UTEP closes out ‘24 at Rival NM State in the 101st Battle of I-10 Saturday Afternoon
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- The first year of the Scotty Walden era will conclude in the 101st Battle of I-10 as UTEP will square off against rival NM State on Saturday, Nov. 30, in a Conference USA contest. The Miners (2-9, 2-5 CUSA) and Aggies (3-8, 2-5 CUSA) are set for a 2 p.m. MST kick in Aggie Memorial Stadium. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard on “The Home of UTEP Football” 600 AM ESPN El Paso.
The Miners and Aggies are meeting on ‘Rivalry Week’ for the first time since Nov. 23, 1960. UTEP owns a 59-39-2 record despite NM State winning four of the last six meetings, including last season’s matchup in the Sun Bowl. Tickets for the 101st rivalry are available here.
UTEP, coming off its game at SEC power no. 10/11 Tennessee last week, will look to close out year one of the Walden Era with a victory over rival NM State, which won 36-21 at Middle Tennessee on Nov. 23. This will also mark the second meeting as CUSA foes.
The Miners’ defense ranks 56th in FBS in passing defense, yielding just over 213 passing yards per game. UTEP leads CUSA and ranks tied for 35th in FBS with 28 sacks. The ‘Orange Swarm’ also leads the conference and ranks tied for 23rd nationally with 76 tackles for loss. The defense has also picked off its most passes in 10 seasons with 10 interceptions in 2024. UTEP ranks tied for second in CUSA in that department. Jax State leads the league with 11 INTs. Senior spur Kory Chapman leads CUSA with 11.5 TFLs, while senior bandit Maurice Westmoreland is tied for the league lead with 5.5 sacks.
UTEP ranks fifth in CUSA in rushing yards allowed (177.4) and will have its hands full with NM State’s rushing attack, which averages over 177 yards per game. Junior running back Seth McGowan ranks fourth in CUSA with 794 rushing yards and has scored three touchdowns on the ground. Fellow junior running back Mike Washington has rushed for 595 yards (ninth in CUSA) and seven touchdowns (t-4th in CUSA).
“[NM State’s] running backs, to me, that’s the best group in this conference,” Walden said. “Coaches look at stats, no doubt, and there are running backs who have higher yardage, but I watch film, and those guys run harder than most running backs I’ve seen on tape. They run violently and have a herky-jerky about how hard they are running. Their rush offense is deadly.”
UTEP (2-9, 2-5) at NM State (3-8, 2-5)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 30
Time: 2 p.m. MST
Location: Las Cruces, N.M.
Venue: Aggie Memorial (28,853)
X Updated: @UTEPFB
TV: ESPN+
PxP: Adam Young
Analyst: Danny Knee
Radio: 600 AM ESPN
PxP: Jon Teicher
Analyst: Cole Freytag
Sideline: Mando Medina
WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN
The Miners and Aggies will be streamed on ESPN+. The action returns to the “Home of UTEP Football” 600 AM ESPN El Paso with “The Voice of the UTEP Miners” Jon Teicher calling play-by-play in his 44th season. ‘Teich,’ who called his 500th game on Oct. 11, 2023, is joined by former UTEP WR Cole Freytag (2012, 2014-16) in the booth providing analysis in his third season. El Paso native and long-running member of the local media Mando Medina will be reporting from the sidelines. The contest can also be heard on the UTEP Miners app.
SERIES VS. NM STATE
UTEP leads the all-time rivalry 59-39-2. The Aggies lead the Miners 21-20-1 all-time in Las Cruces. Last season, the UTEP and NM State were tied at seven at the half, but the Aggies outscored the Miners 21-0 in the second half led by a pair of Diego Pavia touchdown passes and TD rush. Pavia opened the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 with just over a minute in the first quarter. UTEP tied the game on a QB Kevin Hurley one-yard touchdown rush at the 12:26 mark of the second. In 2022, after taking a double-digit lead into halftime, UTEP won 20-13 in Sun Bowl Stadium on Sept. 10, 2022, to extend the win streak to two games. The Orange and Blue beat NM State 30-3 in Aggie Memorial to open the 2021 campaign. The Aggies had previously won three in a row, defeating the Miners 44-35 (2019 in LC), 27-20 (2018 in EP) and 41-14 (2017 in LC). Prior to that stint, UTEP won eight consecutive games from 2009 to 2016. The 2015 matchup was one of the more exciting of the 100-year rivalry as the Miners rallied to a 50-47 OT victory in Aggie Memorial Stadium. It was the first overtime game in the history of the rivalry. UTEP trailed 30-16 and 44-30 with a little over four minutes remaining in regulation. QB Ryan Metz orchestrated a three-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 48-yard TD pass to fellow El Pasoan WR Cole Freytag. He then led UTEP on an eight-play, 98-yard march, taking it into the end zone himself with an eight-yard scamper. Aggie K Sy Slater hit a 44-yard FG to open the extra period, but Metz capped the game with a six-yard touchdown pass TE Cedrick Lang. The eight-game winning streak by the Miners is the longest of the series. The two programs first met on Oct. 24, 1914, in Las Cruces, with the Aggies coming out on top 19-0. NMSU won the 1915 meeting 30-0, while the Miners’ first victory was a 7-6 outcome in 1916. The Aggies’ longest win streak of the series was five games from 1920 to 1924 before tying 6-6 in 1925. The Miners won 92-7 in 1948 (most points by UTEP in the series), while the Aggies’ top score was 64 during a shutout in 1922.
