One-on-one with UTEP’s Scotty Walden; Miners prepare for season opener at Utah State
EL PASO, Texas - The highly-anticipated year two of the Scotty Walden era begins Saturday (Aug. 30) when UTEP opens the 2025 campaign at Utah State.
The Miners and Aggies will be televised on CBS Sports Network with kickoff set for 5:30 p.m. MT in Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium.
UTEP will kick off its 108th season in Logan against Utah State, as the two schools meet for the first time since the 2014 New Mexico Bowl. The Miners and Aggies are facing each other for a fourth time overall. It’s UTEP’s first trip to Logan since 1961, and first to the state of Utah since 1998.
UTEP finished 3-9 during Walden’s first season, but it won two of the last three games in 2024. The Miners averaged more than 38 points per game in their three victories. Utah State went 4-8 last year, but veteran head coach Bronco Mendenhall takes over the reins in 2025, bringing his 140 career victories to Logan.
Fans can listen on 95.5 KLAQ with “The Voice of the UTEP Miners” Jon Teicher returning for his 45th season calling the action for the Orange and Blue. Former UTEP wide receiver Cole Freytag joins “Teich” in the booth, while Mando Medina will roam the sidelines.
Malachi Nelson, a unanimous five-star recruit and rated the no. 1 prospect in the country by ESPN in 2022, will make his first collegiate start to lead the “Blue Blaze” offense. Walden announced Nelson as QB1 on Aug. 21. Nelson is one of 43 transfers to join Walden’s “fearless, fast and physical” style of football.
A few familiar faces will serve as effective targets for Nelson as UTEP’s leading wide receiver, Kenny Odom, returns. Odom hauled in eight touchdowns, second most in Conference USA, and the most for a UTEP WR since 2010. Jackknife Kam Thomas is back after leading the Miners with 871 all-purpose yards. Thomas was also named to the 2024 All-CUSA first team as a punt returner on Wefense.
Defensive tackle KD Johnson returns as a fifth-year player after receiving an extra year of eligibility. Johnson started all 12 games, racking up 40 tackles (16 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2024. Linebacker Micah Davey is a senior transfer from McNeese State, who will be relied upon to help lead the “Orange Swarm” defense. Davey racked up 311 tackles in 29 career games with the Cowboys. Safety Xavier Smith returns for a second season and will help lead the defensive attack after pacing all UTEP DBs with 78 tackles last season. Graduate student cornerback Neil Campbell comes to the Sun City from Indiana Wesleyan, where he picked off 16 career interceptions in 49 games.
