Ten things to know about UTEP

After a disheartening start to the season with a 24-7 loss on the road to Rutgers, Northwestern returns home to face UTEP on Saturday at Ryan Field.

This is a season of new experiences for the Northwestern football program and facing the Miners will be another: Northwestern and UTEP have never played each other before this Saturday despite playing football for 130 and 86 seasons, respectively.

While this is the first time the two teams will clash, Northwestern has actually been to El Paso before. The Wildcats played at UTEP's home stadium, the Sun Bowl, in the bowl games of the same name, where they lost, 50-38, to UCLA in 2005.

Eighteen years later, Northwestern finds themselves home underdogs to UTEP as they look to break their 12-game losing streak.

Here are ten things to know about the Miners:

UTEP is coached by Dana Dimel, who is in his sixth year as the Miners' head man. UTEP has struggled under Dimel's watch, playing to an 18-41 record thus far. Things have been looking up lately, though. Dimel's team finished 7-6 with a loss in the New Mexico Bowl in 2021, UTEP's first bowl appearance since 2014. Last season the Miners finished 5-7, one win short of appearing in back-to-back bowl games for the first time in 17 years.

Prior to taking the UTEP job, Dimel served at the offensive coordinator at Kansas State, his alma mater. This is his third stint as a head coach, previously serving as the head man at Wyoming from 1997-1999 and Houston from 2000-2002.

Dimel's son Winston, a former fullback at Kansas State and UTEP, is also on staff as an offensive graduate assistant.

Stability is a strength of the UTEP staff, with all ten assistants being in at least their second year on staff. Scotty Ohara, though, has taken on a new role in 2023. After spending five seasons coaching receivers in El Paso, Ohara was tapped by Dimel to lead the whole offense in 2023.

It's been a mixed bag so far for Ohara. UTEP is averaging a respectable yet unspectacular 21 points per game so far in 2023. The Miners have amassed an impressive 393.5 yards per game thus far, though. The high yardage total paired with a middle-of-the-road scoring offense point to the struggles the Miners have had finishing drives in their first two contests.

Interestingly, UTEP has been relatively efficient on third down, converting 42.86% of their chances, but finishing drives with points has still been a struggle.

Protecting the quarterback has been another strength of the UTEP offense, surrendering only three sacks through two games. This has been helped by a low number of pass attempts, but that's a trend that should continue against a Northwestern defense that makes pressuring the quarterback look like rocket science.

UTEP got their season started a week earlier than most teams, losing to Jacksonville State in Week 0, 17-14. The Miners rebounded and handled FCS program Incarnate Word last week in their home opener, 28-14.

The Miners have to feel that they should be rolling into Evanston 2-0. UTEP outgained Jacksonville State 364-275 and picked up seven more first downs than the Gamecocks. Three turnovers from quarterback Gavin Hardison reversed that advantage, and the Miners fell 17-14. Hardison's final interception came on the Jacksonville State 24-yard line with 1:15 remaining in the game, ending any hope for a dramatic UTEP win.

UTEP bounced back nicely and beat former Texas A&M and Auburn quarterback Zach Calzada's Incarnate Word Cardinals last week. After a back-and-forth first half that ended in a 14-14 deadlock at the break, UTEP's defense put the clamps on Incarnate Word, holding the Cardinals scoreless in the final 30 minutes en route to a 28-14 victory.

A big part of getting back on track last week for UTEP was the success they were able to find on the ground. The Miners ran all over Incarnate Word to the tune of 329 rushing yards. Leading the charge was sophomore back Deion Hankins who finished with 174 yards on a sparkling 7.3 yards per carry. Behind Hawkins was sophomore Torrance Burgess Jr, who carried 10 times for 85 yards. Third running back Mike Franklin even got in on the action, too, with nine carries for 53 yards and a score.

In total, UTEP ran the ball 50 times at a 6.6 yards per carry clip as opposed to just 13 pass attempts for 94 yards.

Even in Week 0, a game which the Miners never led, UTEP finished with 43 rush attempts to 29 passes.

