UTEP holds off Old Dominion 28-21 to start season at 4-1

EL PASO, Texas -- Deion Hankins had a fourth-quarter touchdown run as UTEP held off a second-half challenge from Old Dominion to win its homecoming game 28-21 on Saturday night, with the Miners off to their best start at 4-1 since 2010.

Hankins’ 3-yard TD run capped the scoring with about seven minutes remaining in the game.

Dy’vonne Inyang had perhaps the biggest defensive play of the game for the Miners - an interception with under 4:30 remaining to help seal the victory for UTEP.

Old Dominion would make one final drive, getting to the UTEP 38 with 26 seconds to play. But the Monarchs then stalled with an incomplete pass on fourth-and-17.

Starting quarterback Gavin Hardison threw for 191 yards and a pair of touchdown passes for UTEP (3-1, 1-0), while Hankins finished with 75 yards rushing on 22 carries.

It was also another 100-yard performance for UTEP wide receiver Jacob Cowing, who had 4 catches for 118 yards. This was his fourth 100-yard receiving game this season.

The Miners, up 17-7 at halftime, led throughout much of the game; the one exception stemming from a blocked punt late in the third quarter that the Monarchs' AC White returned 11 yards for a touchdown and a one-point lead, 21-20. The Monarchs continue to lead the nation in blocked punts, having had three of those in their last two games.

Quarterback D.J. Mack Jr. was 20-of-34 passing for 194 yards, threw for one touchdown and ran for another score for Old Dominion (1-4, 0-1). 

Saturday night's game was the Conference USA opener for both teams - and UTEP's victory marked its first win over a C-USA opponent since 2018.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)