Sept. 6, 2010

Complete Game Notes in PDF Format

UTEP Gets Early Start on Conference Play

The UTEP Miners (1-0) enter conference play in the second game of the season for the first time since 2005 when they take on the Houston Cougars (1-0) on Friday at Robertson Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8:15 p.m. Mountain time (9:15 Central). The game will be nationally televised on ESPN, with Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and JC Pearson (color analyst) calling the action.

Scouting Houston

Preseason favorites in C-USA's West Division, the Cougars opened the season with a 68-28 thumping of Texas State on Saturday at Robertson Stadium. UH racked up 497 yards of offense despite averaging a little under 17 minutes of possession time. Senior QB Case Keenum completed 17 of 22 passes for 274 yards and five TDs, and junior WR Patrick Edwards -- returning from a gruesome leg injury suffered in a game at Marshall two years ago -- reeled in four catches for 80 yards. The Cougars made quick work of the FCS Bobcats, bolting to a 54-7 lead by halftime.

Series History

UTEP took a 4-3 edge in the series ledger with a 58-41 upset of 12th-ranked Houston last season in the Sun Bowl. That snapped a string of three straight wins by the Cougars over the Miners. UH holds a 2-0 advantage in games played in Houston. UTEP and Houston faced one another during the 1946 and 1948 seasons, before resuming the rivalry as joint members of Conference USA during the 2005 campaign.

The Last Meeting

Donald Buckram rushed 32 times for 262 yards -- the second-highest total ever by a UTEP player -- as UTEP downed Houston, 58-41, on Oct. 3, 2009 in the Sun Bowl. The Miners scored their first victory over a ranked team since 1997. The Miners outscored the Cougars 41-24 in the second half to break a 17-17 deadlock at the midway point. Trevor Vittatoe completed 19 of 30 passes for 276 yards and two TDs, and Jeff Moturi caught six passes totaling 127 yards with a score. With 581 yards of offense, UTEP survived a monster night by Cougar signal-caller Case Keenum, who completed 51 of 76 passes for 536 yards and five scores. Keenum's pass attempts and completions were both Sun Bowl records.

UTEP-Houston Player Ties

UTEP's two-deep features one native of Houston (starting LCB Antwon Blake) and seven from the greater Houston area (Aubrey Alexius, Eloy Atkinson, Joe Banyard, Nathan McCage, Bernard Obi, Royzell Smith & Greg Watkins).

UTEP redshirt freshmen DL Germard Reed and DB Terr'l Mark and Houston sophomore OL Jacolby Ashworth were teammates at Lufkin (Texas) High School. UTEP freshman TE Kevin Perry is an Opelousas, La. native but was a four-year starter at Houston Christian Westbury. Perry competed alongside the Cougars' Charles and DeAnthony Sims. UTEP freshman OL Jerel Watkins and UH sophomore DL Tyrone Campbell played together at Channelview (Texas) High School. UTEP freshman RB Josh Bell and UH freshman TE Kenneth Bibbins, Jr., were teammates at Kempner HS (Sugarland, Texas). UTEP junior DL Jamie Fehoko and UH DL Matangi Tonga are both products of the College of San Mateo, but they played one year apart. Miner reserve QB/starting holder Carson Meger (Plano HS) and UH DL Ameen Behbahani (Plano West HS) both hail from Plano, Texas, but they attended different schools. Cougar senior LB Matt Nicholson is an alumnus of Plano HS. UTEP senior RB Jason Williams and UH freshman LB Austin Wilson graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, Texas. Miner sophomore DL Greg Watkins and UH sophomore DB Chris Cermin and freshman DB Shane Ros all hail from Katy, Texas. UTEP senior WR Kris Adams and Cougar freshman WR Dominique Sanders are natives of Fort Worth, Texas. Miner sophomore kicker Dakota Warren and UH's DeAndre Perry (WR), Chris Robinson (LB) and Jeremy Smith (LB) cite Austin as their hometown. UTEP senior OL Rod Huntley and Cougar junior LB Marcus McGraw and freshman WR Langston Williams are from Arlington.

UTEP-Houston Coaching Ties

Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Washington State from 1989-90 when Mike Price was head coach of the Cougars. UH defensive coordinator Brian Stewart coached the wide receivers/running backs at Cal Poly when Miner defensive coordinator Andre Patterson was at the helm of that program. Additionally, co-offensive coordinator Aaron Price served as the special teams coach on that squad. UH co-offensive coordinator Kliff Klingsbury played part of the 2005 NFL season for Denver, where Patterson coached the defensive line. Patterson and UH DL coach Jim Jeffcoat worked together for the Dallas Cowboys from 2002-05.

