|
QB
Jordan Palmer |
|
2004
Statistics
|
Coach:
Mike Price
8-4,
1 year |
2004
Record: 8-4
|
|
at
Arizona State |
LOST
9-41 |
WEBER
STATE |
WON
32-0 |
BOISE
STATE |
LOST
31-47 |
NEW
MEXICO ST |
WON
45-0 |
at
Fresno State |
WON
24-21 |
HAWAI'I |
WON
51-20 |
at
Louisiana Tech |
WON
44-27 |
at
San Jose State |
WON
38-20 |
RICE |
WON
35-28 (2OT) |
SMU |
WON
57-27 |
at
Tulsa |
LOST
35-37 |
HOUSTON
BOWL
|
vs.
Colorado |
LOST
28-33 |
|
2004 Final Rankings
AP-38, Coaches-38, BCS-UR
|
2005
Outlook
|
We
pose two questions to sum up the Miner's
thoughts. One: Can UTEP sustain the success
it had last year while moving into a better
league in Conference USA?
Two:
If it does, how long will Price be around?
First
things first. "I think we will stay
the course," Price said after the bowl
game loss to Colorado. The Miners will join
six current C-USA schools as one of six
new teams (including four from the Western
Athletic Conference) to form the revamped
lineup that now stretches across nine states.
UTEP will play in the six-team Western Division
along with Houston, Tulane, Rice, SMU and
Tulsa - definitively not as strong as the
East side, and definitively winnable. Their
2005 C-USA opponents were a combined 52-75
overall and 39-53 in conference play in
'04. Putting Fresno in its rearview is exchanged
for Memphis and Marshall now in their direct
path, and with strong non-con New Mexico
also calling, the Miner's path is still
challenging.
Now,
although nobody down in this west Texas
town is addressing the situation, Price's
tenure there could be a short one. Without
re-hashing the ill-fated night which landed
Price here, another 8-4 season that ends
in a bowl game could easily be Price's last
at UTEP. He certainly has redeemed himself,
and greener pastures likely lie outside
the folksy confines of El Paso. But his
commitment here is genuine, and his results
assure that he is embraced by the fans and
region for as long as he allows them to
do such. The bottom line becomes the team's
current crafty schemes, and for a team of
no-names that is eager to execute what it
knows is a winning approach, there is that
real feeling of a special season to come
here in '05. Too bad they won't be able
to sneak up on anyone, though, so we'll
see just how responsive the Miners are to
their newfound attention/status. Look for
them to again handle it well and end on
an even stronger note than last campaign's.
Projected
2005 record: 8-3
|
|
UTEP
*POWER RATINGS
|
Offense
|
Defense
|
QB
- 4 |
DL
- 3.5 |
RB
- 2.5 |
LB
- 3 |
WR
- 4.5 |
DB
- 2.5 |
OL
- 2 |
.. |
|
RETURNING
LEADERS
|
Passing:
Jordan Palmer, 366-213-18, 2818 yds., 26
TD
Rushing: Matt Austin, 55 att., 197
yds., 2 TD
Receiving: Jayson Boyd, 42 rec.,
560 yds., 5 TD
Scoring: Reagan Schneider, 15-20
FG, 52-53 PAT, 97 pts.
Punting: None
Kicking: Reagan Schneider, 15-20 FG,
52-53 PAT, 97 pts.
Tackles: Thomas Howard, 62 tot.,
48 solo
Sacks: Thomas Howard, Chris Mineo
- 8 each
Interceptions: Quintin Demps, 2 for
73 yds., 1 TD; Thomas Howard, 2 for 34 yds.
