UTEP is UTEPed

Saturday wasn't the time for this thought-to-be-blessed UTEP football team to be UTEPed. What could have been a 6-1 start, and that was right there for the taking, is 5-2 and same old, same old blinking like neon lights.

As time ticked toward the end of the third quarter, UTEP was pitching a shutout and held a 6-0 lead. Then UAB scored 21 straight points and won 21-6. UAB is now 2-4.

 

UTEP struggled to get to 250 yards total offense against a team giving up more than 400 a game. It was not clear if three interceptions thrown by Trevor Vittatoe were his fault, or if the receivers had a bust of a day - as was the case a lot of last season.

No, the defense wasn't that stellar early. UAB averaged some eight yards a snap in the first half, but just couldn't score.

This loss brings up the old question. Is UTEP not strong enough, physically, to play with the East teams in Conference USA? It didn't look like UTEP is.

UTEP had a great chance to load its bandwagon with fans. UTEP had a chance to win and to be entered into the 2010 version of "decent team status."

But UTEP is just not tough enough.

Comments

[Bill]

The truth is, the Miners aren't as good as the 5-1 record indicates. But who cares? The Miners are better than the worst teams in CUSA and better than the preseason competition. Let us not forget that UAB is more than a touch better than the competition of the last few weeks. UNM and NMSU are a combined 1 and 10.

As of today, the Miners haven't played a team that has a winning record. Is it any surprise that the Miners lose when the competition is superior and they are playing on the road? No.

The Miners are a good 5-2 and only need one win to be bowl eligible. There are still some really terrible teams on the schedule, so the chances are there that there is at least one more win just waiting.

Go Miners.

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

A very poor display of football by the Miners. Poor offensive execution. No play making on defense. No adjustments made to counter the UAB running game. We had players falling like flys but the reserves have got to step up. But the most disheartening thing to see was players giving up. They better turn it around this saturday because it doesn't get any easier.

[Brad]

The worst thing of all, if they act like the usual UTEP, is that they will know go on a five game losing streak to end the season. Same old UTEP, just when you think they've turned the corner they revert to the same psychologically weak team they have always been. The loser cancer is on the lose again.

[Dano]

Why didn't the coaches take some chances?.. the game was slipping away.. they had them on the 1 inch line..why didn't they blitz? They needed to change the momentum. (The UAB palyer landed on the line- out-of-bounds on the final TD- did I not see that? bad call) Our offense seemed in a daze.. so disappointing...

[tio tomas]

Wheels are falling off. Usual mid-season break down.

[javi]

no need to give up hope n make up an excuse why not attend the game vs tulane. Still 5-2 n have a good chance to win the next 2 conference game. UAB could easily be 4-2 instead of 2-4. one bad game glad to get out now. if in 2 weeks were 5-4 then yes by all means I agree with all your comments of how bad UTEP is nand mid season collapse.

[john dynia]

So much for 7-1. Frankly this Miner team is pretty bad, they've played a cream puff Mike P wants to save his "A" schedule. They'll probably get bowl eligible and thenget slaughtered. I loved all the players asking "we're big bad UTEP, why are we the underdog? When are we going to get respect? When you don't get stomped by a one win team. Who will Price play next season, Bowie?

[Andy Springer]

UAB is the one that got away. That should have been a W for UTEP. Missed assignments, missed tackles, and penalties. Throw in the injuries and we got our tails kicked. We get to the 2 with 3 downs to score and an inexperienced lineman jumps. WATCH THE BALL. That is no excuse for a college player to not concentrate in critical must score situations. I was very disappointed in our overall performance. Tulane is better then UAB.

[Hector Salazar]

As a former player I believe the time has come for Mike Price to move on. UTEP has not made any progress under him. Every year you see the same disappointments. The time for change is NOW!!! Shame on the AD if does nothing.

