For 287 days, the Sun Bowl sat void of UTEP football.
But once the first home game hit for the Miners, it was done in style as one of college football’s most historic stadiums welcomed more than 40,000 fans into the doors.
Thanks to the new Miner Walk, the return of the Mineshaft, and the overall surge of rejuvenation in UTEP football, supporters soaked it all in.
“It’s been a while since we (have) seen this energy,” said Veronica Garcia, a UTEP 2004 graduate. “It’s a great crowd out, we’re so excited to see him,” expressed Garcia when asked about coach Walden’s attitude and effect.
Fidel Sosa also felt the atmosphere was back.
“Tonight, there’s energy. I’ve never seen the stadium this full unless it’s monster trucks,” said Sosa. “Walden is bringing it, he’s crazy.”
UTEP showed great potential, as they scored two touchdowns in the first quarter alone.
In the fourth, the Miners dug into the playbook of the Super Bowl 52 champions Philadelphia Eagles and executed “The Philly Special” to perfection, which helped force overtime.
Ultimately, the Miners fell short. Losing to Southern Utah 27-24.
It was a heartbreaking loss, yet it’s an important one to help UTEP football grow into the positions they want to be in.
Even if it feels that Head Coach Scotty Walden has been a vital part of the El Paso community for a long time, the reality is Walden’s effects haven’t even been given a year to put into practice.
The overhaul of UTEP football was quick. They turned the head coach page in the winter, ran the transfer portal in spring, and remained secretive in late summer practices as to not offer any outside views to a developing game plan.
Many of the pillars of Miner Football like sophomore quarter back Skylar Locklear, and senior wide-receiver Trey Goodman are still growing to adapt to the FBS world after following Walden from Austin Peay.
The Miner Faithful doesn’t dismiss that the UTEP football program is still writing the thesis to their new story, as fans understand what stage Walden is in.
“I think it’s going to take time, it’s not going to happen overnight,” said 2005 UTEP graduate Sergio Perez. “We just have to trust Coach Walden to bring his system in for it to have any success.”
Week two may not have been the shining moment Walden and staff have worked for, but UTEP’s new football story needs more than two weeks to write.
After all, Miner fans are here to support all the way through.
“I’ve been coming here since I was young, I’ve kept on coming, I’m never going to stop coming, even when it’s been hard to come,” said Kevin Dorman, a 2012 UTEP alumni who’s been going to Miner football games since 1995.
The Miners make the nearly 2000-mile trip to face the undefeated Liberty flames next week.
That game can be viewed on ESPN+ or listened to on 95.5 KROD.
Sebastian Perez-Navarro is a staff reporter for The Prospector and can be reached at [email protected]