UTEP in the Space City

The Miners have lost their last four games in the city of Houston dating back to a 38-31 triumph at Rice on Oct. 29, 2005. UTEP fell 34-17 at Houston in 2006, 56-48 at Rice in 2007, 42-37 at Houston in 2008 and 30-29 at Rice in 2009. UTEP is 1-5 in games played in the Bayou City under coach Mike Price, including a 33-28 setback at the hands of Colorado in the 2004 EV1.net Houston Bowl.

UTEP in C-USA Play

UTEP is 17-23 in Conference USA games since joining the league in 2005. The Miners are 12-8 in C-USA home games and 5-15 on the road. UTEP has lost 10 of its last 11 C-USA road games, including seven in a row dating back to a 40-37 double-overtime triumph at Southern Miss on Oct. 4, 2008.

Miners Markedly Better Versus C-USA's West Division

UTEP has been much better versus Conference USA's West Division (12-13 record) than its East counterparts (5-10) since joining the league for the 2005 campaign. In the 25 games versus West foes, the Miners have averaged 35.0 points and 448.0 yards per game (304.0 passing/144.0 rushing). Defensively, UTEP has yielded 36.1 ppg and 465.0 ypg (271.0 passing/194.0 rushing). The Miners have caused 52 turnovers in the 25 games against the West, picking off 27 passes and recovering 25 fumbles.

UTEP in C-USA Openers

UTEP is 5-0 in Conference USA openers, beating Houston at home in 2005 (44-41 in double overtime), SMU at home in 2006 (24-21), SMU on the road in 2007 (48-45 in overtime), UCF at home in 2008 (58-13) and Houston at home in 2009 (58-41). Since C-USA was re-structured in 2005, only UTEP and Tulsa won all of their conference openers over the last five years. The Golden Hurricane, however, saw its streak end with a 51-49 loss at East Carolina on Sunday.

The Miners have tied the school record with wins in five consecutive conference openers, duplicating the standard originally established from 1948-52.

UTEP is 2-3 in C-USA road openers.

C-USA Scheduling Has its Quirks

UTEP is in only its sixth season as a member of Conference USA, but the Miners are opening the league slate versus the same team in back-to-back years for the second time already. UTEP kicked off the C-USA schedule versus SMU in both 2006 and 2007, winning both matchups with the Mustangs. The Miners faced Houston in their C-USA opener in 2005 and 2009. In other words, UTEP has yet to face a school other than Houston or SMU in week one of C-USA play.

Not as Rare as You Might Think

While it may seem unusual for the Miners to be playing a conference game this early in the season, it actually marks the 29th time that UTEP has ventured into league play within the first or second game of the campaign. The Miners are 14-14 in such occurrences and have won back-to-back games in the scenario (beat SMU 37-20 in 2000, beat Houston 44-41 in double overtime in 2005).

UTEP Has Put Up the Points in League Openers

The Miners have averaged 43.8 ppg in conference openers during the Mike Price era (46.4 ppg in C-USA openers). No other UTEP coach comes close to matching the offensive output that UTEP has enjoyed in conference openers under Price. Bob Stull's squads rate second, averaging 31 ppg in openers over a three-year span (1986-88).

In their last three conference openers the Miners have scored 48 points once and 58 points twice.

Friday Night Lights

The Miners are 2-2 under Mike Price when playing on Friday night (all C-USA contests), including a 44-41 win versus Houston on Sept. 16, 2005 in the Sun Bowl. Overall UTEP sports an all-time record of 6-6 in league matchups on Fridays.

Points a Plenty

UTEP and Houston have combined to average 75.8 points per game in their five meetings since 1950, making it the Miners' highest-scoring series history during that span. Southern Miss (67.5 ppg), Rice (66.4 ppg), Boise State (66.2 ppg) and Nevada (62.0) are the only other UTEP/opponent combinations to produce at least 60 ppg during the time frame.

Yards a Plenty

The Miner/Cougar combo has also produced more total yards per game than any other since 1950. UTEP and Houston have teamed for 1,002.6 ypg in their five meetings. Tulane (878.8 ypg), Louisiana Tech (871 ypg), Texas Tech (870 ypg), Tulsa (828 ypg), Southern Miss (815 ypg) and Rice (811 ypg) have also teamed with the Miners to average at least 800 yards per contest.

