UTEP Football: Preview of Texas Tech
Miners and Red Raiders to Square off in Lubbock
UTEP and Texas Tech will face each other for a second year in a row on Sept. 12. The Miners and Red Raiders are set to kickoff at 1 p.m. MT at Jones AT&T Stadium, as the contest will be televised on Fox Sports. Texas Tech defeated UTEP 30-26 last season in the Sun Bowl. This weekend’s game will mark the first trip to Lubbock for the Miners since the 2007 season, as the Red Raiders won the shootout 45-31 on Sept. 8. It’s also the first time since the 1995 season that UTEP will begin a campaign with back-to-back road games. The Miners lost both contests, falling at NM State, 45-17, on Sept. 2 and at Arizona State, 45-20, on Sept. 9. UTEP is seeking its first-ever win over a Big 12 opponent.
The Series
Texas Tech leads the series 15-6-1 and is riding a six-game winning streak against the Miners. The Red Raiders own a 7-3 advantage in games played in Lubbock. This is only the third matchup between the schools in Lubbock since 1980. UTEP fell 35-3 to the Red Raiders in 1998 and 45-31 in 2007.
The Last Meeting
Davis Webb passed for 278 yards and three touchdowns and rallied Texas Tech to a late score as the Red Raiders edged UTEP, 30-26, on Sept. 4, 2014 in El Paso. Webb directed Texas Tech on a seven-play, 75-yard TD drive in the final minutes afterAaron Jonesput the Miners ahead 26-23 on a nine-yard scoring run with 5:05 remaining. Jones rushed for a game-high 147 yards on 23 attempts to lead UTEP. Webb completed 17-of-31 passes and had a 100-yard rusher and receiver at his disposal. Justin Stockton gained 135 yards on eight carries, and Jakeem Grant reeled in eight catches for 150 yards. The Miners fell behind 23-13 midway through the third quarter before their offense came alive.Jeremiah Laufasacapped a 13-play, 75-yard drive with a 24-yard TD to pull UTEP within four points, before Jones gave them the short-lived lead by putting the exclamation point on an 11-play, 88-yard drive. Texas Tech finished with 504 yards of offense to UTEP’s 393. The Miners rushed for 277 yards. UTEP took a 6-0 lead into the second period afterJay Mattoxkicked field goals of 22 and 27 yards. Texas Tech outscored the Miners 16-7 in the second quarter to build a 16-13 lead at halftime. The Red Raiders took their largest lead of 10 points on a 13-yard pass from Webb to Brad Marquez with 6:27 to go in the third quarter. All three of Marquez’s catches were touchdowns as he finished with 33 yards. UTEP just missed knocking off a Big 12 team for the first time and fell to 0-13 in matchups versus teams from the league.
Connections
Players from both schools who attended the same high school or college are: UTEP DLSilas Firstley& TTU DB Kisean Allen (Mesquite, Texas/Poteet HS).
UTEP Wide Receivers CoachTodd Whittenwas a graduate assistant at Texas Tech from 1988-89. He earned his master’s in education from TTU in 1990. UTEP running backs coachCornell Jacksonand Texas Tech assistant coach/offensive line coach Lee Hays were both on the 2007 Baylor staff.
About Texas Tech
The Red Raiders opened the season with a 59-45 victory over Sam Houston State on Sept. 5. Sophomore quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the charge with 425 yards (33-of-53) passing, four touchdowns and one interception. Mahomes threw two each to Ian Sadler (five receptions, 73 yards) and Devin Lauderdale (eight receptions, 150 yards). Texas Tech runners combined for 174 yards on 31 carries (5.6 avg.) and two scores. DeAndre Washington led the way with 74 rushing yards on 13 attempts (5.7 avg.), while Justin Stockton and Jakeem Grant each found the end zone. Texas Tech took a 42-31 halftime lead that included Grant’s 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown during the middle of the second quarter. The Red Raider defense surrendered 637 yards. Sam Houston State ran the ball 46 times for 317 yards (6.9 avg.) and five scores. The Red Raiders forced four turnovers (two interceptions, two fumble recoveries) that resulted in 14 points. The Texas Tech offense converted 9-of-16 third downs. Penalties were a problem, as the Red Raiders committed 10 (69 yards). The game was put away in the third quarter as J.J. Gaines returned an interception 47 yards to the house, Michael Barden connected on a 27-yard field goal and Stockton plunged four yards into the end zone.