The offense is very clearly built around the ground game, and that shouldn't change on Saturday. The interior of Northwestern's defensive line was thin to start the season, and with transfers Matt Lawson and Reggie Pearson now dealing with injuries, the few remaining bodies on the inside will have their work cut out for them against a UTEP offense that has no problem running the ball almost incessantly.

As one could probably figure out from UTEP's extreme reliance on the ground game thus far, the Miners' quarterback play has left a lot to be desired in 2023. The struggles aren't due to a lack of experience. UTEP's starter, Gavin Hardison, is in his sixth year of college football and fifth in El Paso after starting his career at New Mexico Military Institute all the way back in 2018. Saturday will be Hardison's 36th career game as a Miner and his 32nd start.

In Hardison's career he has thrown for 7,318 yards 38 touchdowns and 28 interceptions on only 54% completion.

Hardison's three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble) and shaky accuracy (less than 60% completion) cost the Miners dearly in their season-opening loss, but he was more efficient the second time out. Ohara didn't ask much of his veteran quarterback, and Hardison completed 10 of 13 passes for only 94 yards and pair of scoring tosses.

It may sound backwards with a player as veteran as Hardison, but not asking too much of their quarterback has been the key to UTEP's success through two games.

Despite entering the transfer portal and committing to Texas A&M this offseason, wide receiver Tyrin Smith decided he just couldn't leave El Paso. The Cibolo, Texas native had a huge season in 2022, catching 71 passes for 1,039 yards and seven scores.

Replicating the success of a year ago has been a struggle so far for Smith. He's caught just nine passes for 87 yards and one touchdown in two games in 2023. Undoubtedly the shaky quarterback play from Hardison and the focus on the ground has hampered Smith's productivity, but UTEP has sorely missed his big play ability.

Smith has caught a pass in 26 straight games, so slowing him down will be the focus of Northwestern's secondary come Saturday.

In a game with a spread under two points, the kicking game is likely to play a big factor. UTEP has tasked redshirt freshman Buzz Flabiano with handling the kicking in 2023, but he hasn't gotten many opportunities through two games.

Flabiano has only gotten to try one field goal, which he missed. He is a perfect 6-for-6 on extra points in 2023, however.

With Northwestern's Jack Olsen similarly inexperienced, both teams are bringing shaky kicking situations into a game that is expected to come down to the wire.

College football coaches harping on winning the turnover battle is a tale as old as time, but it's proven true for UTEP in 2023. The Miners didn't force a single turnover against Jacksonville State while giving it away three times themselves in a loss. A clean, turnover-free game plus a Trez Moore interception led to a win last weekend.

UTEP forced 15 turnovers (10 fumble recoveries, 5 interceptions) in 12 games a season ago, so a Northwestern team, especially quarterback Ben Bryant, that struggled to take care of the ball in the season opener will have to be mindful of a UTEP defense looking to create extra possessions.

The last time UTEP beat a power conference team was Ole Miss in the 1967 Sun Bowl. That was 56 years ago. Now, UTEP is favored by 1.5 points in Evanston on Saturday. The Miners have never been favored against a Power Five opponent, until now.

Losing to a Group of Five team would hardly be new territory for Northwestern. Just last year, MAC foe Miami (OH) came into Ryan Field and left with a 17-14 win.

Interim head coach David Braun believes his Wildcats operate best as an underdog, and his theory will be put to the test on Saturday.

A Conference USA team going on the road and beating a Big Ten team would normally be considered a major shocker, but with UTEP favored this game might not fall into that category.

The Miners are determined to not let that change their mindset.

"We don't look at that, pay attention to that," Hardison told the El Paso Times about being favored. "We just pay attention to our preparation and what we have to do to win."

Moore, one of leaders on the UTEP defense, pointed out that UTEP was a one-point favorite on the road against Jacksonville State, but dropped that game.

While Vegas expects UTEP to leave Ryan Field with a check and a win, the guys from El Paso are still treating the trip up north as David going to visit Goliath.

"We may be a one-point favorite but everyone considers us the underdog," UTEP linebacker Tyrice Knight, the nation's leading tackler, told the El Paso Times.