UTEP just never got better this season

This was to be Coach Mike Price's comeback year, a nice winning season as a result of fielding a senior-dominated team, 26 on the roster. But after beating some early season  lads, UTEP just never got better and lost six of its last seven games, including a physical assault on their pads Saturday, 52-24 to BYU in the New Mexico Bowl.

BYU pushed the Miners around and barged through the littler Orange & Blues.

Never got better? While losing five of their final six regular season games, big opportunities were missed. Dropped passes, dumb penalties ... dumb decisions.

It happened again vs. BYU, especially dropped passes - a two-year plague now.

When BYU threatened to make it a rout by halftime, UTEP missed a good chance to make it a two-score margin, and perhaps keep people from turning to a different ESPN station. With time running  out before the intermission, the Miners were near the goal line, but two passes were dropped.  The Miners were held on downs.

And in trying to stave off the rout late in the game, UTEP got inside the 20, but Trevor Vittatoe endured his third pass interception. The interceptions, by and large, were balls tipped off the hands of UTEP receivers.

So, then, was losing six of their last seven games because of that stuff.? Probably more so it was so many injuries to offensive guys and, of course Vittatoe played the last half of the season with all the tendons ripped apart in one of his ankles. He also had a bad left shoulder.

Now what? It's now five straight losing seasons (6-7 this year) and only some of the good players come back, especially on offense.

In late summer I had theorized Price would call it quits if he didn't have a good year; after all he's back to rebuilding, he's heading toward the upper 60s, and it may take a few years for another run like he was supposed to have this season.

But Price gave no indication he's hanging it up. He was pretty hangdog-looking on the sidelines by late in Saturday's game, but he was back to being upbeat on his post-game radio show with Jon Teicher and Bernie Ricono.

So he's coming back. That's OK. Most people like Price. He's never had a media fallout, as did some of his UTEP coaching ancestors. Oh, and he's got a multi-year contract still going, and UTEP doesn't appear to be in any financial shape to buy him out - and then find somebody better.

Disappointing season for Price and true Miner fans. His team never got better as the season wore on. But everybody likes Mike Price, that is people with influence in the community.

Maybe we should start calling him Mike Pa.

 

 

 

Comments

[LDave]

Pretty obvious that the Miners didn't belong on the field with BYU. Talk about being over-matched and outclassed.

What I saw today: Paltry defense. No running game. QB who likes to throw to the other team as much as he throws to his own team. No imagination in the play calling department. No game plan…Overall, the expected outcome of inviting a team to a bowl game that had no business in the bowl game, or even playing any team outside of the bottom of CUSA or WAC.

What is more embarrassing? --- Is it the pitiful Miner fan turnout for almost a home game? There should have been wall-to-wall orange and there wasn’t. Was it UTEP’s defense getting lit up for 52 points, and that’s with BYU going conservative half way through the 3rd opting for mostly running plays. Could have been a 70 point game but the BYU coach let up. You could hear it all the way to Provo, “Who’s your daddy?” yelled the BYU team as it spanked the backside of the Miner team. “Who’s your daddy!”

Highlight of the game: UTEP’s no. 38 mugging for the camera with the team down 4 touchdowns. Can’t help but wonder what he would have down if the Miners had been down six touchdowns. The announcers even mentioned it. Must be the coaching. And speaking of stellar coaching, what’s with not getting next year’s QB earlier in a game that was long lost? Get the young man some reps in a game situation. Did the Miner coach think the Miners would make up the 28 point difference in the last quarter?

The Miners, true to form, have another losing season to go with five winning seasons in 40 years. Next year, even worse. Maybe UTEP could schedule NMSU for all 12 games. Or how about forming a three-team conference consisting of UTEP, NMSU and UNM. It could be called the Rio Grande Three.

At least there is basketball...

BTW, Joe. Keep the fans fired up. Until UTEP fields a team deserving a bowl bid, stay on them.

[4Runner]

Coach Price is a class act. I, for one, hope he comes back.

As far as the game today, BYU is a pretty decent team, despite their 6-6 record. No shame in losing to them.

[Fire Mike Price]

Fire Mike Price Fire MIke PRice Fire MIke Price Fire MIke Price Fire Mike PRice Fire MIke Price Now!!!!!!!!!!

[jUTEP]

Defend this pathetic showing sheeple! Just try to defend it!

Because the Miner defense sure as hell couldn't defend anything today!

Enough of the crap already! Change is needed at Utepia now! Leave this baboso's a/s/s in New Mexico!

FIRE PRICE NOW!!!