The last two UTEP-Houston matchups produced 1,164 combined yards in 2008 and 1,245 combined yards in 2009.

Miners Thump Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Opener

Joe Banyard rushed 19 times for 94 yards in relief of the injured Donald Buckram, as UTEP kicked off the 2010 season with a 31-10 rout of Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday night in the Sun Bowl.

The Miners pulled away from a slim 14-10 lead at the half, outgaining the Golden Lions 245-73 in total yards after the break.

UTEP piled up 463 yards of offense on the day, as Trevor Vittatoe completed 17-of-27 passes for 229 yards. Vernon Frazier rushed six times for a personal best 89 yards as the Miners carved out 234 yards on the ground.

After the teams traded touchdowns to open the game, Banyard gave the Miners the lead for good on a one-yard scoring run early in the second quarter. After UAPB drew to within four points at the intermission, UTEP put together scoring drives of 66 and 62 yards in the third period to put the game out of reach.

The Miners improved to 40-48-5 in season openers (33-18-3 at home), while winning their initial game of the year for the first time since 2007.

A Good Way to Start

UTEP's 463 yards versus UAPB marked its fifth-highest total in a season opener, and its most since Aug. 31, 1991 versus New Mexico (502). The Miners' 234 rushing yards marked their eighth-highest total in their initial game of the season, and their most since Aug. 31, 2002 versus Sacramento State (300).

UTEP scored 30 points in a season opener for the first time since a 34-27 triumph at San Diego State in 2006, and for only the fourth time since 1992.

Miners Rush For 234 Yards ... Without a 100-Yard Back

For the first time of the Mike Price era and the third time since 2000, UTEP eclipsed 230 rushing yards against UAPB despite not having an individual 100-yard rusher. Howard Jackson accounted for 99 of the Miners' 232 rushing yards at SMU on Oct. 4, 2003. Sherman Austin finished with 91 of the 305 yards gained on the ground versus Texas Southern on Sept. 8, 2001.

More Along Those Lines

Joe Banyard and Vernon Frazier provided a potent one-two rushing attack against UAPB, finishing with 94 and 89 yards respectively. The last time UTEP had two players rush for at least 80 yards -- with neither getting to the century mark -- was versus New Mexico on Sept. 30, 2000. Chris Porter paced the Miners with 97 yards, while Rovann Cleveland contributed 92.

Miners Win Back-to-Back Home Games

UTEP, which posted a combined 12-12 record in the Sun Bowl from 2006-09, has now put together back-to-back home wins, routing Marshall in the `09 finale 52-21 before blasting UAPB 31-10 on Saturday. The Miners haven't won three consecutive home games since 2007, but will have a chance to extend their streak versus I-10 rival NM State on Sept. 18.

UTEP snapped a four-game losing streak in home non-conference games against UAPB.

Seven Miners Make First Career Starts

First-time starters for the Miners versus UAPB included junior RB Joe Banyard on offense and junior WILL LB Isaiah Carter, junior MIKE LB Jamie Irving, junior RE Bernard Obi, freshman LT Germard Reed, sophomore NT Isaac Tauaefa and sophomore RCB Drew Thomas on defense.

Defense Settles Down After Rough Start

After Arkansas-Pine Bluff moved 80 yards on 10 plays for a touchdown on its first possession of the game, the UTEP defense yielded 198 yards on 10 drives the rest of the night -- forcing four three-and-outs during that span. The Golden Lions gained 112 yards in the first quarter, 93 in the second quarter, 51 in the third quarter and 22 in the fourth quarter.

By holding Arkansas-Pine Bluff scoreless after halftime, the Miners blanked an opponent in a half for the first time since taking a 14-0 lead after two periods versus NM State last season.

UTEP has shut out 10 teams in a half in the Mike Price era -- Weber State (first & second half, `04), NM State (first & second half, `04), NM State (first half, `05); Marshall (second half, `05); Texas Southern (first & second half, `05); SMU (first half, `06), Texas Southern (first half, `07), Tulane (second half, `08), NM State (first half, `09) and UAPB (second half, `10).

No Surprise There

UTEP has been very good under coach Mike Price when its defense has held the opposition in check. The Miners improved to 13-0 when allowing less than 20 points under Price, and 27-4 when surrendering less than 30 points with the 31-10 win over UAPB. When the Miners yield 30 points or more in the Price era, they are 8-34.

