Back from vacation:

Let's talk about UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe's surgically repaired (?) arm. We won't know how repaired it is, or how it hooks up to his brain, until the season starts.

But.

If he's the Trevor Vittatoe of "not last year," then UTEP is in the money with running back Donald Buckram. He can elude one tackler, one-and-a-half tacklers and sometimes two tacklers. We saw that last year.

If it's known Vittatoe has a rubber arm, Buckram won't be able to elude the three tacklers that will key on him. And the fourth and fifth that will jump on him.

UTEP's only hope for a turn-around winning season is the double threat of Vittatoe and Buckram.

An no! There are no accolades for the defense until they make a few good stands.

Comments

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

Vittatoe threw for big yards in his worst season ever. If he is healthy, I think he goes out with a bang. The question is the defense. They will be short and light. They will also be fast. The scheme is going to be important and I understand that they are way ahead of where they were during the last few seasons. That is not a media story from Mike Price. That is from sources inside the program. But picking up a new scheme in practice is one thing. Putting it to use in game situations with an undersized line is another.

[John C]

I believe that the surgery was arthoscopic on his throwing shoulder.

Any shoulder surgery is serious and will take time to rehabilitate and heal. If a good result from the surgery, diligent rehabilitation, and strength training---------then the shoulder should be stronger.

Alot of ifs related to shoulder surgery. Ask Sam Bradford from Oklahoma and now with the Rams.

[Buckeye Jim]

Joe,

Your post this weeks looks like you are still on vacation. It lacks effort and looks like you just mailed it in. I expect a better effort from a journalist that has been around for a few years.

Buckeye Jim

[Dave]

The season will be made or lost in the first four games. Do well, and the Miners will be well on their way to a bowl game. Do poorly, and it will be a repeat of last season.

[Stahala]

Like I said, I have zero expectations for our football team this season. Last year was extremely heartbreaking, well except for beating the #12 ranked team in the nation and storming the field, which so far was the greatest moment I have experienced as a UTEP fan(I'm 25 and I didnt become die-hard until I was 19).

My concern is our receiving core. Suppose Vittatoe is on target, how many dropped passes are we gonna see this year? Can the receiver's handle those Vittatoe missiles? If they can hold on, and the defense can make some critical stops, we have the potential to win some games. At this point any bowl game that UTEP can get to would be like the Super Bowl.

Either way, I will be there for our home games. Win, lose, or tie, Miner fan til I die.

[Toasted Whitebred]

TV more than anything else has to emerge as a leader this year. We were within a touchdown of winning 5 additional games last year. I have to believe that if TV had been able to manage the games a little better we'd have been bowl eligible at least.

As a poster once wrote, "we ARE the cupcake". I think truer words were never spoken, however, I think this will be our year. GO MINERS!

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

Word is that Vittatoe is throwing well and has stepped up his attitude from a year ago. The shoulder has healed and he looks sharp. The question will be if he is able to take a hit. I don't believe he is a loser. His interceptions were very low as a freshman and as a sophomore. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that his junior year was poor because of his shoulder more than his personal problems. Either way, he appears to have ironed out both.

[Stahala]

Am I the only that thinks our receivers have butter fingers?

[Buckeye Jim]

Stahala,

The receiving corp needs to step it up this year. They dropped or tipped a lot of passes last year that should have been caught.

Coaches need to step it up also. Coach Price and his off the wall play calling at times. (70 yard field goal attempts in the middle of the 3rd quarter a couple of years ago). Insane. Just keep the chains moving with first downs. UTEP has an excellence running back. The play action pass could be huge this year.

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

The drop happy receivers you refer to are Kris Adams and Jeff Moturi. Moturi is gone. They were sure handed the previous season and their problems seemed to be mental (confidence). The fact that Vittatoe was off his junior season compounded the problem. UTEP's receivers should be very capable. It's not hard to attract quality players to that position in a pass happy offense.

As far as Price's coaching is concerned, he does what it takes to win. If we were a major program in a major conference, that would be playing physical, smash mouth, and overwhelming with talent. At UTEP, we are not going to beat the bigger schools straight up. If you recall, we threw in a couple of trick plays to play even with Texas Tech in the Sun Bowl a few years back. That is what you have to do to win against superior talent. You won't catch him doing those things against CUSA opponents.

[wild west]

UTEP football team has a good chance to win 6 games this year and be bowl eligible and still noy get to a bowl game; 7 wins will just about guarnatee a bowl game. Despite what others say, this is a very challenging schedule with 8 cusa games and 4 ooc....I think they will win 3 of the 4 ooc games(3-1) and in cusa they can win 3-4 out of 8 games....the teams in cusa are all about even except for Houston, SMU, SMiss...anybody can beat anybody on any day in this conference

To win cusa west division we must beat Houston, SMU, Rice, Tulsa and Tulane....not an easy task!!!!