The Miners (2-1,0-0) are coming off 51-13 a loss to Boise State University Friday night. Their next opponent is the University of New Mexico on Sept 25.
UNM comes into this game with an offense that is complex. Last year they finished with a 0-0 record due to a cancelation of their 2020 season because of the pandemic, which also affected other teams throughout the country.
“They got a group of receivers and got a couple of young receivers that are very good players for them. They have some experienced receivers that have been around and are proven players. So, they got a good mix there. Coach Dana Dimel said in a Sept 20 press conference.
In this upcoming game, the Lobos have a couple of players to look out for and how they can make an impact in this game.
Senior transfer quarterback Terry Wilson for UNM poses a big threat to the Miners defense with his passing skills and ability to get away from the defense. Wilson was named Mountain West player of the week after having a good performance. He threw for a career high 381 yards on 26-of-37 passing with three touchdowns. The Miners last game let up over 400 yards in passing and through the ground. UNM is posing a similar challenge to this defense.
Another player that has a chance to really put the Miners on their heels on defense is running back Bobby Cole. Cole rushed for 546 yards on 97 carries and averaged 5.6 yards, a valuable piece to the Lobos’ offensive flow. This offense has a lot of similar plays from former offensive coordinator from Arizona State University Danny Gonzales, now the head coach of the UNM football team.
Defensively, the Lobos are a stout defensive team. In one of the wins earlier is this season, the Lobos only allowed 187 yards overall, and barely gave up any yards rushing on the grounds. In the same game, the Lobo’s had five sacks, three takeaways, 10 tackles for a loss, and six pass break ups.
“I think they’re extremely well coached, football team on defense, do a great job. They’re very, they do a lot of things defensively, but they’re very sound with what they do. It’s not like one of those teams that does a bunch of things and you say well they’re not sound” Dimel said.
Offensively, the Miners must have a similar start like the same way they did against Boise State if they want to overcome Lobos’ defense. In their loss against Boise State, their offense stalled a lot of the time after one strong drive that ended in a field goal. The Miners had 200 yards worth of offense, but could not score more than 13 points.
If the Miners want to have a shot at winning this game, they must follow the strategy for success employed in the game versus New Mexico State University to pull out the win.
UTEP still has a firm grasp on the conference and they have not played anyone to affect their record, even if they’re second place behind University of San Antonio.
The Miners host the University of New Mexico at 7 p.m. Sept. 25 at Sun Bowl Stadium. Students can get free tickets to football games with a Miner Gold Card.
Visit studenttickets.utep.edu for more information.
