At some point in time, the sun has to set on the career of student athletes. It is that time again for another senior day for the UTEP football team, with 20 Miners looking to leave the Sun Bowl with a lasting memory against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
It has been an up-and-down season for the Miners, which has seen devastating injuries to key players along with some pleasant surprises from talented underclassmen. If you have missed out on a large portion of the Miners’ season, here is a guide to some of the more heralded seniors who will be making their last stand this Saturday.
Although his contribution to the football team was short and very limited, Lang should go down in UTEP athletics history as an all-time great. He played for the UTEP men’s basketball team under coach Tim Floyd for fours years, and left quite the mark.
Lang left the men’s program as the all-time leader in field goal percentage, 12th in total rebounds and fourth in games played at 130. He was known for his high intensity, activity on the boards and charismatic personality.
His time with the football team has been somewhat of a letdown because it made for such a great story, but one game, specifically one catch should put Lang in legendary status.
In the Miners’ third game of the season back on Sept.19, Lang caught the game-winning touchdown pass against New Mexico State in Las Cruces. Most football players wait four years to make the biggest catch of their career against their archrival on the road, Lang did it in his third game.
To most fans a long snapper is as noticeable as an indiscriminant leaf on a tree. With that being said, Dooley deserves some recognition. He is a four-year starter for the Miners at the long snapper position and he was part of the 2014 Miners that went to the New Mexico Bowl.
If you have trouble finding him on the field this Saturday, just look for the biggest human being on the field. With a 6-feet, 8-inches tall, 300-pound frame, it’s not like finding Waldo.
Players in unheralded positions do not get that much love, so go out and support Dooley for one last time or the first time.
Have you ever walked around campus, saw a guy with a dirty blonde mullet, and said who is that guy? Well that is senior linebacker Jimmy Musgrave, who has been one of the more consistent players for the Miners’ defense in the last two seasons.
A JUCO transfer from Victory Valley College in Victorville, California, Musgrave has started all 10 games for the Miners this season and is second on the team in tackles.
His top-of-the-line mullet turns some heads off the field, but his play on the field is what he will be remembered for. The scuffed helmet and blood soaked jerseys on Saturdays will be the lasting memory of Musgrave.
A 6-feet, 7-inch 260-pound defensive end with speed and strength on paper usually sounds pretty intimidating, but when you see Robertson-Harris up close it’s a whole other story.
Whether it is his natural disposition or a persona that he turns on when he goes on to the field, Robertson-Harris looks scary. His resting face usually consist of two scowls, the “I am going to destroy you scowl” and the “I can’t wait to destroy you scowl.”
With that being said, Robertson-Harris is more than a huge frame and mean face. He has been one of the Miners’ better pass rushers for the past two seasons at the defensive end position.
You won’t see him in orange and blue after this season, but one day you might see him playing on Sundays.
The guy running by himself into the end zone while leaving 11 players on the opposing team in the dust is Autrey Golden. The speedster could be described as a utility player, who can line up in the backfield, slot or out-wide for the Miners’ offense, but he will go down as one of the best kick returners in school history if not the best.
Golden is second in program history in kick returns, yards and averages and first in kick return touchdowns. His six kickoff return touchdowns rank second in college football history, and he is one more touchdown away from a three-way tie for the top spot in NCAA FBS history.
In some ways it has been a down season for Golden because he has not scored a kickoff return after having two in each of his first three seasons, but all he needs is one to cement his name in history.
The 2015 UTEP football team might not be the most exciting team in college football, but Saturday marks the end for some stellar players, who have all made an impact on the field. Do not miss out; the Miners take on Louisiana Tech at the Sun Bowl at 1:30 p.m.
Javier Cortez may be reached at [email protected].
