This Saturday the (1-2) Texas El Paso Miners and the (1-1) New Mexico Lobos will face off in the third week of the 2022 college football season. Kick-off will be at 8:00 PM EST inside University Stadium (NM). Both of these teams have picked up one win this season, but they have also struggled against better opponents. They will be looking to battle in this one.
The UTEP Miners are coming into this one after taking down New Mexico State, 20-13. The Miners looked solid on defense in this one, as they only allowed New Mexico State to record 111 passing yards. They will be looking to turn up the heat against the Lobos in this one.
The New Mexico Lobos are entering this one after losing to Boise State, 31-14. They struggled on the defensive side of the field, as they allowed the Broncos to record 148 rushing yards. They had a hard time tackling near the line of scrimmage, which ultimately hurt them. They will be looking to be better in this one.
The Miners are coming into this game after taking down the New Mexico State Aggies, but they weren't perfect on the offensive side of the field. They finished the game with 261 yards of total offense, as they struggled to move the ball through the air. They finished with 153 passing yards, as Gavin Hardison will be getting the start in this game as well. According to ESPN.com, the Miners are scoring 15.3 points per game and they are also averaging 325.7 total yards of offense. They have liked to move the ball through the air, even though they struggled last week. This season they are averaging 244.7 passing yards per game, as they moved the ball against North Texas and Oklahoma in their first two games of the season. They have struggled to consistently run the ball, though. They are only averaging 81 rush yards per game, as Ronald Awatt will get the bulk of the carries. Last week, he recorded 115 yards and a touchdown, as New Mexico Sta te couldn't slow him down. I would also watch for Tyrin Smith, as he leads the team with 19 receptions for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He has been one of Hardison's favorite targets through the first three weeks of the season.
On defense, the Miners have also had issues. They are currently allowing 29.7 points per game and 396.3 yards as they struggled to stop the ball on the ground against New Mexico State and Oklahoma. The Texas El Paso Miners are allowing 203 rush yards per game. Last week the Aggies recorded 187 rushing yards against the Miners, as they struggled to rally to the ball and tackle in the open field. The Sooners also ran for 259 rush yards two weeks back, as this is now back-to-back games the Miners have been gashed on the ground. Luckily, their secondary has been better. They are allowing 193.3 pass yards per game, as they have made it difficult for their opponents to move the ball through the air. I would watch for Kobe Hylton, as the sophomore has already recorded 23 tackles this season, which leads the team.