[Stahala]

Im not surprised. Like Joe said, if the schedules were reversed the records would be reversed. I have never been excited about this year's team. And now at 5-2(and even at 5-1) I find my asking, "Is it basketball season yet?" It's not gonna be surprising if UTEP loses the rest of their games. I mean, Im gonna go to all the games(season tickets are included in my tuition)and watch/listen on the away games, and hope for a win, but Im not really looking forward to what could be a six-game losing streak. Of course UTEP can surprise us, and pull a huge upset on Tulsa or SMU, as was evident last season. Now that would get me excited.

On a side note: Midnight Madness for the UTEP basketball program? Good idea? Let's talk about it.

[hard to be optimistic]

utep not strong enough to beat tulane. tulane fans in new orleans are saying that tulane will be 3-4 after utep. calling utep a cream puff. i agree utep does not have enough strenth to beat tulane.

[goal]

As of NOW, the football team is who we/critics/other teams/other coaches/fans not showing up to games, thought they were.

As of now.

[Prospero]

Hector, Mike Price is one win away from taking UTEP to 3 bowls under his tenure. How many other coaches can say they did that here at UTEP.

[jUTEP]

Ohhh yeahhh!!! Miners are 5-1! They're on a roll! Miners are going bowling! Miners are going to win the conference! Yadda yadda yadda.

That was the talk all week long leading up to today game against UAB! Ohhh yeahhh, UAB has only won one game all season! Doesn't matter that the Blazers have lost to a very good SMU team. Never mind that it took two OTs to lose to an SEC team (Tennessee)!

Once again jUtepia proves it's not a road team! Don't give me the BS of the Miners winning at New Mexico! The Socorro Bulldogs could beat UNM! Two chances to punch it in the end zone, and instead walk away with a pair of field goals. Very Dallas Cowboys like! Trevor Vittatoe was very Brett Favre like, throwing three completions to the wrong colored shirts! Mistakes, penalities - lack of focus, lack of discipline!

Still think jUtepia is going bowling? Well, Tulane is up next. Only two wins this season! Shouldn't be a problem, right? They've lost to Ole Miss, Houston, and Army, and have beaten Rutgers. Push over? I think not!

And even if jUtepia happens to win next week, that only makes them bowl eligible, not necessarily going bowling. After Tulane, good luck getting another win against these teams:

at Marshall (gasp, another road game!)
vs SMU (West division leader, and also the beginning of the "November jinx"!)
at Arkansas (do I really need to say it?)
at Tulsa (gasp, another road game!

I told you before sheeple - you're easily suckered in!!!

FIRE PRICE NOW!!!

[Stahala]

"Ohhh yeahhh!!! Miners are 5-1! They're on a roll! Miners are going bowling! Miners are going to win the conference!" I haven't heard anyone on this blog, or around this city express this kind of excitement. Perhaps you were secretly excited, and now you are extremely disappointed jUTEP.

And should the basketball team have Midnight Madness? (Yes, I wont stop bringing it up until we talk about it.)

[JCVIDES]

Hey Stahala! We're in the middle of a football season here! Is it me or are Miner fans a bunch of whiners?! Settle down people, we're 4-2! We lost to a decent team. We had a bad game. Instead of whinning about the coach, or lack of talent, why don't you show up at the Sun Bowl on saturday and take out your frustrations on Tulane. This is a good Miner Football Team, let's get behind them. If they win on Sat. give them credit! Instead of the old cliche " But the miners havent really beaten anybody"

[JCVIDES]

oh yea forgot to ask! What's Vittatoe's status is he hurt?

[ciscokid1970]

Ohh the bandwagon fans...talking bowlgames.
Ohh the bandwagon fans...do not even know what UTEP's record is...5-2 not 4-2.
Ohh the bandwagon fans...talking "fire Price", like they think good coaches can be found on the corner of Paisano and Alameda.
And stop talking basketball...we lost our HEAD COACH !!
...
Sad...really sad.
...
Yes Utep has some work cut out...Just sit back and watch (or stay home and watch the cowboys..ohh yeah they are 1-4).
..
Stop talking bowl game people, just go to church and pray for wins.