UTEP vs. the Big 12
The Miners are 0-14 against Big 12 opponents since the formation of the league for the 1996 season. UTEP is 0-4 versus Texas Tech, 0-3 versus Oklahoma, 0-2 versus Kansas State, 0-2 versus Texas, 0-1 versus Colorado, 0-1 versus Kansas, and 0-1 versus Texas A&M during that time frame. Of the previous 14 matchups against Big 12 schools, eight came against teams that were listed in the Associated Press top-25 poll at game time. UTEP has been outscored by a combined 611-223 in its first 14 games versus Big 12 adversaries. UTEP has allowed fewer than 33 points to a Big 12 opponent twice (24 to Oklahoma in 2012 & 30 to Texas Tech in 2014). UTEP is playing a road game versus a Big 12 school for the ninth time (lost to no. 25 Kansas State 58-28 in 2014, lost to no. 2 Texas 64-7 in 2009, lost to Texas Tech 45-31 in 2007, lost to no. 2 Oklahoma 24-7 in 2002, lost to Texas A&M 45-17 and no. 19 Oklahoma in 2000, lost to no. 16 Kansas State 40-7 in 1999 and lost to Texas Tech 35-3 in 1998). The last time UTEP beat a school currently in the Big 12 was on Nov. 15, 1997 in El Paso, a 24-17 triumph over TCU.
Last Week: no. 18 Arkansas 48, UTEP 13
Brandon Allen threw touchdown passes on Arkansas’ first four possessions – two to Keon Hatcher — and the no. 18 Razorbacks had another scoring frenzy to open the second half en route to beating UTEP, 48-13, on Sept 5 in Fayetteville. Arkansas amassed 384 yards of offense in the first half behind Allen, who completed 10-of-13 passes for 256 yards. They finished with 490 yards before a season-opening crowd of 67,708 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. UTEP had difficulty slowing Arkansas in the opening half, but enjoyed some success on offense against a team that hadn’t allowed a point at home since late October of 2014. The Miners marched deep into Razorback territory a couple of times, cashing in with a 38-yard field goal byJay Mattoxand a 10-yard scoring run byAutrey Golden. UTEP mixed and matched quarterbacks effectively during the sequence with true freshmanKavika Johnsonproviding periodic relief for starterMack Leftwich. The Miners were within striking distance at halftime, trailing 28-10, but the game got out of hand in hurry. Arkansas scored two touchdowns in the first 2:03 of the period to build a 42-10 lead. Henre’ Toliver picked off Leftwich on UTEP’s first play of the second half and Alex Collins followed with a seven-yard rushing TD. Then, after the UTEP offense went three and out, the Miners had a bad snap in punt formation and Kody Walker punched it in from three yards out. Arkansas tacked on a 19-yard field goal by Cole Hedlund, making it 45-10, after UTEP turned it over with another bad snap. Mattox kicked a 44-yard field goal with 3:01 left in the third quarter.Nik Needhamfumbled on the Miners’ first punt return of the season with about 10 minutes remaining and Hedlund nailed a 27-yard field goal to complete the scoring.
Very Few Infractions
UTEP committed only two penalties for 15 yards at no. 18 Arkansas on Saturday . The first was a false start (five yards) call early in third quarter and the second was a holding call (10 yards) late in the third. This has been the norm for head coachSean Kuglersince 2013. The Miners committed 65 in 13 games last season, ranking fourth in Conference USA for fewest penalties.
