Coach Sean Kugler will be on the hot seat this year with his El Paso alma mater. UTEP finished the season with a tepid 4-8 record, their worst mark since 2013. Victories — including a frenzied survivalist effort against UTSA in 5OT — were overshadowed by a porous defense that allowed 40+ points four times, including a 66-14 romp at the hands of Army last September. Coach Kugler has the daunting task of somehow replacing the leading rusher in school history in a run-heavy offense and figuring out a way to get the ball consistently in the air — an offensive perk that was an albatross for an inexperienced quarterback and his receiving corps.
Key Returners
The Linemen, The Secondary, QB Ryan Metz
In order to shine at the tailback position, the athlete must be supported by the skillset of a large-and-in-charge offensive line. The offensive front returns four starters, lead by All-American guard Will Hernandez. The experienced unit will block for junior quarterback Ryan Metz, who graduated from starting five games his freshman year to seven contests his last campaign. Metz completed 64.7% of his passes — the third best mark in Conference USA, and the school’s second-best single-season performance ever. Metz was one of 45 national collegiate quarterbacks — and the first Miners quarterback — to be invited to the 2017 Manning Passing Academy. Maybe some tutelage from the Papa John’s spokesman could light a fire for Metz to start all games during the upcoming season — a task he has yet accomplish.
UTEP’s defense has been one of the worst for more than a decade, like a Miner searching for coal but consistently striking dirt year after year. The secondary looks much better than the feeble defensive front; stud safety Devin Cockrell leads a secondary that returns three starters, while the front seven is a mysterious hodgepodge of whoever will perform adequately enough to win a starting slot.
Key Loss
RB Aaron Jones
We will spend this whole section declaring the greatness of the UTEP all-time leading rusher — and TXHSFB reporter Tony Venegas claims is the “GOAT of El Paso”.
After receiving a medical redshirt in his junior campaign in 2015, Jones overcame a torn ligament in his ankle and set the single-season program record by compiling 1,773 yards on 229 carries and 17 touchdowns (third most in UTEP history). The large numbers accounted for 47% of the Miners total offense.
The all-time leading Miners rusher (4,114 yards) ranks seventh on the Conference USA all-time rushing list and has tallied nearly twenty awards since his high school playing days.
In other words, coach Kugler has his work cut out for him in filling such big cleats prior to a do-or-die season that will determine his future employment with the organization.
The Verdict
Both in and out of conference play, the Miners’ schedule is much tougher than last year. Fifteen returning starters is a perk, but these are returners that struggled with a putrid record and were blown out in a multitude of games. Coach Tom Mason’s switch from a 4-2-5 to a 3-4 defensive scheme didn’t make much difference; UTEP ranked No. 105 out of 128 teams in scoring defense during the 2016 season, surrendering 34.9 points per game. The last time they made a bowl game, the tighter unit only sacrificed 26.6 points per game. Without consistency on either side of the ball, I’m predicting a similar effort from the Miners that will mirror last season.
Prediction: 3-9
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