[Fire Mike Price]

Stull fire Mike Price now, there are son many coahces out there. Like:

Randy Shannon (ex-miami coach)
Dave Wannstedt (ex-pitt coach)
Ralph Friedgen (ex maryland coach)

and many more, so Bob Stull if you dont want to be the laughing stock in football fire MIKE PRICE and try to hire one of these guys

[rj]

Price must be a snake charmer if the so called "higher ups" want to keep dealing w this crap...this was a chance for him to actually redeem himself this season and his team came out very unprepared and absolutely got crushed, the game was over after the 1st QTR, but this geezer has the gall to say "In my opinion, its 7-7 because of the 2nd QTR result" WTF!!!!! I love the way the espn reporter called him out and said "But Mike it's 31-10" haha..pretty much sums up Price and hi coaching these past few years.

The fanbase is ready for a change Stull! and if this embarrassment on natl TV doesnt do it, then nothing will.

[Kool Aid]

I thought this was going to be a a pillow fight between two 6-6 patsies.
Boy, was I wrong! Can anybody say, woodshed?!!

So much for all this, "we belong in the Mountain West" talk. Jutep just got killed by a middle of the pack MWC team.

I said it all season long, jutep's cupcake schedule would catch up with them. Boy was I ever right!

Just go to shows, 6-6 teams have no business playing in the post season.

[bill]

Where is James? Guess the formidable Miners should stick with playing the likes of the formidable Lobos and formidable Aggies.

Guess what, James. As much as I hate to say it, Joe was right. That hurts, doesn't it. Oh the lovely pain...

[Sal]

I'm not here to bash Mike Price. But to all those die hards who have been brainwashed to follow Utep to the ground (or under) it's time to say "shame on you". No longer is it okay to support these coaches and their pathetic coaching. Then throw in there their unremoresful comments during the game and after, and it's truly an insult to all those "thousands of" fans who made the trip and to those who stayed behind and watched "ugh" on national tv. And for all those die hard miner fan (s) who routinely bash the other fans with their "turn out this and turn out that", what did u expect, 30 thousand plus miner fans for this pathetic teams showing?? Like having more fans would result in a different score? MORONS!!! Get a life. Utep has some of the best fans and supporters throughout the COUNTRY, yet Utep doesn't know how to treat them right.

[Rob]

Mike Price has definitely elevated UTEP's football program. But there is a lot of room for improvement. UTEP's biggest problem today was the inability to tackle. It started with UTEP's first punt and never recovered. BYU had better fundamentals.

[BIGMAN]

This could have been a 70 point game by BYU. Didn't those kinds of games happen back when UTEP was bad in the 80's and early 90's?

I'm glad we are better than that these days. LOL.

[Baskerville]

While I agree with Rob about tackling being an issue, I think the fact that there was little to no pressure on the BYU quarterback, allowing him to pick and choose all day long. Couple that with the lack of the running game for the Miners that left the defense on the field all day long, there was little chance the Miners would win, or even make it a close game.

[James]

Hey bill, I'm right here! Your all wet! The "formidable Aggies" weren't my words! Joe Meunch was incorrect! We swept the "formidable Aggies"(Joe Meunche's words) and beat UNM! So I don't follow you! Weak! Man! weak! As far as the game goes. Always tough to lose, especially to a bunch of upstanding weasels like BYU! Up to their same old antics! They had nothing on Marlone Mclure, who had a couple of those coaches(BYU) soiling there shorts on numerous kick returns!I look forward to Marlone's career at Texas El Paso, where he will have lots of opponents "checking their shorts" before his career is finished collegiality! Then you'll be able to enjoy him on Sunday's! As far as NMSU and UNM shacking up with us! Please! Weve got more talent and more class!So see you next season coach and team! Thanks for the hard work and sacrifice seniors! Get your ORANGE ON! No Fair Weather Fans Needed! Go MINERS! P.S. There was a rumor that NMSU and UNM were carring the MINERS luggage at check in and check out.

[Sal]

Yeap, there we go again with the fairweather fan thing. Thing is, without the thousand fairweather fans that went to the game in Albuquerque, there'd only be 500 or so true miner fans (yeah, there's only that many or so who think they're better than the rest of us). I mean really, the attack against miner faithfuls who are just tired of the embarrassing losses and lack of effort, and yet you have bozos who merely want to keep patting this guys on their backs and telling them how wonderful they are. Get a life. Sports is about giving it your all, from head coach to the last guy on the bench, in an effort to win, yes win, which is what this Utep football team has not learned how to do. Get off the fans back, they're not playing the game. Theres tons of fans who want to have a reason for spending their HARD earned money on Utep. But is it really justified??? NOOOOOO!!!

[alex]

HAHAHA! Funny how some peeps are so much in denial, face it guys UTEP should probably axe its football program and concentrate on building a national powerhouse basketball team, maybe a baseball team, and a soccer team. I like football, but UTEP football just refuses to evolve, every year it's the same story as far as I can remember, even in 2000 when they were co-champions the laid an egg in the humanitarian bowl. How much more mediocrity can one city take. UTEP has never been a legit top 25 team any season I can remember, yet some idiot will probably come back and say they were a top 25 sometime in the 1800's when there were only 25 teams..lol(I am being sarcastic) UTEP football plain old sucks and anyone who disputes is either stupid or blind, maybe both.