Time to Rush and Hurry

UTEP's defense accounted for seven quarterback hurries in the win against UAPB, which marked the most in a season opener since 2002 (12). In fact, the effort is either equal to or better than the combined sum through the first three games dating back to 2004.

Year QBH Through Game Number 2004 8 3 2005 4 4 2006 4 3 2007 7 3 2008 6 3 2009 5 4 2010 7 1

Newcomers Producing Early, Particularly on Offense

206 of UTEP's 463 total offensive yards versus UAPB (44.5 percent) came from players seeing the first action of their Miner careers. UTEP's leading rusher was TCU transfer Joe Banyard, who ran 19 times for 94 yards. With junior RB Vernon Frazier adding a career-high 89 yards on the ground, the Miners narrowly missed having two 100-yard rushers in the same game for only the second time in the Mike Price era.

Although UTEP had six new starters on defense against the Golden Lions, 60 of the team's 68 total tackles were credited to players returning from the 2009 season.

Miners Show Good Balance Versus UAPB

UTEP ran 40 rushing plays and 28 passing plays against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, finishing with 234 yards on the ground and 229 through the air. The last time the Miners' passing and rushing totals were within five yards of each other was on Nov. 29, 2003 versus Fresno State, when UTEP accumulated 128 yards rushing and 124 passing.

Amy Etches His Name onto Career Interceptions List

The interception by Braxton Amy in the second quarter against UAPB was the 10th of his career, and his sixth in nine games since the start of the 2009 season. Amy is now tied for ninth place on the UTEP career interception list with Gerald Campbell (1949-51), Don Maynard (1955-57) and Eddie Forkerway (1977-79).

The Miners had multiple interceptions against UAPB, a feat they achieved in just three of 12 games last season.

No Worries With Revamped Kicking Game

UTEP Coach Mike Price hasn't been worried about replacing both his kicker (Logan Barrett) and punter (Greg Hiett) from last season, and the Miners' performance in week one demonstrated that his confidence in their replacements was justified. Dakota Warren nailed all four of his PAT attempts and connected on his only field goal try from 27 yards; he also averaged 60.8 yards on six kickoffs with one touchback. Ian Campbell, meanwhile, punted twice for a 37.5-yard average with a long boot of 41 yards.

Some Spice in the Returns Area

An already solid UTEP return game is expected to be bolstered by the return of Marlon McClure from a suspension in the coming weeks. McClure averaged 23.7 yards on kickoff returns -- fourth in C-USA for league games only -- after having his freshman redshirt pulled two games into the 2009 campaign. The Miners did just fine without McClure against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, as Joe Banyard and Donavon Kemp each recorded kickoff returns of 30+ yards while combining to average 25.7 yards on three attempts.

Miners Show They Can Score Both Swiftly and Slowly

The UTEP offense had three touchdown drives of six plays or less against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Miners also put together a 17-play drive in the second half that shaved 8:02 off the clock, capped by Dakota Warren's 27-yard field goal. The 17 plays tied the longest offensive drive of the Mike Price era. UTEP had a 17-play drive against NM State in 2009 that also ended with a field goal. The 8:02 elapsed time of the UAPB drive was the third-longest of the Price regime. UTEP had drives consuming 8:06 and 8:04 in 2006 versus New Mexico and Marshall, respectively, although the Miners didn't score on either drive, with both ending on a loss of downs.

A Good Omen?

The last time UTEP faced two conference opponents in the first four games of the season was 2005. Ironically enough, both league games came against Houston and Memphis. The Miners will face the Cougars on Friday and the Tigers on Sept. 25. UTEP enjoyed its last winning season in 2005, finishing 8-4 and earning a berth in the GMAC Bowl.

UTEP in September Under Price

UTEP has fashioned a combined 11-11 mark in September under Mike Price (1-2 in 2004, 3-0 in 2005, 1-2 in 2006, 3-2 in 2007, 1-2 in 2008, 1-3 in 2009, 1-0 in 2010). Overall the Miners have posted a winning record in September just seven times over the last 38 years (1987, 1988, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2007).

Miners Name Captains

UTEP's tri-captains for the 2010 season are senior RB Donald Buckram (offense), senior DB Braxton Amy (defense) and junior WR Donavon Kemp (special teams).

What the Preseason Prognosticators Are Saying

UTEP is generally regarded as the fourth-best team in Conference USA's West Division in the preseason magazines. The Sporting News, Phil Steele, Lindy's and The Kickoff all pick the Miners fourth in the West. Athlon Sports has UTEP third in the division, while Dave Campbell's Texas Football projects the Miners to land fifth.