Penalties During the Kugler Era
In 26 games with head coachSean Kugler, UTEP has committed 115 penalties totaling 938 yards. That breaks down to 4.4 penalties and 36.1 penalty yards per contest. Prior to Kugler’s arrival, the Miners averaged 5.8 penalties and 51.8 penalty yards per game the previous five seasons. During Kugler’s first two seasons, UTEP averaged 56.5 penalties. The previous five campaigns, the Miners averaged 71 penalties.
Penalties in C-USA
UTEP was one of five schools to commit four or less penalties during the opening weekend. Middle Tennessee committed one penalty, UTEP two, LA Tech three, while Charlotte and Rice each committed four. Florida Atlantic led the way with 13 penalties.
Time Bandits
UTEP won the time of possession on Saturday at Arkansas, 30:41 to 29:19. This is another consistent element during the Sean Kugler era. In 2014, UTEP won the time of possession in 12 of 13 games. The Miners ranked second in the nation in time of possession (34:57) behind Michigan State (35:21).
Another Career Day for Aaron Jones
Aaron Jonesled UTEP in receiving yards (83) and receptions (six) on Saturday . He established a career high in receiving yards, surpassing his previous best of 72 against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 29, 2014. He added a 36-yard juggling reception during the second quarter versus the Razorbacks on a nice touch pass fromMack Leftwichdown the middle of the field. Jones also tied his career high in receptions, as he hauled in six passes against Old Dominion on Oct. 11, 2014. Jones ranked second in receptions (30), while leading the team in touchdowns (three) in 2014.
Jones Ranking in Receptions & Yards
After the opening weekend,Aaron Jonesranks tied for sixth in receptions (six) in Conference USA and is one of two running backs in the top 10 in that category. FIU RB Alex Gardner tallied five catches for 74 yards. Jones also ranks sixth in receiving yards (83), as is one of two non-wide receivers to rank in the top 10. WKU TE Tyler Higbee ranks fourth with his 102 yards.
All-Purpose Jones
Aaron Jonesracked up 153 all-purpose yards on Saturday . Jones now has 2,592 all-purpose yards (2,202 rush, 390 rec.) in his career. He needs 639 yards to crack the top 10 in program history.Fred Wendtranks 10th with 3,231 yards. Last season, Jones’ 1,614 all-purpose yards (1,321 rush, 293 rec.) were seventh-best during a single season in program history.
Jones Moving On Up
Aaron Jonesgained 70 yards rushing against a tough Arkansas defense on Saturday . Jones gained six yards on a carry during the third quarter that moved him to ninth place on the all-time UTEP rushing list. He now has 2,202 yards, surpassingFred Wendt’s2,166 yards. Jones needs 633 yards to move into third place in program history. He is 1,265 yards away from overtakingHoward Jackson’ssecond-place standing (3,466), while he would need 1,375 yards to dethroneJohn Harvey’s(3,576) UTEP record.
Last Time Jones Played the Red Raiders
Aaron Jonesregistered his fifth career 100-yard game last season against Texas Tech. The then-sophomore gained 147 yards on 23 attempts (6.4 avg.) and a pair of rushing scores. The first touchdown came at the 4:43 mark in the second quarter – a 19-yard dash to the end zone, while the second was a nine-yard rush with 5:05 left in the game that gave UTEP a 26-23 lead. Jones added a long run of 27 yards at the beginning of the contest.
Hitting the Century Mark
Aaron Joneshas hit 100-plus yards rushing nine times in 22 games during his UTEP career. Jones is tied for sixth in program history in 100-yard games.Donald Buckram(2006-10),Robert Elliott(1974-77) andPug Gabrel(1947-50) notched nine apiece.John Harvey(1985-88) leads the all-time list with sixteen 100-yard games, whileHoward Jackson(2001-04) tallied 14,Toraino Singleton(1994-95) 12,Marcus Thomas(2004-07) 11, andPaul Smith(1996-99) 10.
