UTEP @ UAB game recap

CUSA-fans.com has a new staff of team correspondents this fall to help bring you, the fan, more detailed Conference USA sports coverage. Today, our new UTEP Correspondent Robert Robles brings you a recap of the CUSA football game between UTEP and UAB.

Many say that records are meant to be broken. After Friday night's game at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, it proved that concept correct on many occasions.

The Blazer secondary could not slow down a high-octane UTEP offense led by Quarterback Jordan Palmer, who had the Blazers trailing for almost the entire game. Palmer had an exceptional night throwing the football, raking up a total of 446 passing yards, a career high, and 4 Touchdowns and no interceptions, completing 24 passes of 38 attempts. Palmer's main target was, as many would have guessed, Johnny Lee Higgins, who had 9 receptions for 172 yards and 2 Touchdowns. Two big plays that put the Blazers against the ropes were a screen pass that went for 80 yards that was completed from Palmer to freshman running back Donald Buckram and a quick hit from Palmer to Higgins for 79 yards.

It seems that UTEP can win games and have ball control despite a very abysmal running game. UTEP averaged 0.3 rushing yards per rush on 23 attempts. The Miners, however, finished the night with 456 yards of total offense.

Another record that is worthy of being celebrated would be the Miner's Head Coach, Mike Price, hitting the 150-win mark with the 36-17 win over the UAB Blazers.

On Friday night, with his performance, Palmer has passed and taken the #1 spot in passing touchdowns for the time being, accumulating a career total of 85, by active Quarterbacks in the NCAA, an accomplishment that will hopefully not be overlooked. Trailing Palmer is very good company, with names such as Notre Dame's Brady Quinn, Florida's Chris Leak, Houston's Kevin Kolb, and Hawaii's Colt Brennan.

The Blazers showed promise with their second offensive drive resulting in an 8-yard Touchdown pass from Quarterback Chris Williams to Running Back Corey White. UAB seemed to be struggling on offense for most of the game, considering that all of their scoring drives accounted for only 60 yards or less each. Part of the reason was more than likely the promising quarterback Williams sustaining an injury, who had to be replaced by second string Quarterback Sam Hunt, who is arguably less seasoned than Williams. Sam Hunt finished the night with 223 yards passing, going 12 completions of 21 attempts, 0 touchdown passes and 2 interceptions. The Blazers finished the night with 360 yards of total offense.

The running game did not seem to be up to par for the Blazers, who had a season average of 138 rushing yards per game, resulting with only 94 total rushing yards in the game against the Miners. Due to not being able to move the ball down the field fast enough, Watson Brown resorted to passing the ball, which resulted in two interceptions, which were credited to Safety Quentin Demps, and Safety-moved-Linebacker Braxton Amy.

With the win, the Miners improve to 5-5 overall (3-3 in conference), still in hopes of winning it's next two against Marshall in Huntington and Memphis at home in order to seal a bowl bid with a 7-5 record and thus snapping a 3-game losing streak.

The loss eliminated the Blazers possibility of making a bowl with their record falling to 3-7 overall (2-4 in conference) and currently on a 4-game losing streak.