Miners Have Experience

UTEP's roster features 26 seniors, including 16 on the offensive side of the ball. The 26 seniors ties UTEP for the fourth-top total in the country behind Hawaii (31), Louisville (27) and TCU (27). Army, Iowa and Syracuse also have 26 seniors. The Miners have 22 juniors, 19 sophomores and 40 freshmen (30 true/10 redshirt).

Miners are Seasoned in the Trenches

The bulk of UTEP's returning starting experience comes in the offensive line, as six players (Eloy Atkinson, Tanner Cullumber, Rod Huntley, Anthony McNac, Will Osolinsky, Alex Solot) have combined to make 67 starts in that unit heading into the Houston game. The Miners entered the season with 25 players who had made starts at the collegiate level -- 17 on offense and eight on defense.

Speaking of Starting

Trevor Vittatoe is tied for the third-most starts among returning FBS quarterbacks (37) behind Houston's Case Keenum (41) and Minnesota's Adam Weber (39). TCU's Andy Dalton (37), Nevada's Colin Kaepernick (34), Idaho's Nathan Enderle (33) and North Carolina's T.J. Yates (32) round out the top seven players on the list.

That's a First For Buckram

Donald Buckram is the first Miner ever to make the preseason watch list for the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year Award. Buckram is one of 30 players on the list, which includes reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram from Alabama. Buckram and Ingram are two of the 10 running backs on the watch list. Buckram joins Houston quarterback Case Keenum as Conference USA representatives among the list of candidates.

Buckram Begins Season on Familiar List

Donald Buckram is one of 49 players on the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, presented to the nation's top running back. Buckram is one of five players on the list who were 2009 semifinalists for the award, joining Alabama's Mark Ingram, Pittsburgh's Dion Lewis, Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers and Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams. This year's semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 10 and the finalists will be named on Nov. 22.

Miners Rank Among Nation's Top Returnees

Donald Buckram is the nation's second-leading returning rusher for the 2010 season. Buckram averaged 132.8 yards per game last season. Pittsburgh's Dion Lewis ranks first among returning rushers with 138.4 yards per contest a year ago. Buckram also ranks second among FBS returnees in scoring (10.5 ppg) behind Navy QB Ricky Dobbs (12.5 ppg), and sixth amongst all-purpose backs (170.6 ypg).

QB Trevor Vittatoe ranks fifth among FBS returnees in passing yards per game (275.7), and ninth in total offense per game (268.8).

Adams & Vittatoe Listed Among FBS Career Leaders Too

Through Sept. 4, senior WR Kris Adams was tied for eighth among active FBS players in touchdown catches (16). Senior QB Trevor Vittatoe was second in pass attempts (1,261), passing yards (9,912), passing yards per game (267.9) and passing touchdowns (75); third in completions (711), total offense (9,668 yards), total offense per game (261.3) and TDs responsible for (76); and 18th in passing efficiency (137.28).

Vittatoe on Pace to Become UTEP's All-Time Leading Passer

Trevor Vittatoe has thrown for 9,912 yards in his collegiate career and needs just 1,173 yards to supplant Jordan Palmer as UTEP's all-time leading passer. Vittatoe is the only quarterback in school history to pass for 3,000 yards in three separate seasons. He needs 1,374 yards to break the UTEP career total offense record, and 14 passing touchdowns to shatter the Miner career standard.

With 2,082 career rushing yards, Donald Buckram has an outside shot at eclipsing John Harvey's school record of 3,576 yards.

Vittatoe Could Cap Career as One of NCAA's All-Time Leading Passers

Trevor Vittatoe has 9,912 career passing yards. If he throws for 3,228 yards in 2010 -- his average in his first three seasons with the Miners -- he would conclude his career as the no. 9 all-time leading passer in NCAA history. Vittatoe has 75 career TD passes, and 25 more in 2010 would place him in a tie for 11th place on the all-time NCAA list. Here is a look at the 11 signal-callers in NCAA history who have hit the century mark in touchdown passes.

