Middle Tennessee Late TD Downs Miners, 20-13, Saturday
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - Buzz Flabiano gave UTEP (1-8, 1-5 Conference USA) a 13-10 lead on a 29-yard field goal early in the third quarter but Middle Tennessee (3-6, 2-3 CUSA) scored the last 10 points, including a touchdown with 1:53 to play to rally for its first road win of the season, 20-13, in Sun Bowl Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
After falling three points behind, MTSU’s Zeke Rankin hit a 27-yard field goal late in the third quarter to tie the game at 13 apiece, and Nicholas Vattiato’s one-yard rushing touchdown gave the Blue Raiders the go-ahead lead.
Middle Tennessee finished 3-for-13 on third-down conversions, but all three were converted on its game-winning drive. The Blue Raiders converted on a third-and-1, third-and-4, and third-and-9 on a scoring drive that went 47 yards on nine plays and took over five minutes off the clock.
The Miners forced a trio of Blue Raider turnovers as Vattiato threw two interceptions and Cam’ron Lacy fumbled the opening kickoff to open the second half. The Miners scored six points off turnovers. The first three points came off a Josiah Allen pick in the first quarter that resulted in a Flabiano 32-yard field goal to tie the game 3-3. Flabiano’s 29-yarder came after Amier Boyd-Matthews tallied a forced fumble and fumble recovery to open the third quarter.
JP Pickles was the first UTEP true freshman quarterback to start under center since 2013 when Mack Leftwich did it in the last four games of the campaign. Pickles finished 18-of-33 for 145 yards and an interception while rushing for 77 yards on 19 carries. Jevon Jackson, who has averaged 130.0 yards rushing the last games, led the way with 83 yards on 21 carries. Jackson has rushed for 343 yards in the last three games (114.3 ypg). He also tallied 116 all-purpose yards after leading the team in receiving yards (33) and receptions (five).
Nate Dyman led the defense with a career-high 13 tackles, while Dorian Hopkins tallied 11 tackles. Hopkins added his first sack in a UTEP uniform and picked off his second pass of the season. Maurice Westmoreland recorded a career-best seven tackles and posted a breakup. Boyd-Matthews registered a career-best five tackles and tallied his first career forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The defense held an opponent under 100 yards rushing for the third straight contest. The Miners’ D has yielded 62.0 yards rushing in the last three games.
Goodman returned two punts for 28 yards and added 32 yards on two receptions. Kenny Odom had 19 yards on four receptions and two tackles on special teams. Adam Jacklin punted five times for a career-best 45.6 average. He added two 50+ yard punts including a long of 60.
“Defensively and on special teams, I am very proud of the way they played. At times on offense, I was proud of the way we played, but we have to play better,” UTEP Head Coach Scotty Walden said. “[Middle Tennessee] made more plays down the stretch and won the field possession battle late. They scored their touchdown and couldn’t capitalize. But I talked about it in the locker room; we have to stay together for these seniors and finish for them. They know they have three guaranteed weeks of football left. We owe it to them as coaches to finish the right way for them.”
The Blue Raiders got on the board first after a Rankin 21-yard field goal at the 7:29 mark. MTSU drove the ball 34 yards on seven plays following a fake UTEP punt in which Adam Jacklin came up empty on a pass attempt.
UTEP answered with a field goal of its own when Flabiano connected on a 32-yard make at the 2:23 mark. The Miners used a short field and drove 40 yards on seven plays on the scoring drive starting at the UTEP 46 following Allen’s first career interception late in the first.
Following multiple forced punts, the Miners found pay dirt on JP Pickles’s 17-yard rush to the end zone. Buzz Flabiano’s PAT put UTEP up 10-3 at the 7:31 mark. Pickles drove 51 yards on four plays. Goodman helped set up the scoring drive when he took a punt back for a collegiate career-long 24-yard return to the UTEP 49.
The Blue Raiders tied the game on a Myles Butler career-long 61-yard touchdown reception from Nicholas Vattiato and Rankin’s PAT late in the first half. Following a UTEP punt, MTSU used only one play to find the end zone.
MTSU got the ball back at its own 48 with 1:56 left in the half and drove the ball down to the UTEP 38 but Dorian Hopkins made a play and picked off Vattiato’s pass with 34 seconds remaining in the half.
The turnovers kept coming as Boyd-Matthews forced a fumble and recovered the ball on the second-half opening kickoff. UTEP took over at the MTSU 16. The Miners only moved the ball four yards on four plays but Flabiano’s 29-yard FG gave UTEP a 13-10 edge at the 13:34 mark of the third.
UTEP forced another MTSU punt and drove the ball to midfield but Pickles threw a pass that was broken up by Marvae Myers and intercepted by Xavier Williams out of bounds to the MT 33. The Blue Raiders took advantage and tied the game on a 57-yard, 10-play drive that was capped by a Rankin 27-yard FG to tie the contest 13-13 with 2:42 left in the third.
On the ensuing possession, UTEP drove the ball down MTSU 24, but Flabiano missed a 42-yard FG that would’ve given the Miners the lead.
Vattiato finished 21-for-35 with 239 yards and a touchdown pass. Butler racked up a career-most 101 yards on five receptions, including a 61-yard score. Parker Hughes led with a game-high 14 tackles, while Jalen Davis had 11. MTSU’s defense tallied three sacks and 10 pass breakups.
UP NEXT
UTEP will host CUSA newcomer Kennesaw State in the 92nd Homecoming Game, while it’s also Senior Day. The Miners and Owls are set for a 2 p.m. MST kickoff in the Sun Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 9. UTEP will wrap up the home portion of the schedule. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ Sports Network and heard on “The Home of UTEP Football” 600 AM ESPN. Tickets are available at www.utepminers.com/tickets.
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