An overcast set of clouds forced an early start for the UTEP Miners football team to start their second to last day of practice at camp Ruidoso Friday morning.
First-year head coach Dana Dimel is pleased so far with his team as the camp is coming to a close.
“I really like the enthusiasm. It’s been very competitive,” Dimel said.
The day was spent installing the majority of the new Miners offensive schemes. That can vary from one wide receiver on the field to at times five wideouts on the field all at once.
Offensive coordinator Mike Canales has put his fingerprints all over this revamped offense by utilizing the wideouts.
Senior wideout Warren Redix has already felt the impact of the new offense and how the addition of spreading the field will benefit the Miners.
“We feel like we’ll have more of an impact this year. If we have more of an impact than we had last year hopefully it translates to wins on the field,” Redix said.
Fellow senior wide receiver Kavika Johnson echoed Redix’s statement as he gave praise to his quarterbacks.
“From the spring to now, we’ve been utilized more. Quarterbacks have done a great job putting the ball in my hands,” Johnson said.
Graduate transfer and coach Dimel’s son, Winston Dimel, is excited about the versatility of this new offense combining his dad’s philosophy with Canales.
“I think it’s a good mixture of my dad’s stuff and coach Canales stuff spreading it out, getting it in tight and running it downhill,” Dimel said.
Senior quarterback Ryan Metz gave praise to not only coach Canales, but also to wide receivers coach Scotty Ohara and inside wide receivers coach Jake Waters on preparing the receivers and working with them on what they need to improve.
“It always helps when an oc (offensive coordinator) can come in and they can all talk and really collaborate well together and say hey this is what the receiver needs to do,” Metz said. “I think all three of them have done a great job in getting the receivers right. They’ve been making some great plays here at camp and I’m looking forward to continuing that into the season.”
The main question for the Miners is who will be behind center. The quarterback situation is something to keep an eye on with Metz and junior transfer Kai Locksley vying for the starting gig.
“The quarterback situation has been obviously very competitive right now,” Dimel said. “Our thrust there is getting the top two guys ready to play and get three and four ready to develop some depth there. So there’s competition all the way down to the fourth spot.”
Tomorrow will mark the end of camp Ruidoso. Coach Dimel plans to hold practice followed by a 60–play scrimmage. Dimel views the scrimmage as a necessity, with the main focus being on the defense.
“We need to get to work on tackling and work on taking guys to the ground defensively more than anything,” Dimel said. “So that’s why I do it, I really don’t think you have to scrimmage alot but tomorrow the defense just needs to get to work on tackling.”
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