UTEP Seeks to Snap 6-game Skid @ Buffalo in Season-Opener

Previewing UTEP @ Buffalo in tonight's season-opener

After much anticipation, the college football season commences with several games on Thursday evening. Mike Price is taking his UTEP club from the Mexican border to the Canadian border where they will meet the bowl hopeful Buffalo Bulls.

The Miners, who have not won since their 48-47 defeat of Conference USA West Division champ Tulsa on October 6 th of last season, are looking to return to their winning ways of 2004 and 2005. They posted 8-4 records in those successful campaigns, but slipped to 5-7 in 2006. UTEP started 4-2 last year, but a 45-42 overtime loss at home to East Carolina—which tied the game on a 34-yard touchdown pass on the final play of regulation—began a downward spiral that lasted the remainder of the season.

Conference USA features many explosive offenses and UTEP’s was among those in 2007. Under the superb leadership of freshman signal-caller Trevor Vittatoe, the Miners’ offense rolled up 33.6 points and nearly 423 yards per contest. Vittatoe, who was the nation’s second most productive freshman quarterback behind Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, completed 55 percent of his passes for 3,101 yards. Perhaps even more impressive, was the way he protected the football. He threw 25 touchdowns while only being picked off seven times, which would be a great ratio for a senior much less a freshman.

His top target is junior wideout Jeff Moturi. Moturi hauled in 65 balls for nearly 900 yards and 13 touchdowns last year—including one in ten straight games.

At running back, the Miners will pin their hopes on Oregon transfer and senior Terrell Jackson. Jackson faces the difficult task of replacing the talented Marcus Thomas, who rushed for 1,166 yards and 16 scores in ’07.

The biggest issue on the offensive side of the ball is which receivers will step up to provide some help to Moturi.

If UTEP is going to improve on its 4-8 mark from a year ago, it must dramatically improve its defense. The unit was porous to say the least in 2007—allowing an eye-popping 37 points and 505 yards per game.

The Miners hope that the attacking 3-3-5 scheme of new defensive coordinator Osia Lewis, who spent last season at New Mexico, will confuse opposing offenses and allow athletes to make plays. His Lobos’ defense, which limited opponents to 19 points and 320 yards, was among the nation’s best last year.

Buffalo has been one of the nation’s bottom feeders since moving to I-A/FBS a decade ago. However, they’ve grown tremendously under third-year head coach and former Nebraska standout Turner Gill. While they suffered another losing season a year ago, they improved to 5-7 and won four of their final seven. They welcome back 18 returning starters—including ten on offense.

The Miners’ work-in-progress defense will be tested from the get-go by an experienced Bulls’ offense. It all starts with fourth-year starting quarterback Drew Willy. Willy, who was thrust into action as a freshman after an injury to the starter, connected on 68.4 percent of his attempts last season while throwing for 2,572 yards and 15 scores. He only threw six picks.

Willy has plenty of backing. Running James Starks, who rushed for 1,103 yards and 12 scores last year, is also a threat as a receiver. He caught 41 balls for 311 yards in ’07. At receiver, there are plenty of viable options. Naaman Roosevelt and Ernest Jackson are the top two returning options. Roosevelt had 63 receptions for 766 yards while Jackson caught 53 passes for 645 yards.

> Check out the UTEP 2008 football preview here at CUSA-fans.com!

Defensively, the Bulls return eight starters from a unit that gave up nearly 28 points and slightly over 400 yards last year.

Buffalo is looking to go bowling for the first time in the program’s history and would love to start the season with a home win against a potent UTEP team. Can it slow down the Miners? How will the Miners’ new 3-3-5 look on defense handle the experienced and talented Bulls’ offense? Could it come down to a field goal? If so, both teams have extremely proven kickers. UTEP’s Martinez was 17-of-20 last season—including an impressive 9-of-11 from beyond 40 yards.

This will be a competitive shootout with Vittatoe and the UTEP offense having a couple more bullets in their gun.

UTEP 38 - Buffalo 31