[beto]

I got a better headline Joe.

"Utep just never got better, ever"

Keep speaking truth Joe.

Get your DENIAL ON! No realistic fans needed! Go whiners! P.S. The truth hurts.

[bill]

Right James, Joe's words, except you keep repeating them. Your fixation on those terrible teams is pretty obvious; they set the standard by which you measure the Miners. He says those words once and you repeat them and repeat them. You think because the Miners beat the two worst teams on the planet that that makes the Miners something. But guess what, when the Miners had a national stage this last week, they got their butts handed to them.

So, sure, feel like the Miners with another losing record are something. They aren't. They are just what they always are.

And BTW, the Miners didn't show up to play on Saturday like you said they would. Joe was right and you, well, you are what you always are. Some kind of Miner-blind fan who hasn't a clue.

[JAT]

Yikes. I'm not sure what to say. I thought the players would come out fired up and prepared. BYUs 6-6 was definitely not UTEPs 6-6 and to beat a team like that you need to play lights out. Too many dropped passes, bad passes and even worse tackling. The defensive game plan was not there. The offensive game plan should consist of more than Kris Adams going deep. Besides being overmatched physically, the players did not execute shoddy def/off game plans and the writing was on the wall in the 1st QTR.

We were overmatched physically in the 1997 BYU game as well. They were #25 in the country and we were a 3-6 football team going in but the defensive game plan was perfect and we, the players played with a fire from the opening kick-off until the clock read 0:00. UTEP did not give up on Saturday but there was no sense of urgency the entire game. Those that have played sports know what that sentence means.

Be glad we no longer play BYU regularly. Many would see that things have not changed much on the field of play or at least it seemed that way Saturday. Imagine if we played them BYU a couple of years ago when they were actually considered a good football team by the rest of the football world.

[jUTEP]

A 4-8, 5-7, 6-6, and 6-7 season is still pathetic! I'm sick of the mediocrity that many in El Chuco continue to settle for. "Oh, remember back in the day jUtepia would only win 1 or 2 games...blah, blah, blah, and look at jNMSU, blah, blah, blah..." Stop living in the past and start demanding better from this football program! Start demanding consistency! Start demanding discipline! Start demanding production! Start demanding conference championships! Start demanding bowl game wins! "Coach Cupcake is a fun loving guy, easy going, everybody likes him, blah, blah, blah..." Have a beer with him at Jaguars then! I want a coach that kicks his players a/s/s/e/s when they screw up! Coach Baboso is the Wade Phillips of college football. This tonto has to go!

FIRE PRICE NOW!!!

[James]

If some of you were athletes, then I'm sure none of you are quitters! I didn't see anyone (MINERS) quit on Saturday,(no matter how banged up they were) and BYU kept there foot to the floor. Like I say!It stinks to lose, but no one likes a quitter! I'm sticking with coach and the program. Adversity builds character,"no pain no gain"! At the start of the season, no one new how good or bad the Aggies and Lobos were going to be! If they did,then maybe they should of given the MINERS a little more respect.Yea, I love to ride the Aggies and Lobos when we beat them! Makes my day! I put the MINERS on a higher talent level then both NM schools. So quit your whining and get behind Texas El Paso! We are winners not whiners! Get some ORANGE ON! No Fair Weather Fans Needed! GO MINERS!

[Paul in Tucson]

If Price recruits receivers that can catch a football, he might be worth keeping. Might even lead UTDP ("D" for dropped) to a winning season.

[beto]

Adversity builds character, unfortunately I haven't seen the Character Championship Series put out its rankings, maybe UTEP could be a top 25 team there, idk. So if you like to cheer for character, which is a noble thing, then buy season tickets to the UTEP graduations ever may and December and fill the Haskins center! Most people tho, want to see W's when it comes to football, and UTEP football's prolonged adversity is now called mediocrity, and that doesn't build jack, i promise James. So quit your blindness and get behind reality! Get some DENIAL ON! No Realistic Fans Needed! Go Mediocrity! P.S. The truth hurts.

[skin cancer treatments Los Angeles]

This is such a thought provoking post. Thanks for sharing it. We will eagerly wait for your future posts which I think will be also very interesting. Good day!

[fire the Muench kin]

It's always interesting to see Muench's negative comments on Mike Price. On the one hand we have Mike Price, a man who has taken his teams to several bowl games (the Rose Bowl to name one) and was also named coach of the year. On the other hand we have Muench who is on the bottom rung of his "profession" and is the world's most "unathletic supporter". His only "positive" contribution to society has been to gain additional body weight at an alarming rate. At best, it's amusing to watch a Muench-kin who attempts to bring down a giant like Mike Price. When Mike Price leaves this planet he will be remembered for his positive attitude and numerous accomplishments. When the Muench-kin leaves us his tombstone will read: " This Muench-kin JUST NEVER GOT BETTER".

[Cheap Coach Bags]

What will be your harvest this year, my friends?