Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the UTEP Miners season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– UTEP Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 1-11 overall, 1-7
Head Coach: Dana Dimel, 2nd year, 1-11
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UTEP OFFENSE
– It doesn’t seem right to suggest that an offense that finished 125th in the nation averaging 308 yards and 18 points per game improved, but it did. The 2017 Miners failed to score more than 21 points in any game and only the 20 mark twice. The 2018 Miners scored 20 or more eight times.
– Eight starters return, with the offense needing senior QB Kai Locksley to grow into a difference-maker after getting banged up and seeing time in nine games.
The 6-4, 200-pounder had ankle issues, but if he’s right, there should be a decent passing game, even with four of the top five receivers done. The recruiting class should help a little bit, but the corps needs to find options around speedy senior Keynan Foster, whocaught 18 passes averaging over 17 yards per play.
– The line went way young with two freshmen starting and with underclassmen providing the depth. After taking a whole lot of lumps – UTEP was last in Conference USA in sacks allowed and ran for just 123 yards per game -the payoff has to start kicking in with four starters back.
If the blocking is okay, the ground game should take a big leap forward with a healthy Locksley able to take off, and with the backfield combination of Quardraiz Wadley and Treyvon Hughes returning.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UTEP DEFENSE
– Five starters are back from a defense that had its moments. It allowed fewer than 400 yards per game, but the secondary and pass defense weren’t all that bad.
The team’s top four tacklers are done including CB Nik Needham and S Kahani Smith, but Nickel defender Justin Rogers is a good hitter and Michael Lewis and Broderick Harrell are okay. A few JUCO transfers need to play a big role right away. The picks have to start coming from a D that came up with just five – Rogers is the only returning Miner with an interception.
– The improvement has to start with the solid defensive tackle tandem of Denzel Chukwukelu and Chris Richardson. There’s good size between them and more among the reserves that should get into the mix right away. The ends have to show up, though, with more of a pass rush and a whole lot more pressure needing to be found around the two guys on the inside.
– Leading returning tacklers Sione Tupou came up with a 60-stop freshman season, but the rest of the linebacking corps has to emerge right away. There’s a little bit of experience returning, but the entire unit has to be far more disruptive.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP UTEP PLAYERS
Best UTEP Offensive Player
QB Kai Locksley, Sr.
If he can stay in one piece – he had ankle issues last year – and if he can get a little bit of blocking, he should be a difference-maker for defenses to worry about on a weekly basis.
The former JUCO superstar and son of Maryland head coach Mike Locksley only hit 49% of his passes with three touchdowns and nine picks, and he ran for 340 yards and six touchdowns, but the skills are there to make the passing game night-and-day better.
2. RB Quardraiz Wadley, Sr.
3. OG Bobby DeHaro, Soph.
4. WR Keynan Foster, Sr.
5. RB Deion Hankins, Fr.
Best UTEP Defensive Player
DT Denzel Chukwukelu, Sr.
The 6-4, 290-pound veteran was okay as part of the mix in his first two seasons, and then last year he turned into one of the bright spots on the Miner D. Quick off the ball, he can get into the backfield with two sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss last season to go along with 42 stops, and he’s able to block kicks. Now he’s the anchor to work around.
2. LB Sione Tupou, Soph.
3. S Ty’reke James, Jr.
4. DT Chris Richardson, Sr.
5. S Jerome Wilson, Jr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The UTEP Offense
Start hitting the passes. The blocking didn’t help with too many sacks allowed and too much pressure on the quarterbacks, and now the passing game has to improve without four of the top five receivers.
On the plus side, the the downfield passing game was there – finishing second in Conference USA averaging 13.7 yards per completion – but the quarterbacks combined to hit just 49.7% of their passes with ten touchdowns and 19 picks. If the passing game sharpens up just a wee bit, the offense should start to work. But …
Biggest Key To The UTEP Defense
Come up with more takeaways and be more disruptive. The Miners aren’t going to be Oklahoma offensively, and the defense has to do its part to do more big things and give the O a few more short fields and easy scoring chances.
The Miners came up with just 11 takeaways on the year and more than one in just two games – one of them was the lone win over Rice. 2014 was the last time the D generated more than 15 takeaways. That has to change, and it starts with getting more pressure into the backfield.
Key Player To A Successful Season
WR Keynan Foster, Sr.
After starting out his career at Florida A&M, the 5-9, 165-pounder found a role with UTEP early on as a kick returner, and last year he started seven games making 18 catches for 313 yards and two scores. He might not have done too much, but he’s the top returning receiver and needs to be a playmaker in a variety of ways for an offense that doesn’t have enough veteran targets.
Key Game To The UTEP Season
UTSA, Oct. 5
It’s not like they’re local rivals – they’ve only played six times, and the two schools are 550 miles apart – but when it comes to the Conference USA world, beating Rice is a big deal for UTEP, and getting by UTSA for the first time since 2016 – UTSA leads the series 4-2 – is a must.
The Miners should be 1-3 to start the season before getting the Roadrunners in El Paso, and this has to be where things turn. With Charlotte and Rice also coming to the Sun Bowl, this is where a home attitude has to be established.
– UTEP Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 UTEP Fun Stats
– Sacks: Opponents 42 for 257 yards – UTEP 20 for 125 yards
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Opponents 132 – UTEP 41
– Interceptions Thrown: UTEP 19 – Opponents 5
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. UTEP WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
There’s still a whole lot of work to do.
There are good parts in the offensive backfield, but the receiving corps needs a whole lot of work and the offensive line still has to prove it can keep someone from hanging out in the backfield.
The defense is welcoming in a slew of new parts from the recruiting class and the JUCO ranks, but it’s still not going to be a rock to rely on week-in-and-week-out. However, this will be a stronger UTEP team and should finally start to turn this thing around.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 3
The Miners will be 1-0 after beating Houston Baptist, but it’ll be a fight to come up with too many more wins. Considering the program has won one game in the last two years, even a three-win season will look great.
With home games against UTSA, Charlotte and Rice, and a date up the road against New Mexico State, the Miners should be able to come up with at least two more victories. If the line play is better, flirting with five wins isn’t out of the question.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