Aaron Jones Accolades
Aaron Joneswas named to the Conference USA second team after a stellar sophomore campaign. Other achievements included: 2014 Dave Campbell Texas Running Back of the Year, 2014 Dave Campbell Player of the Year Honorable Mention, 2014 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Semifinalist, and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week Honorable Mention (11/18 & 9/2). The running back has also earned recognition this season, being named to the AllState AFCA Good Works Team, Doak Walker Award list, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award list, Maxwell Award watch list and 2015 Dave Campbell Texas Football Best Running Back.
Running Back Depth
During the 2014 season,Nathan JefferyandJosh Bellcomplemented starting ball carrierAaron Jonesby combining for 787 yards and nine rushing scores. Jeffery and Bell have graduated since then; seniorJeremiah Laufasaand freshmanTreyvon Hughesare being looked on to back up Jones in 2015. Both Laufasa (6-foot, 225 lbs.) and Hughes (6-foot-1, 225 lbs.) have similar running styles to Jeffery (6-foot, 210 lbs.) and Bell (6-foot, 220 lbs.), who bruised and grinded past defenders. Laufasa brings most of the experience as he has played in four games for the Miners (including the opener at Arkansas), rushing for 66 yards on 12 attempts (5.5 avg.) and a score, while hauling in a 30-yard pass. Prior to transferring to UTEP, Laufasa appeared in 13 games, making one start, during his sophomore campaign (2013) at Washington State, while rushing for seven touchdowns. Hughes saw his first action as a Miner at Arkansas and picked up a couple of carries.
Protecting the Field General
The UTEP offensive line continued its consistent play, only allowing one sack at Arkansas. DeMarcus Hodge sackedKavika Johnsonfor a six-yard loss during the second quarter. Last season, the Miners’ offensive line allowed only 13 sacks in 13 games, ranking no. 1 in Conference USA and tied for eighth in the nation.
Bigger O-Line
The final game of head coachSean Kugler’sfirst season (2013) saw a starting offensive line that averaged 298 pounds. Since then, Kugler has assembled a starting offensive line that averages 313 pounds in 2015. LTJerome Daniels(305 lbs.), LGWillHernandez(330 lbs.), CEricLee(305 lbs.), RGDerekElmendorff(310 lbs.) and RTJohn De La Rosa(315 lbs.) compose the starting run blockers/pass protectors. The second unit offensive line averages 329 pounds. According to the depth chart LTAnthony Kyles(300 lbs.), LGJosh Silvas(375 lbs.), CDerron Gatewood(315 lbs.), RGChristopher Misaalefua(355 lbs.) and RTChris Thomas(300 lbs.) make up the second unit.
Keeping an Eye on Eric Lee
Senior CEric Leewas named to the Rimington Trophy Spring Watch List on May 19 . The list includes 52 of the best centers in Division I football. Lee saw playing time for the first time last season, starting in all 13 games. Lee is one of six starting centers in Conference USA to make their return for the 2015 campaign. The others are redshirt junior Jarred Barr (Charlotte), senior Kirby Wixson (LA Tech), redshirt junior Josh Chester (Middle Tennessee), junior Kaydon Kirby (North Texas) and junior Cameron Tom (Southern Miss).
Consecutive Starts
Five Miners made their 14th consecutive start dating back to last season on Saturday . OLJerome Daniels, OLWill Hernandez, FBDarrin Laufasa, OLEric Leeand DLRoy Robertson-Harrisachieved the feat. Laufasa, dating back to 2013, has started 21 of 26 games, while Robertson-Harris has made 22 starts in his last 25 games since 2013.
PT for True Freshmen
UTEP traveled eight true freshmen to Arkansas. The fresh faces were DBKalon Beverly, TECole Ford, LBStephen Forester, RBTreyvon Hughes, QBKavika Johnson, DBMichael Lewis, WRWarren Redixand LBJayson VanHook. Of the eight, seven saw playing time for head coachSean Kugler. Lewis got the start at the weak safety position, tallying four tackles. Beverly played significant time, also registering four stops. Forester tallied a pair of tackles. Johnson was part of a quarterback carousel, running for seven yards and passing for seven yards on two completions. Hughes ran the ball twice for -5 yards.
