my tune.

And, quite frankly, I appreciate the honest explanation from Stull. That was something that was lacking when the rules were first unveiled last season. Hopefully this is the beginning of a new trend of UTEP being honest and open with the media and the public.

NMSU girlfriends

Students and fans over in Las Cruces are REALLY putting on the pressure for the team to win. Forget about booing (of which I heard none last Saturday during NMSU's game against Boise St.), someone is going after players where it really hurts.

According to this story by SportsbyBrooks, fliers were posted around the NMSU campus today asking Las Cruces women to not give any, ummm, "love" to NMSU football players until they win a game. The censored flier can be seen at left.

If that doesn't inspire the Aggies to beat New Mexico, nothing will.

UTEP-NMSU podcast: Where is the local talent?

Turn Up the Orange's UTEP-NMSU football podcast

Pablo Villa, Felix Chavez and Jay Koester talk about UTEP and NMSU football, answering a listener's call about recruiting local talent, plus looking ahead at UTEP vs. Rice and NMSU vs. New Mexico.

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

Or better yet, subscribe the Times sports podcasts on iTunes! With one click of the subscribe button, you'll automatically get the weekly podcasts. Get signed up here: El Paso Times podcast page on iTunes.

Or, if you have 30 minutes to spare at work, you can just hit the play button below and listen right now. Let us know what you think.

Podcast: UTEP Miner Podcast for Oct. 4, 2010