ABOUT NM STATE
The Aggies won their last game 36-21 at Middle Tennessee on Nov. 23. NM State improved to 3-8 and 2-5 in Conference USA action. QB Brandon Nunez went 2-for-2 as both completions were scoring passes. His first TD toss was a 12-yard pass to Seth McGowan that put NM State up 20-7 in the early third. Nunez’s second TD pass was a four-yard completion to Cooper Sheehan that put the Aggies up 33-21 with 7:43 left in the game. NM Dylan Early’s 30-yard pick-six opened the scoring and Abraham Montana hit a 42-yard FG that put NM State up 10-0 in the first quarter. McGowan led the way with 83 yards rushing while also leading the Aggies with six catches for 96 yards and a score. The Aggies rank fourth in CUSA and 46th in FBS in rushing offense (177.9). McGowan ranks fourth in CUSA and 56th in FBS with 794 rushing yards. Mike Washington leads the team with seven rushing touchdowns and has gained 583 yards on the ground. NM State ranks last in CUSA in total defense (460.4) and have allowed the most passing yards (2,842).
FIRST TIME SINCE 1960
The Miners and Aggies are battling each other in the last game of the season for the first time since 1960. UTEP lost at no. 15 NM State, 27-15, on Nov. 23, 1960. It’s the latest since Nov. 23, 2019, that the two rivals are meeting – the Aggies defeated UTEP 44-35 in the second to last game of the campaign.
NOT SEEING A LOT OF YELLOW
The Miners endured early-season problems with penalties—nine at Nebraska, 14 versus SUU, and 12 versus Sam Houston. UTEP averaged 7.8 penalties in the first five games of the season. Since then, the Miners have averaged 3.5 in the last six games. UTEP drew four penalties on Nov. 9 against Kennesaw. At one point, UTEP was penalized only seven times during a three-game span (at WKU, vs. FIU, at LA Tech).
ODOM CATHING ON
WR Kenny Odom tied his career best with eight receptions at no. 10/11 Tennessee. He tallied 70 yards against the Vols and added a long catch of 34 yards. Odom leads UTEP in receptions (44), receiving yards (712), yard per catch (16.2) and touchdown receptions (seven).
MORE ON KENNY’S RANKINGS
In CUSA, Kenny Odom ranks sixth in receiving yards (712), seventh in receptions (44), fifth in yards per catch (16.2) and second in TD receptions (seven).
PICKLES SEEING MORE ACTION
True freshman QB JP Pickles saw action in his third game this season. He finished 10 of 15 for 72 yards and a long completion to WR Trey Goodman at no. 10/11 Tennessee.
FRESHMAN SEEING ACTION
RB Joshua Dye, a redshirt freshman, and WR Wondame Davis Jr., a true freshman, saw playing time at no. 10/11 Tennessee. Dye tallied a career-best 16 yards on a career-most five carries. Davis Jr. tallied his first career catch, a seven-yard reception, during the fourth quarter.
JJ’S RANKINGS
RB Jevon Jackson leads the Miners with 675 rushing yards. The redshirt junior ranks fifth in CUSA in rushing yards. Jackson has averaged over 87 rushing per game during the last five contests (436 rushing yards).
3 MORE SACKS
UTEP recorded three sacks at no. 10/11 Tennessee as DL Kyran Duhon, LB Nate Dyman and Bandit Maurice Westmoreland each tallied one against the Vols.
SACK ATTACK
UTEP leads Conference USA with 28 sacks and 2.6 sacks per game in 2024. UTEP also ranks t-35th in FBS with 28 sacks. The Miners rank second in sack yards (138). It’s the most since tallying 28 sacks in 2022. Bandit Maurice Westmoreland is tied for first in CUSA with 5.5 sacks. DL Kyran Duhon (5.0 sacks) ranks tied for fourth, Spur Kory Chapman (3.0) is tied for 16th, and DT KD Johnson (2.5) is tied for 26th.
MO SACKS
Bandit Maurice Westmoreland tallied his team-leading 5.5th sack at no. 10/11 Tennessee. Westmoreland leads the Miners and ranks tied for first in CUSA with 5.5 sacks this season. It was his first sack since Oct. 22 at LA Tech.
MORE ON MO’S SACKS
Maurice Westmoreland tallied his 13.0th sack at no. 10/11 Tennessee. He now ranks tied for 10th on the program’s all-time list with Thomas Howard (2002-05) and Justin Hanel (2003-06). Alex Obomese (2003-06) ranks ninth with 14.0 sacks, while Brian Young (1995, 97-99) ranks eighth with 14.5. Melvin Jones (1979-81) and Alvin Jones (2014-17) are tied for sixth with 15.0 sacks.
FIRST FULL SACK
LB Nate Dyman recorded his first full sack as a Miner at no. 10/11 Tennessee. Dyman has 1.5 sacks in 2024.
ANOTHER ONE
True freshman DL Kyran Duhon recorded his 5.0th sack at no. 10/11 Tennessee. He ranks second on the team and tied for fourth in CUSA with 5.0 sacks.
LEADING IN TFL’S
UTEP leads CUSA with 76 tackles for loss, 257 TFL yards and 6.9 TFLs/game. Spur Kory Chapman leads the league with 11.5 tackles for loss. LB Nate Dyman (8.5 TFL) ranks 10th and LB Dorian Hopkins (8.0) is 11th.
PICKING OFF PASSES
UTEP has intercepted 10 passes in 2024, ranking tied for second in CUSA and 47th in FBS. It’s the most INTs for the Miners since picking off 11 passes in 2014.
UP NEXT
The 2025 season.
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