When Texas and UTEP meet on Saturday evening it will be the fifth time the two programs have squared off on the gridiron. The Longhorns hold a perfect 4-0 record against the Miners, with the last game played (2009) resulting in a 64-7 win for former Texas Coach Mack Brown. Texas played for the national championship that year against Alabama.
The Longhorns are surging after the upset win over Notre Dame, while UTEP starts the season 1-0 after a 38-22 win over New Mexico State. UTEP has the playmakers to put solid numbers up on offense, but can they keep up with what looks like a very capable, potent Texas offense?
We caught up with Alex Nicolas, Senior Editor for MinerRush.com (SBNation), to learn more about the Miner football team that will take the field on Saturday night in Austin.
HornSports: UTEP QB Zach Greenlee threw for 3 TD’s and 229 yards in Miners’ 38-22 season opening win over New Mexico State. Looks like UTEP will be without him for the Texas game due to injury. Who can the Longhorns expect to see under center for Saturday’s game?
Miner Rush: For sure it will be Kavika Johnson who has officially been named the starter, but UTEP might employ two quarterbacks for diversion purposes. Both Kavika Johnson, and now second string quarterback Ryan Metz were the Miners quarterbacks last year as freshmen. Johnson will take majority of the snaps and also played wide receiver last week, but don’t be surprised to see Metz who maybe the better pocket passer at this point. Johnson is one of UTEP’s most dynamic athletes, and his fan club among fans is hoping for a coming out party for the former 3-star prospect.
HornSports: Running Back Aaron Jones has some flash to him and racked up 249 yards on the ground last week. How do you see the Miner rushing attack faring against a Texas defense that gave up 444 total yards (206 on the ground) to Notre Dame last weekend?
Miner Rush: I think they can have relative success, but the key for Texas is playing in the backfield and forcing UTEP into second and third and long situations. Jones will get his yards, but if Texas can stop or stuff him on early downs, it will be tough for the Miners to get a push and create some space for Jones to work.
HornSports: On the flip side…. Texas has a formidable running back duo in D’Onta Foreman and Chris Warren III. What’s the UTEP game plan to limit the success of the Texas rushing attack?
Miner Rush: That’s the big question everyone is wondering. UTEP did a good job of stopping the run against NMSU, but the poor Aggies don’t even have 250 pound linebackers, and Texas has two 250 pound backs. The main plan could be just to tackle these guys in the first level or a five yard radius from the line of scrimmage and not allow yards after contact into the second level because these guys will brush off arm tackles, and embarrass UTEP.
HornSports: Give us a couple of players on the UTEP side that Texas fans should keep an eye out for.
Miner Rush:
Terry Juniel, WR/PR
Juniel is a former JUCO all-american who averaged 17.3 yards in six punt returns in his UTEP debut last week, and is also a shifty slot receiver who can really run.
Alvin Jones, LB
Aaron Jones’ twin brother is one of the top linebackers in C-USA, and is the straw that stirs the Miners defensive drink of havoc and physicality.
Will Hernandez, OL
Hernandez who is a junior and is a two year starter, and one of UTEP’s top NFL prospects. He’s huge, nasty, and has opened up major gaps for some of Aaron Jones’ big runs.
Devin Cockrell, Safety
He missed all of last season with a knee injury, but had a solid camp and was back in form against NMSU. Cockrell is another one of the UTEP’s top junior NFL prospects to keep an eye in the near future.
HornSports: The Miners have only one winning season over the last ten years. Head Coach Sean Kugler is in his 4th year as head coach in El Paso. He brought in new offensive and defensive coordinators during the offseason. Have these additions to the coaching staff helped and is there any reason to think Kugler can straighten things out for the program and consistently yield winning seasons?
Miner Rush: Yeah most definitely and we saw it in the latest recruiting cycle in a short amount of time. Guys like Brent Pease, and Tom Mason have been able to pluck guys from Cedar Hill, Allen, and even Zack Greenlee from Fresno State that has quickly upgraded the Miners recruiting approach. On the X’s and O’s side, Brent Pease’s attention to detail has improved UTEP’s fundamentals on offense. While Tom Mason who has been labeled by players I talk to as a players coach has really done a good job of getting guys to buy in into a less complex system to learn compared to the past three seasons. With a manageable schedule after this game, and the improvement you expect, there is no doubt Kugler has things in the right direction.
HornSports: UTEP played Texas Tech last year in Lubbock and they will face Texas at home on Saturday evening. Tech got the better of them to the tune of 69-20. How do you think this one plays out for the Miners?
Miner Rush: I think UTEP will be able to put a scoring drive together early and make some Texas fans on Twitter and message boards lose their minds for a second. But Texas’ talent level will be the difference as the game goes on. UTEP’s best bet is to run efficiently, and play keep away from Texas’ revamped offense. If that doesn’t happen, Texas will roll easily.
For more information on UTEP Football visit Miner Rush on the web at www.MinerRush.com.