Player School Years TDs Graham Harrell Texas Tech 2005-08 134 Colt Brennan Hawaii 2005-07 131 Ty Detmer BYU 1988-91 121 Timmy Chang Hawaii 2000-04 117 Tim Rattay Louisiana Tech 1997-99 115 Danny Wuerffel Florida 1993-96 114 Colt McCoy Texas 2006-09 112 Case Keenum-x Houston 2007- 107 Dan LeFevour Central Michigan 2006-09 102 Chase Daniel Missouri 2005-08 101 Chad Pennington Marshall 1997-99 100

x - indicates active player

Defense Gets an Overhaul for 2010

UTEP has a new defensive scheme -- with a 4-3 base -- and a largely new defensive staff for the 2010 season. The Miners employed a 3-3-5 scheme in 2008 and 2009. UTEP's new defensive coordinator is long-time NFL defensive line coach Andre Patterson. Adam Gonzaga takes over coaching the safeties, and former Miner Robert Rodriguez has been elevated from a graduate assistant to linebackers coach. The only holdover on the defensive staff is cornerbacks coach Allen Johnson.

Miners Have High Hopes For This Newcomer

Junior college transfer TraVaun Nixon will certainly be a player to watch in UTEP's new defensive scheme. Nixon registered 38 tackles with six interceptions and five pass break-ups last season as a starting cornerback at Ventura Junior College. He had two more interceptions that were nullified due to penalties. Against Cerritos Junior College on Sept. 26, he intercepted three passes in the first 18 minutes, returning one 27 yards for a touchdown, and returned a fourth quarter punt for 70 yards. Nixon was suspended for the Arkansas-Pine Bluff game, but will make his season debut on Friday at Houston.

Recapping 2009

UTEP was 4-8 last season and tied for third place in Conference USA's Western Division with a 3-5 mark. The Miners lost five games by a touchdown or less, and were 28 points shy of winning nine games.

UTEP beat two bowl-bound teams in Houston and Marshall. The Miners' 58-41 conquest of the 12th-ranked Cougars on Oct. 3 marked their first win over a ranked opponent in 12 years. UTEP was named the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week following the win over Houston, and RB Donald Buckram was appointed the Walter Camp Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 262 yards versus the Cougars.

29th Season For Price

UTEP's Mike Price is 164-160 in his 29th season as a collegiate head coach, including 35-38 in his seventh year at the helm of the Miner program. He has coached seven bowl teams during a career that has taken him to Weber State, Washington State and UTEP, including two with the Miners (2004 Houston, 2005 GMAC).

Price ranks ninth among active FBS coaches with 164 victories behind Penn State's Joe Paterno (395), Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer (229), Ohio State's Jim Tressel (230), Texas' Mack Brown (215), Nevada's Chris Ault (207), South Carolina's Steve Spurrier (178), Notre Dame's Brian Kelly (172) and Arizona State's Dennis Erickson (168).

Offensive Excellence Under Price

Since Mike Price came on board as UTEP's head coach for the 2004 season, the Miners have the fifth-best passing offense (282.9 ypg), the 22nd-best scoring offense (31.9 ppg) and the 27th-best total offense (408.3 ypg) in the country. UTEP has had more 30-point games (45), 40-point games (19) and 50-point games (6) under Price than any other head coach.

Miners Have Set School Total Offense Standard in 2 of the Last 3 Seasons

The top two total offense marks in UTEP history have been established over the last three seasons. In 2007, the Miners set a school standard by racking up 5,074 yards. They bettered the mark a year ago by compiling 5,144 yards.

The UTEP season benchmark for passing yards (3,754) has also been produced in the Mike Price era (2006).

UTEP Racking Up First Downs Under Price

In six-plus seasons under Mike Price, the Miners have accumulated 1,512 first downs, an average of 20.7 per game. UTEP has collected 20+ first downs in 42 of 73 games during the Price era. UTEP enters the Houston game riding a streak of six consecutive games with 20 or more first downs, its longest since another six-game run in 2003. The school record for consecutive 20+ first down games is seven in 2000.

Miners Achieving Success in the Classroom and the Community

Nineteen Miners posted cumulative grade point averages of 3.0 or better following the spring 2010 semester. Senior DB Braxton Amy has already graduated and is pursuing his Masters of Leadership Studies.

UTEP football players performed 664 hours of community service during the 2009-10 athletic year, tops among the school's 16 varsity sports. Leading the way were senior tight end Jonny Moore (36.5 hours) and sophomore DB Richard Spencer (24 hours).

Up Next: NM State

UTEP will tangle with I-10 rival NM State on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 7:05 p.m. in the Sun Bowl. The Miner-Aggie matchups in football, men's and women's basketball have been newly rechristened the SONIC Battle of I-10 Rivalry Series for the 2010-11 athletic year.

This year's game is the 88th meeting between the Miners and the Aggies. UTEP leads the series 50-35-2.