2008 UTEP Miners football preview

UTEP Miners

2007 Record: (4-8, 2-6 C-USA)
Coach: Mike Price (25-23 at UTEP, 154-145 overall)

Starters Returning: 14 (5 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialists)

Offensive Starters Lost: RT Oniel Cousins, RG James Riley, WR Lorne Sam, TE Jake Sears, RB Marcus Thomas,WR Joe West

Offensive Starters Returning: LT Mike Aguayo, C Robby Felix, WR Jeff Moturi, LG Cameron Raschke and QB Trevor Vittatoe.

Defensive Starters Lost: LE Jason Boyce, FS Quintin Demps and LB Jeremy Jones. (LB Braxton Amy will miss the season due to injury, but remains with the program)

Defensive Starters Returning: CB Cornelius Brown, SS Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, RCB Josh Ferguson, LT James Olalekan, RT Steve Riddick, RE Robert Soleyjacks and LB Adam Vincent.

Starting Specialists Lost: none

Starting Specialists Returning: K Jose Martinez, P Greg Hiett

2008 UTEP Miners Overview

After finishing the 2007 season with six straight losses, and second consecutive losing season, UTEP head coach Mike Price knew that changes had to be made. To that end, he overhauled his coaching staff, firing three of his four defensive coaches.

To fans of the Miners, this change was long overdue. The defense has been abysmal and has played a huge role in the Miners' 3-9 record in November games over the past three seasons.

Enter former New Mexico defensive coordinator Osia Lewis and his new 3-3-5 scheme. The move appears to have produced immediate results on a unit that returns seven starters. In the Orange-Blue spring game, the score was 10-3 and both the first and second team defenses performed well.

That showed on the four-turnover night when, in four 12-minute quarters, the offenses managed just 13 points, including three on a 52-yard field goal.

"Those are winning numbers," Lewis said. "We do that 12 times, we'll be pretty happy.”

2008 UTEP Offense:

Offensive production has not been a problem for the Miners since Price took over the program. Last season UTEP averaged 33.6 points and 422.8 yards per game. The combination of QB Trevor Vittatoe and WR Jeff Moturi is as good as any in C-USA, and the Miners set a school record with 5,074 yards of total offense in 2007.

Last year, Vittatoe ranked second nationally among freshmen with 3,101 yards passing in 2007 and set school freshman records for passing yardage and touchdowns passes with 25. He also had four 300-yard passing games.

His primary target is Moturi, who tied a school record by catching a touchdown pass in 10 straight games last year. The junior WR from Irving finished with 65 receptions for 891 yards and 13 TDs, while being named as to the all C-USA first team.

Moturi will be joined by junior WR Tufick Shadrawy, who had an outstanding spring. Vittatoe can also look to TE Jamar Hunt who posted 12 catches for 135 yards last season, all in a reserve role. Sophomore James Thomas II could be a dangerous QB/WR hybrid.

The ground game is bolstered by senior RB Terrell Jackson,UTEP’s leading returning rusher with 39 carries for 202 yards in 2007 (5.2 avg.).

The key will be the performance of the line. Mike Aguayo started all 12 games at left tackle in 2007. He is joined by returning starter Robby Felix, a third team All-Conference choice in 2006 and honorable mention in 2007.The senior has started all 36 games at center for the Miners over the last three seasons.

2008 UTEP Defense:

After operating with a 4-3 defensive alignment for the last four seasons, UTEP will have a 3-3-5 scheme for the 2008 campaign. Defensive improvement will be paramount for the Miners this season after they ranked 117th nationally in total defense (504.8 ypg) a year ago.

The defense took a huge hit in the spring when SS Braxton Amy, one of its best players, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during a non-contact drill. Amy split his time between safety and linebacker last year and was supposed to play a hybrid position in the new 3-3-5.

"I feel really bad for the young man," Price said. "When we first thought about changing to the defense, he was the first person in my mind. He was perfectly suited to what we are going to do. He'll be delayed a year in getting that opportunity. It was a freak thing."

With Amy out, sophomore Anthony Morrow stepped into the hybrid linebacker-safety spot. Morrow played linebacker last year and entered the spring as a backup safety. Other possibilities include three players who did not record a tackle last year: senior George Kelly, who did not play last year after transferring from Pima (Ariz.) Community College, sophomore Jo Jo Ortiz and junior Jamie Jordan are the reserves there.

There is a weath of experience in the secondary. Cornelius Brown was an honorable mention All-Conference USA honoree last season when he had 50 tackles and four interceptions, while starting the last 11 games at left corner. Da’Mon Cromartie Smith was third on the team with 90 tackles and second with seven pass break-ups a year ago on the way to earning honorable mention All-Conference honors. He started all 12 games at strong safety. Josh Ferguson was a medical redshirt in 2007, but tabbed honorable mention All-Conference USA in ‘06 while starting 11 of 12 games at left corner with had 58 stops and six pass break-ups.

2008 UTEP Special Teams

Senior Jose Martinez is one of the best place kickers in the country. One of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award, and first team All-Conference in 2007, Martinez converted 17-for-20 on field goals and 44-for-46 on PATs last season. He was also 4-for-5 on onside kicks.

Josh Ferguson is a capable returner but the Miners are looking for other possibilities to add to the return game.

2008 UTEP Analysis

By posting winning records in his first two seasons, Price raised expectations in El Paso. While the program suffered growing pains in Price’s third and fourth years, the ingredients are there for the Miners to return to their winning ways.

Whether that happens in 2008 depends entirely on their defense. Lewis has made sweeping changes and the players seem to have bought into his system.

"He's a great coach," linebacker Brian Wilkins says of Lewis. "He's really active, he gets in your face. It's a different approach. He gives us a sense of urgency, that we have to improve right now, this day."

The schedule will pose some tough challenges for the Miners. UTEP will attack one of its most challenging schedules ever this fall. The Miners open at Buffalo, which has 53 lettermen and 18 starters back from last year’s squad that went 5-3 in the Mid-American Conference. The following week, UTEP will host the University of Texas at Austin for the first time. The Longhorns have made 10 straight bowl appearances under head coach Mack Brown, and were 10-3 last season. UTEP’s non-conference slate also includes matchups with Interstate-10 rival New Mexico State at home and Louisiana-Lafayette on the road. The Miners will face five ‘07 bowl teams in conference play, including four on the road (East Carolina, Houston, Southern Miss and Tulsa). UTEP will accumulate a total of 13,192 frequent flier miles on its six road trips this season -- an average of 2,199 per trip.