Freshmen in General
On Saturday , 15 freshmen saw playing time, including eight redshirt freshmen. The redshirt freshmen were DBMookie Carlile, OLDerron Gatewood, DBAdrian Hynson, PAlan Luna, QBRyan Metz, OLChristopher Misaalefua, DBNik Needhamand FBSloan Spiller.
15 or More Freshmen
UTEP was one of 14 programs to play 15 or more freshmen during the first week of college football. UTEP and Penn State each had 15 freshmen take the field. Clemson had 27 freshmen play, Florida State and NC State each had 23, Syracuse had 21 and Texas and Wake Forest had 20 freshmen see action. Rice had 19 freshmen, USC had 18, while Arkansas, Tennessee and SMU each had 17. Oregon State had 16 freshmen.
Fresh Faces
Overall, head coach Sean Kugler directed 24 new faces onto the field at Arkansas. Besides the freshmen that saw action, nine Miners played for the first time in a UTEP uniform — seniors DLVince Czerniewski, TECedrick Lang, DBTrent Trammel; juniors OLAnthony Kyles, LBTyler Leasau, DLBrian Madunezimand TEHayden Plinke; and sophomores DLsSky LoganandMike Sota.
Mack’s the Man
Head CoachSean Kuglerannounced on Aug. 31 at the first media luncheon that sophomoreMack Leftwichwould be his starting quarterback. Leftwich made his fifth career start on Saturday and his first since starting the final game of the 2013 season at Middle Tennessee (Nov. 30). Leftwich completed 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) passes for 120 yards and an interception at Arkansas. He was eight yards short of tying his career high, while his completion percentage was the second best during his career. Leftwich’s first-ever start at North Texas (Nov. 9, 2013) saw the then-true freshman complete 70 percent of his passes (14-of-20). He threw for 128 yards against the Mean Green, while also passing for the same amount at Tulane (Nov. 23, 2013). Leftwich completed 58.7 percent (44-of-75) of his passes in four starts in 2013.
Multiple QBs Under Center
Three UTEP quarterbacks completed passes on Saturday at Arkansas.Mack Leftwich(9-of-14),Ryan Metz(3-of-3) andKavika Johnson(2-of-2) all found themselves under center. It was the first time since Oct. 27, 2012 at Houston that a trio of UTEP quarterbacks completed a pass in a single game.Nick Lamaison(8-of-18),Carson Meger(5-of-8) andBlaire Sullivan(6-of-10) were the signal callers against the Cougars.
Receivers Catching On
After seeing multiple drops by UTEP pass catchers during camp and the first few weeks of practice, UTEP quarterbacks completed 74 percent (14-of-19) of their passes on Saturday . Of the eight Miners who hauled in receptions, three tallied their first-ever receptions in a UTEP uniform.Hayden Plinkecaught a 13-yard pass in which he made a leaping effort.Warren Redixhauled in a nine-yard catch andDonovan Walkerrecorded a five-yard reception.Aaron Jonesled the way with six receptions, whileDarrin Laufasaregistered a pair of catches for 17 yards.Autrey Golden(seven yards),Jeremiah Laufasa(six yards) andJaquan White(five yards) each tallied a reception.
