UTEP Miners (0-1) vs. Oklahoma Sooners (0-0)
The Oklahoma Sooners start their campaign to return to the national championship playoffs when they take on the UTEP Miners on Saturday. Oklahoma is coming off an 11-2 season that saw the team go 7-0 at home. UTEP is coming off a 7-6 season, but already dropped their first game of the year when they lost to North Texas last Saturday, 31-13.
Not surprisingly, the Sooners enter as prohibitive favorites at -31.0. The total is set at 57.0. These clubs last met in 2017 when Oklahoma defeated the Miners, 56-7. They have met twice in the last 10 years, with Oklahoma winning both games.
The Miners found themselves trailing by just one entering the half, but North Texas dominated following the break, scoring 17 unanswered points on their way to a 31-13 victory. UTEP put up 400 total yards of offense and only punted once in the game, but were 2-6 on fourth down conversions.
With a career-high 127 receiving yards, @smittyy_2 is our @pepsi Player of the Game. #RiseUp915 | #PicksUp pic.twitter.com/Hl3mmxBj2W
— UTEP Miners (@UTEPAthletics) August 28, 2022
The loss continues a troubling trend for the Miners, who were a combined 5-39 from 2017-2021, but looked like they had turned the page last season, going 7-6, winning six of their first seven games. However, the team dropped five of their final six games, including a 31-24 loss to Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. The offense looked good behind quarterback Gavin Hardison, who threw for 293 yards and a touchdown. However, he completed just 21 of 48 passes.
UTEP has 15 starters returning from last year’s team, including seven on the offensive side of the ball. They also have their top two pass rushers and six of their seven leading tacklers also return on defense. They did lose their top two wide receivers, but Tyrin Smith had seven catches for 127 yards and a touchdown and Reynaldo Flores had eight catches for 122 yards. There is definitely some offensive talent here.