Two non-conference matchups remain until Texas turns the page to SEC play. UTEP comes to Austin 1-1 after opening the season with a 28-16 loss to Utah State and a 42-17 thrashing of FCS UT Martin last weekend.
Head coach Scotty Walden is a fascinating story, getting his first head coaching job at Division III East Texas Baptist at the age of 27 before working his way up the college ranks via stops at Southern Miss, Austin Peay, and now UTEP. The Miners went 3-9 last season and were blasted by a combined score of 106-7 in their two power conference games against Nebraska and Tennessee.
Offense
Former five-star Malachi Nelson (same recruiting class as Arch Manning) was brought in via the transfer portal this offseason after failed stops at USC and Boise State. Nelson is completing 60% of his passes with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception. He has been sacked 3 times and offers nothing as a runner (9 carries for 0 yards). The arm talent is there, but the consistency is severely lacking and the main reason he is now at the Group of 5 level.
The leading rusher for the Miners after two games is Hahsaun Wilson, who broke off a 94-yard TD run against UT Martin. RB/WR Kam Thomas will not play against the Longhorns after suffering an injury in the Utah State game.
WR Kenny Odom is the biggest playmaking threat for UTEP. The Austin Peay transfer followed Scotty Walden to El Paso and led the Miners in receiving last year (46 catches for 741 yards) and is already at 221 yards receiving in 2025.
Defense
UTEP is very aggressive and active on defense. The Miners have registered 10 sacks and 23 TFLs in two games. DE Ashaad Hall, a transfer from South Carolina State, has 2 sacks already on the season.
The Miners start 8 transfers on defense, and the secondary surrendered quite a bit of yardage to Utah State in the opener (8.3 yards per attempt) before not being tested much against UT Martin. The Longhorns are still looking to develop chemistry between Arch Manning and a group of young receivers, so it could be another game where #16 is putting the ball in the air quite a bit.
Final Thoughts
UTEP is likely a step down from San Jose State in terms of overall talent, but the Miners’ defense is going to test a Texas offense that is still looking to find its footing.
Defensively for Texas, it would be nice to see more splash plays in the form of sacks and TFLs. The Texas defense has been very strong overall, but has not inflicted a ton of negative plays.