[JCVIDES]

5-2! Even better! Thanks Ciscokid

[JCVIDES]

BTW, there's plenty of good coaches out there and you are right they are not hanging out at the corner of Paisano and Alameda. The issue is UTEP can't afford them.

[Hector Salazar]

Prospero, sure he has taken them to 3 bowls in how many seasons! win 6 games and into a worthless bowl game. WOW!! Every team is this conference is getting better year in and year out. We're still at the bottom. Sure they're 4-2 against very weak teams. They need to hire someone who will bring in who is hungry to produce a winner. Price is here with no presure to win. He has plenty of money already. Let's go out and hire some young up and coming coach who will inject new life into this team. I'm sorry for being so negative, I just feel that we deserve better. The city, students and the university deserve better. GO MINERS!!!!

[just a thought]

My prediction for the first quarter of the season was not good but here is my post regarding the last few games and the rest of the season:

[Rice: W. You Tube their running back Sam McGuffie. He will make plays but not enough.

UAB: L. Once again SEC country and they are returning a few playmakers. Plus, we're far away from home.

Tulane: W. Tulane is just not very good.

Marshall: L. The roller coaster continues because Marshall has serious depth. Plus, its late in the season very far away from the Sun Bowl.

SMU: L. Senior night is a sad night because most fans have already looked to the new basketball team for solace.

Arkansas: Big L. This is the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Varsity squad.

Tulsa: W. Yes, I said W. They pull off a huge win leaving MPs job intact with fans just knowing "next year is our year"!

5-7.

Posted by: just a thought | August 30, 2010 at 09:59 AM ]

Looks like my 5-7 will not hold up if the Miners play decent just once more. Chances are they will.

[Stahala]

Hey JCVIDES! I'm well aware we are in the middle of (a disappointing) football season! Thanks for stating the obvious. Its not like Im talking about the Miners chances of making a return to the dance(very good). Im talking about something that is happening RIGHT NOW. And that's the official beginning of college basketball practices, which several programs open with something called Midnight Madness. I'm asking should UTEP be one of these programs. This question I am posing would be irrelevant if asked this during "the middle of basketball season". Now is the time that this should be discussed. And for the people I have shared this idea with, it sounds like a very good one. I dont know any of the "top people" that could make this a reality, so this is my only outlet for promoting this idea.

And Hey ciscokid97! You say "We lost our HEAD COACH!" like its a bad thing. I don't know if you heard, but we got Tim Floyd coaching the basketball team now, and Floyd is a huge step up from Barbee. Losing Barbee is one of the best things that could have happened to this program.

[just a thought]

Stahala,

Midnight Madness would be interesting if UTEP and El Paso were built for it. The event would introduce (revisit for some) Floyd to the fans but I don't think Midnight Madness and Floyd/El Paso quite mix.

Elders (Joe Muench and CLEO) say Floyd is a chip off the old Haskins block and do you think the Bear would be smiling during the Culpepper dunkathon that would be UTEP Midnight Madness?

UTEP has great basketball tradition but it's still a commuter school that gets most their basketball fans from the older generation. Those fans have kids and/or don't want to be out at 1AM cheering for UTEP against UTEP with a dunk and 3-point contest (both won by Culpepper).

That leaves UTEP students and other 20-somethings to fill the stands. Most of these "fans" would much rather be across the street from the Don drinking at midnight than not. Also, does cashed strapped UTEP pay for security, vendors, etc for a questionable return with a glorified scrimmage?

I'm not saying Midnight Madness is impossible but it's unlikely. Schools like Alabama have huge numbers at their Spring Football Game and Kentucky gets easy five figure attendance numbers for their Midnight Madness event but we aren't thinking National Championship preseason like they are.

[Stahala]

Thanks JAT. I appreciate your comments.