Fewest Seniors on Offense
UTEP is one of 25 FBS schools with four or less seniors at offensive skill positions (QB, RB, WR, TE) in 2015. The Miners feature three seniors in those positions: RBJeremiah Laufasa, TECedrick Langand WRAutrey Golden. There are seven other programs that feature only three seniors. Those schools are Colorado, Miami, Minnesota, Ohio State, Purdue, Washington State and Wyoming. Three schools (Eastern Michigan, Florida State and Louisville) have two seniors, while six programs (Kentucky, Nevada, Old Dominion, Pitt, Syracuse and Wake Forest) feature only one senior. UCF is the only program not to have any seniors at a skill position. The Miners have a total of five seniors on offense. OLEric Leeand OLJosh Silvas, Golden, Lang and Laufasa are the featured seniors. UCF and Louisville have four, Kentucky and Old Dominion have three, while Florida State, Nevada, Pitt and Wake Forest feature two seniors on offense.
Third Down Conversions
A season after converting 42 percent of third down conversions, UTEP converted 7-of-14 (50 percent) third down conversions on Saturday . The Miners are tied for fourth with Old Dominion in third conversion percentage after week one. Middle Tennessee leads C-USA at 75 percent (12-of-16).
Welcome Back, Dashone Smith
UTEP junior DBDashome Smith, after missing the last three games of 2014 due to an injury, led the UTEP defense with seven tackles at Arkansas. It was his first time leading in that category since Oct. 11, 2014 against Old Dominion. He also had seven stops in that game.
Other Defensive Notables
Multiple returning UTEP defensive players either set or tied career highs in tackles at Arkansas. DELuke Elsnerregistered a career-high four tackles, DBKelvin Fisher Jr.tallied a career-best three stops andLaQuintus Dowelltallied his first-ever tackle for loss. DLsAlex VillarealandSilas Firstleyeach tied their career high with four tackles apiece, while LBJimmy Musgrave(1.5 tackles for loss) and DBDashone Smith(1.0 tackle for loss) each tied their career high for tackle for loss.
End-to-End Defenders
UTEP has two returning defensive ends that harassed offensive linemen throughout 2014. 6-foot-7, 255-poundRoy Robertson-Harrisand 6-foot-3, 240-poundNick Usherstepped up in a big way. Robertson-Harris made 13 starts his junior season after making eight in 2013, and Usher made 12 starts after zero starts his freshman campaign. Usher tallied 41 tackles, 3.0 sacks and three quarterback hurries, and Robertson-Harris recorded 36 stops, while leading the team in sacks (3.5) and quarterback hurries (six).
Depth & Experience at the Defensive Back Position
UTEP has 18 defensive backs on the roster entering week two against Texas Tech. Of the 18, 12 are upperclassmen.LaQuintus Dowell,Kelvin Fisher Jr.,Da’Carlos Renfro,Traun Roberson(grad student),Natanael Rodriguez,Ishmael Harrison,Nathan StukesandTrent Trammell(transfer) make up the senior DBs.Devin Cockrell, Leon Hayes,Brendan RoyalandDashone Smithround out the junior class. Cockrell will miss the 2015 campaign due to season-ending surgery, while Harrison and Roberson are also sidelined indefinitely.
Slash
Autrey Goldencan find the end zone in multiple ways, as he scored his 10th career touchdown on Saturday . It was on a reverse play to the left side that went 10 yards into the end zone during the second quarter. It was his first rushing score since Nov. 16, 2013 versus FIU. Golden has six kickoff returns for touchdowns, two receiving and two rushing scores.
The Golden Standard
Autrey Goldenreturned two kickoffs for scores in 2014. The first was a 98-yard return in the third quarter against Southern Miss, while the second came at WKU, 92 yards for a TD in the first quarter. He has six kickoff return touchdowns in his career (ranked No. 1 in program history), making him the active FBS leader in the category. Golden is tied for second in Conference USA history and tied for third in NCAA history. He is now just one back of C-USA and NCAA record-holder Tyron Carrier of Houston (seven). Former Clemson star C.J. Spiller also shares the NCAA marker with seven kickoff returns for scores. Golden has a total of 94 career returns, rating third in program history and just five behind second-place Ray Holt (99).
Golden’s Kick Return Yardage
Autrey Goldenreturned six kickoffs for 130 yards on Saturday . He now has 2,469 yards in his UTEP career, ranking second behind Cedric Johnson’s 2,757. Golden needs 289 yards to become UTEP’s all-time leader.
