PREVIEW: Unbeaten UTEP heavy underdogs at Group of 5 powerhouse Boise State

EL PASO, Texas - UTEP's football program is used to playing non-conference road games as heavy underdogs in recent years, as they will be this Friday night at Group of Five powerhouse Boise State. It is however a fresh and encouraging feeling going in unbeaten, as they are off to their first 2-0 start since 2005.

The Miners head north for a Friday night clash on the blue turf at Boise State's Albertsons' Stadium, giving UTEP's program a chance to show college football how far they have come since Dana Dimel started his rebuild in 2018.

"This is a really good football team that we're getting ready to play," said Dimel ahead of the matchup with Boise State. "And got to have ourselves playing a top of the line football game."

In what, on paper, should be UTEP's most daunting challenge this season, the Broncos represent the highest echelon of mid-major college football. Boise State currently holds the second-highest program winning percentage in all of college (73%) behind only Ohio State.

"Boise's just really established themselves over the last 15-20 years almost now as a very top level program," said Dimel of Boise State's pedigree. "They're definitely a Power 5-type of Program even though they're in a Group of Five in the Mountain West."

Prior to 2020's COVID-impacted year, Boise State had appeared in 18 straight bowl games which include a 3-0 record in the Fiesta Bowl.

"They've been in the top of the heap in the Mountain West for along period of time. And so our challenge is to raise our game and play to that type of a level on the road."

With Friday night's game at Albertsons' stadium expected to be a sellout at over 36,000 people, Dimel is hoping that UTEP's season-opening road victory at New Mexico State will ease players' nerves heading into Boise.

"It helped us having a road game, a big road game to open up our season," says Dimel. "So it's nothing new to us to go on the road."

Last season, UTEP played six of their games away from home.

"We've played what, I think 7 of our last 9 games on the road? But the positive is, we're used to it. I think we'll be comfortable in that setting and hopefully we'll just play some really good football."

Boise State should be motivated looking for their first win of the season, as they lost their season opener 36-31 at Central Florida. In that game, Boise State blew a 24-7 first half lead.

The Broncos run a fast-paced offense led by QB Hank Bachmeier, who is in his third year as the starter. A two-time 1,000+ yard passer, Bachmeier has a number of weapons at his disposal at wide receiver in preseason All-Mountain-West wideout Khalil Shakir and upperclassmen Stefan Cobbs and Octavius Evans.

Containing Shakir, who caught two touchdown passes against UCF, will be a priority for UTEP's secondary.

"We love when an offense has big playmakers at receiver because it's a test for us," says UTEP safety Justin Prince. "Shakir is a big playmaker for them, when the ball's in his hands he's very dangerous. We just gotta key in on that...be sound in the run game and don't let any balls get behind us in the secondary."

A big factor in the game will be whether or not Boise State running back George Holani suits up in the game. A former four-star recruit, Holani rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2019 as a freshman before missing a majority of the shortened 2020 season with injury.

It's worth noting that when Holani plays, the Broncos are 9-1 as opposed to 3-3 when he doesn't.

Holani missed the game at UCF, and as a result, running backs Andrew Van Buren and Cyrus Habibi Likio only managed a combined 49 yards on 22 carries.

Boise State could also be without a number of offensive lineman, who were held out of the UCF game with injury. First-team All-Mountain West safety Kekaula Kaniho will also miss the first half against UTEP, stemming from a targeting penalty against UCF.

Despite the few uncertainties surrounding Boise's roster availability, Dimel is not concerned with the Broncos injury report.

"I'm not worried about what their mindset is. I'm not worried about anything with Boise, that's their preparation, that's their coaches' preparation," said Dimel. "I'm really speaking truthfully here."

"I'm worried about our football team, getting our football team ready because I know that when our football team is completely ready and healthy....We played a pretty darn good football game in the first two games."

"If we can play like we did in game one, it could be a good night for the Miners," said Dimel in reference to the season-opening 30-3 win at New Mexico State.

Dimel added that the key to staying in the game would be slowing down the tempo to fit UTEP's liking.

"We wanna shorten games. I mean that's what we do."

"Especially when you're playing a team that's as good as Boise is. If we can shorten this game, that will be to our advantage."

UTEP will have to do so without star running back Deion Hankins, who will miss his second consecutive game with a shoulder injury. The Miners expect Hankins to return for the September 25th home game vs. New Mexico.

In his place, Ronald Awatt and Quardraiz Wadley will continue to carry the load.

"Going into this week, it's all about preparation," says Awatt, who has totaled 200 yards and touchdowns in the first two games. "That's pretty much how I get my confidence."

"The more we run the ball, it opens up the game for the passing game as well. It opens up the offense as a whole whenever we have a good running game."

If the Miners want to pull the upset, it could be determined in the trenches. Should they do so, it would be hands-down the biggest win of the Dana Dimel era and arguably of the 21st century.

Kickoff for Friday night's game is set for 7:30 MT, with the game broadcast nationally on Fox Sports 1.