One-on-one with UTEP’s Scotty Walden; Miners prepare for Wednesday game versus FIU
EL PASO, Texas - UTEP returns to the Sun Bowl to host FIU during Conference USA’s Midweek Madness.
The Miners and Panthers are set to kick off at 7 p.m. MT on Wednesday night, while the contest will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. Wednesday night is the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame Game with proud partner El Paso Children’s Hospital as the game sponsor.
Miner fans can purchase their UTEP-FIU tickets at www.utepminers.com/tickets, by calling 915.747.UTEP, by emailing: tickets@utep.edu, or at the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 201 Glory Road [Brumbelow Building, UTEP Campus]).
The CUSA home opener will be televised on CBS Sports Network, and fans can tune into “The Home of UTEP Football” 600 AM ESPN with “The Voice of the UTEP Miners” Jon Teicher and former UTEP wide receiver Cole Freytag.
Five of the newest members of the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame will be honored during Wednesday’s contest.
Tobi Amusan (track and field), Beto Bautista (men’s basketball), Izabela Piekarska (women’s basketball), Tony Tolbert (football) and Brandon Wolfram will be inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame tonight (Oct. 15).
UTEP (0-6, 0-3 CUSA) is coming off a 44-17 setback at WKU on Oct. 10. Some bright spots for the Miners were Ezell Jolly rushing for a career-high 119 yards, Corey Wren returning a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and Kenny Odom ran off another big touchdown, this time a career-long 76-yard score.
UTEP scored the first 10 points of the second half as Wren returned the opening kick and Buzz Flabiano hit a 42-yard field goal at the 5:29 mark to get within 10 points (27-17).
Defensively, Lantz Russell tallied 11 tackles and intercepted his first pass in a UTEP uniform.
In his first collegiate start, freshman Stratton Shufelt tallied a career-best seven tackles with a pass breakup and QB hurry.
Shufelt’s breakup led to Russell’s interception as Shufelt batted the ball in Russell’s hands.
FIU (2-4, 1-1 CUSA) recently fell at Liberty, 31-24 in overtime, on Oct. 8 in Lynchburg, Va.
The Panthers chalked up a league victory after defeating LA Tech 17-10 on Sept. 28. At Liberty, the Panthers were down 24-10 at the 10:43 mark of the fourth quarter before Kejon Owens rushed for a three-yard score and Keyone Jenkins added a one-yard rush into the end zone to tie the game at 24-24 with 1:42 left in regulation.
The Flames would go on to score in the overtime period, followed by the Panthers turning the ball over on their possession ending the contest.
The Panthers are led by junior linebacker Travion Barnes who leads CUSA with 70 tackles and 11.7 tackles per contest.
Jenkins ranks second in CUSA with nine touchdown tosses while the redshirt sophomore completes over 63 percent of his passes (110-174).
Junior wide receiver Eric Rivers ranks third in the conference in receiving yards (448) and receiving yards per game (74.7).
“[Eric Rivers] can run and fly. He’s a deep threat, and we have to know where he’s at. He’s an elite receiver we need to make sure we have great eyes and great leverage,” UTEP Head Coach Scotty Walden said. “A great pass defense has to have a great pass rush and that’s going to be a challenge this week and we have to layer our rush and contain because [Keyone] Jenkins, their quarterback, does a phenomenal job extending the play. He throws the deep ball well and just does a great job finding his receivers downfield. Their o-line and huge and does a great job protecting him. Defensively they have really good team speed. They do a great job mixing up their coverages. Their linebacker [Travion Barnes] runs sideline to sideline and I respect the heck out of him. Their front four is extremely long and athletic. We’ll have our hands full for sure, they’re a really talented football team.”
UTEP (0-6, 0-3) vs. FIU (2-4, 1-1)
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 16
Time: 7 p.m. MT
Location: El Paso, Texas
Venue: Sun Bowl Stadium (45,971)
X Updated: @UTEPFB
TV: CBSSN
PxP: Dave Ryan
Analyst: Brock Vereen
Radio: 600 AM ESPN
PxP: Jon Teicher
Analyst: Cole Freytag
Sideline: Mando Medina
WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN
The Miners and Hilltoppers will be nationally televised on CBSSN with Dave Ryan (play-by-play) and Brock Vereen (analysis). The action continues on “The Home of UTEP Football” 600 AM ESPN 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. FIU
UTEP has won the last two meetings against FIU to even up the series at 3-3. The Miners are 2-1 versus the Panthers in the Sun Bowl. UTEP defeated FIU 27-14 last season on national television in Miami while taming the Panthers 40-6 in El Paso during the 2022 campaign. UTEP defeated FIU in their first meeting in 2013, 33-10. During last season’s first victory in Miami, QB Cade McConnell threw two touchdowns of 80 and 23 yards to WR Kelly Akharaiyi to jump out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. RB Deion Hankins got UTEP on the board first with a one-yard run into the end zone, and Buzz Flabiano added a 37-yard field goal in the second quarter and a 20-yard make in the fourth. McConnell finished 11-of-17 for 262 yards, while QB Kevin Hurley completed a 40-yard pass. Akharaiyi tallied 223 receiving yards on eight catches. Defensively, DE Maurice Westmoreland tallied six tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The Panthers were held to 91 yards rushing.
