Miners In Final Preparations For New Mexico Bowl
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The UTEP football team will depart for Albuquerque on Wednesday morning and take on a BYU team that has won four of its last five games in the fifth annual New Mexico Bowl on Saturday.
Kickoff is slated for 12:04 p.m. MT at University Stadium. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
UTEP Coach Mike Price said the Miners will have their hands full with the Cougars at his final media luncheon of the season on Monday.
“They have a real solid defense,” he said. “They have a big, strong defensive front, very strong linebackers and a good secondary. They are 6-3, 315 pounds across the board in the offensive line. Their quarterback is a true freshman, but now he has 12 games under his belt. He will be a great player there by the time he’s done, and he’s very good right now.
“They have solid running backs. They’re hard to bring down. Missed tackles is a big concern against this team. They have receivers who can catch the ball, and their special teams are solid.”
BYU ranks in the top 50 nationally in pass defense, pass efficiency defense, scoring defense, total defense, rushing offense, turnover margin and sacks allowed. The Cougars started the season 2-5 before finishing 6-6.
“I think their defense is the biggest difference from the first five or six games until now,” Price said. “Coach (Bronco) Mendenhall took over calling the defensive plays about halfway through the season. So they’re running the same defense, but they’re doing things at different times during the game. I think two of the biggest keys for them have been Mendenhall taking over the defensive reins and going with (Jake) Heaps at quarterback, rather than alternating him with Riley Nelson.”
The Miners have gradually been getting healthier, and will be close to full strength for their matchup with the Cougars.
“Our centers (Eloy Atkinson, Tanner Cullumber & Nathan McCage) are back, (Donald) Buckram is better, (Kris) Adams is better, and every one of our linebackers are better now,” Price said.
The Miners have had enthusiastic practices as they seek the school’s first bowl win since 1967.
“We’re going up there to win and play our very best and show that we’re better than our record,” Price said. “We’re giving everything that we’ve got in these practices.”
Source: UTEP Athletics
