UTEP Miners: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
UTEP Miners: Key To The 2022 Offense
Enough with the turnovers.
The Miners need to be far better on third downs, and they have to find more downfield plays without Jacob Cowing around now. But more than anything else for an offense with the experience and upside to be good, the mistakes have to slow down.
UTEP turned the ball over 24 times. It gave it up six times against Boise State, four times against Louisiana Tech, three times against UAB, and it turned it over multiple times in six games.
When it didn’t turn it over two or more times, the team was 5-2.
Limiting the turnovers isn’t going to be a catch-all for the various problems, but it would be a huge help.
UTEP Miners: Key To The 2022 Defense
The run defense has to hold up.
It’s all relative. Just two years ago, the UTEP run defense allowed 5.6 yards per carry and got hammered for 150 yards or more in eight of the last ten games. That was par for the course over several years for the Miner D.
Last year it only allowed 3.9 yards per carry, but it gave up 22 touchdown runs with 15 of them coming over the last six games, losing five of them.
UTEP was 6-1 when allowing fewer than 140 rushing yards, and 1-5 when it gave up more.
UTEP Miners: Key Player To The 2022 Season
WR Tyrin Smith, Jr.
The Miners need to keep stretching the field and making big plays. One of the keys to the offense last season was the ability of Jacob Cowing to get deep, and now someone else needs to help make the O go.
Smith had a nice season as the third-leading receiver, catching 33 passes for 570 yards and four scores – averaging over 17 yards per catch. Now he needs to do even more.
UTEP Miners: Key Transfer
WR/KR Marcus Bellon, Soph.
UTEP was awful in the return game. It averaged just 5.4 yards per punt return, and was among the worst in America in kickoff returns averaging 17.4 yards per try.
Enter Bellon, a transfer from Santa Barbara CC who averaged 21.7 yards per punt return and 32 yards per kickoff return. A receiver, he’ll be used as a dangerous playmaker on offense, too.
UTEP Key Game To The 2022 Season
North Texas, Aug. 27
Just how real was the great 2021 season? Winning or losing in Week 0 isn’t necessarily going to make or break just how good the Miners will be this year, but beating North Texas at home in the opener would go a long way to trying to keep the magic going.
UTEP lost 20-17 year to the Mean Green, but this time it’s in El Paso. Win, and with New Mexico State coming up in a few weeks, there’s a good shot at a 2-1 start – assuming a loss at Oklahoma.
UTEP Miners: 2021 Fun Stats
– Time of Possession: UTEP 31:51 – Opponents 27:55
– Fumbles: UTEP 22 (lost 10) – Opponents 13 (lost 6)
– Points Per Game: Opponents 25.2 – UTEP 25.1
Offense, Defense Breakdown
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
UTEP Top 10 Players | UTEP Schedule