Full Game Book

ALBUQUERQUE - UTEP (7-6) made a late push in the fourth quarter in the PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl, but ultimately fell 31-24 to Mountain West foe Fresno State (10-3). 

TE Trent Thompson had a monster performance for the Miners, who were seeking their first bowl since 1967. Thompson hauled in a pair of catches for 52 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the second of which cut the Bulldogs' lead to 26-24 midway through the fourth quarter. Backup QB Caleb Brownholtz, typically utilized in the run game, executed a fake flawlessly on a fourth-and-short play. Thompson leaked out and brought in the Brownholtz pass and sprinted 51 yards to the end zone.

Sophomore LB Tyrice Knight recorded a game-high 15 tackles, while fellow LB Breon Hayward finished with 11, including a tackle-for-loss, for a Miners defense who attempted to contain the high-powered Bulldog offense.

The Miners close 2021 having taken major strides as a program, winning more games this season (seven) than they had from 2017-20 combined (five) and earning their first bowl appearance since 2014. Head coach Dana Dimel and company have a lot to build off of heading into 2022 and spring ball.