Special Jay
Junior KickerJay Mattoxtied a career high on Saturday by connecting on a pair of field goals. He also added an extra point, ranking ninth in scoring for kickers after week one in Conference USA. Mattox’s first made field goal came in the second quarter (12:51) on a 38-yard attempt, while the second was a 44-yard make in the third quarter (3:01). Mattox has made a dramatic improvement on his field goal kicking, connecting on 83.3 percent (15-of-18) since the start of the 2014 season after only 46.7 percent (7-of-15) in 2013.
UTEP’s New Punter
El Paso nativeAlan Lunamade his first start at UTEP on Saturday . The redshirt freshman averaged 46.7 yards on three punts, including a long of 60 yards during the second quarter. Luna currently ranks fourth in Conference USA after the opening weekend. Old Dominion’s Satchel Ziffer and Florida Atlantic’s Dalton Schomp lead the way with a 51.0 average, while FIU’s Stone Wilson is averaging 47.7 yards per punt.
Overall Punting
UTEP is ranked second in Conference USA with a 42.7 net per punt average. Florida Atlantic leads with a 44.8 average. The Miners only yielded 12 yards on two returns by the Razorbacks on Saturday .
Captains
The Miners’ captains for 2015 feature four seniors and one junior — (offense) WRAutrey Goldenand RBAaron Jones, (defense) DLRoy Robertson-Harrisand LBJimmy Musgrave, and (special teams) DBTraun Roberson.
Home Cookin’
There are 22 El Paso products on the 2015 roster (three seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and 10 freshmen), including eight on the week two depth chart — RGDerek Elmendorff(projected starter), WRCole Freytag, RBAaron Jones(projected starter), LBAlvin Jones(projected starter), PAlan Luna(projected starter), QBRyan Metz, WRWarren Redixand LGJosh Silvas.
Head Coach Sean Kugler
Sean Kugleris in his third season as UTEP’s head coach, as he went from two wins in his first season to a winning campaign and a bowl bid during his second. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Miners (1985-88) and a three-year starter at right guard. Kugler returned to the Sun City as a UTEP assistant coach (1993-2000), working as a graduate assistant/defensive line coach in 1993, tight ends & assistant strength and conditioning coach in 1994 and offensive line coach from 1995-2000. He coached in the NFL with Detroit (2001-05), Buffalo (2007-09) and Pittsburgh (2010-12) and was also assistant head coach at Boise State in 2006 when the Broncos finished 13-0 and upset Oklahoma, 43-42, in the Fiesta Bowl.
Players Turned Coaches
Sean Kugleris the second UTEP head coach who played for the Miners at one time. The other isWalter Milner, a three-year letterman from 1931-33 who served as head coach in 1942. Kugler is one of 14 active Division I head coaches who played at the school where they are currently coaching.
School head coach Years
Air ForceTroy Calhoun 1985-88
Boise State Bryan Harsin 1995-99
Central Michigan John Bonamego 1985-86
East Carolina Ruffin McNeill 1976-80
Kent State Paul Haynes 1987-91
Michigan Jim Harbaugh 1983-86
Northwestern Pat Fitzgerald 1993-96
Oklahoma State Mike Gundy 1986-89
Stanford David Shaw 1991-94
Texas Tech Kliff Kingsbury 1999-02
Utah State Matt Wells 1994-96
UTEP Sean Kugler 1985-88
Virginia Tech Frank Beamer 1966-68
Wisconsin Paul Chryst 1986-88
Next Game
UTEP will renew its rivalry against NM State in Las Cruces in the Battle of I-10 on Sept. 19. The Miners and Aggies will meet for the 93rd time. UTEP leads the all-time series 55-35-2 and has reeled off six consecutive victories over its rival, including last season’s 42-24 win in the Sun Bowl. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. The Miners will play the third and final road game of nonconference play.
