Miners fight to dig out of the cellar
The UTEP Miners have struggled through the past two college football seasons, posting a 1-23 record.
While the team picked up its best recruiting class of the past decade, the Miners still have work to do to climb out of the college football cellar and kick off our annual college football preview series.
Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2019 season. The Sentinel staff will take a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 130 to our projected No. 1 team.
Today at No. 130: UTEP
Coach: Dana Dimel (1-11, entering second season; 31-50 overall)
2018 record: 1-11, 1-7 in Conference USA; tied for sixth in West Division
Look back: UTEP parted ways with Sean Kugler midway through the 2017 season after he posted an 18-36 record
leading the Miners. While he did steer UTEP to a bowl game in 2014, Kugler didn’t wow fans with a run-heavy attack predicated on overpowering opponents in the trenches. The Miners lacked the brawn to execute the game plan and Kugler invested little in other areas, notably failing to recruit a scholarship kicker. The flawed tactic was exposed during close loses settled by missed kicks.
UTEP turned to Kansas State offensive coordinator Dan Dimel to get the Miners back on track. While players bought in and the defense showed promise, a combination of injury problems, lack of depth and inexperience made it difficult for the Miners to remain competitive. The team was competitive during a four-game stretch in the middle of the season before injuries further decimated the roster, but it didn’t translate to wins. Offensive starters returning: 7
Offensive starters lost: 4
Defensive starters returning: 4
Defensive starters lost: 7
Key losses: LB A.J. Hotchkins, DB Nik Needham, DB Kalon Beverly, LB Jamar Smith, DB Kahani Smith, DL Trace Mascorro Top returnees: QB Kai Locksley, QB Brandon Jones, RB Quardraiz Wadley, RB Treyvon Hughes, C Derron Gatewood, LB Dylan Parsee, DB Justin Rogers, DT Chris Richardson, DB Michael Lewis
Strengths: Quarterback Kai Locksley is healthy after a severe ankle injury hampered his production last season. The son of former Alabama offensive coordinator and current Maryland head coach Mike Locksley opted to stick with the Miners rather than transferring to join his father.
Kai Locksley is a run threat while junior college transfer quarterback Brandon Jones is a stronger passer. Both could be deployed by Dimel.
Running backs Quardraiz Wadley and Treyvon Hughes lead one of the more experienced tailback groups in Conference USA while veteran center Derron Gatewood will anchor an offensive line that features eight players with starting experience.
Linebacker Dylan Parsee, defensive tackle Chris Richardson and defensive backs Justin Rogers and Michael Lewis all will serve as leaders for the defense.
Weaknesses: The Miners’ defense was its biggest strength last season, but the unit lost seven starters during the offseason. Second-team all-Conference USA linebacker A.J. Hotchkins may be toughest to replace, but the departure of defensive backs Nik Needham, Kalon Beverly and Kahani Smith also could be tough to offset. Defensive lineman Trace Mascorro, who won C-USA All-Freshman Team honors in 2017, opted to transfer.
The offense focused on reducing turnovers and developing more playmakers at receiver.
It’s not a good sign when a program has to rely on an influx of junior-college transfers and shifts players to new positions to fill holes.
Outlook: On one hand, the UTEP home slate is marked by games the Miners should have a chance to win. The offense is healthier and features more depth than it has in years. And the players closed spring football practice on an upbeat note.
“The spring went pretty well," UTEP cornerback Josh Caldwell told the El Paso Times. “It was a learning experience. We just want to build on what we did last year and improve.”
But the lack of experience on defense, the work still being done to develop the offensive and defensive lines and the team’s difficulty putting up points consistently in a league know for high-scoring offenses suggest it might take another year to string together multiple wins.