Kickoff Returns: Johnnie Lee Higgins,
14 ret., 22.1 avg., 0 TD
Punt Returns: James Delgardo, 4 ret.,
9.8 avg., 0 TD
|
|
|
DT
Chris Mineo |
|
|
|
OFFENSE
- 6
|
----RETURNING
STARTERS----
|
DEFENSE
- 5
|
|
KEY
LOSSES
|
OFFENSE:
Howard Jackson-TB, Jonas Crafts-TE, Bo Morris-C,
Ben Graniello-OG, Robert Espinosa-OT |
DEFENSE:
Brian
Givens-DE, Ibok Ibok-DE, Robert Rodriguez-MLB,
Godwin Akinduro-WLB, Adrian Ward-CB, Jahmal
Fenner-CB, Mark Dowdy-SS, Bryce Benekos-P |
|
|
2005
OFFENSE
|
Quarterback
Jordan Palmer, the brother of Heisman-winner Carson
Palmer, came to UTEP with pedigree, but without
polish. Consider him ready to shine after his
terrific 8-4 effort. He ran coach Mike Price's
four-receiver sets much better than he ran the
offense the prior year, drawing the praise of
his coach. "He has improved more than any
other sophomore quarterback I have coached in
this offense." What to do as an encore for
his junior year? There's always room for improvement,
and Palmer needs to cut down on his interceptions.
Eighteen was way too many and he won't nearly
have the same line. Translation: Some of the early
season onus will be on whichever QB to avoid mistakes.
If not Palmer, then former starter Orlando Cruz
will possibly get his chance. Cruz, UTEP's passing
leader in '03, has a lower INT-% than Palmer's,
but the time it would take to get Cruz in gear
would be ample, so his insertion would represent
a step back. The real story on the depth chart
is 6-5, 245-pound freshman Brandis Dew, a highly
recruited pro-style signal caller out of California
who is smart and a natural leader. It would be
no surprise to see him at No.2 behind Palmer by
fall. This unit can be great, but only if Price
isn't afraid to pull the trigger on one of these
subs at signs of consistency trouble.
Running
Back
With all due respect, Matt Austin, Josh Chamois,
Marcus Thomas and the rest of the crew on this
unit are no Howard Jackson. While this might be
running back by committee for a while, each brings
something different to the table with an assortment
of size and speed. Senior Austin has the inside
track, yet has not developed past his strong underclass
campaigns. But the real attention will be focused
on UCLA transfer Tyler Ebell, who is finally eligible.
Ebell, a national prep record setter (4495 yards
as a senior), was a freshman all-American while
with the Bruins, showing soft hands and strength
for his scat size. In the one-back sets employed
here, the change of personnel will force foes
to stay sharp with who's in, or pay the price
with each.
Receiver
Palmer may not have the offensive line to protect
him, but he'll have the receivers to throw to,
that's for sure. Johnnie Lee Higgins is exciting
and can just flat out go get it (20+ per grab).
Defenses will be onto the ex-high- & triple-jumper,
but they won't be able to play that close. From
a statistical standpoint, UTEP returns its top
three receivers, though from a depth chart standpoint,
seven of the top eight are back. Senior bigman
Aaron Givens is a solid slot guy who's not afraid
to cross into the middle. Chris Francies and Jayson
Boyd are virtually interchangeable at the other
wide receiver slot. There is incoming and already
established depth with good size, so there is
little impact if injuries arise. It's an embarrassment
of riches here.
Tight
End
Jake Sears steps up as a solid blocker, and that's
mainly what Price asks for here. The Miners throw
the ball to their tight ends two or three times
a game, and they seem to have success as four
receivers distract in the middle. Casey Mauch
has experience as the second TE, but his size
means Sears is UTEP's biggest at 240lbs., not
a good omen when in those goal line situations.
Offensive
Line
The blind (left) side blockers are in place, with
guard Jose Garcia and tackle Josh House returning.
Andy Smith's 295 pounds represent an upgrade of
more than 35 pounds at the center spot. Luis Espinosa's
upper-body strength will replace his brother Robert
well at RT, and local guy Alex DiMatteo has shown
steady improvement leading up to this senior campaign.
Problem here is how Colorado exposed the Miners'
lack of footwork with a variety of blitzes in
the Houston Bowl win. The senior leadership here
should collude well for strong rushing and adequate
pass protection.
OFFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
When the Miners' four-receiver system is clicking,
it's difficult to stop. In the final five regular
season games, UTEP had a whopping 27 plays of
25 or more yards. Price is a master at mixing
up his play-calls. But even Price knows it won't
be the same without Jackson. "He was a real
special player," Price said of his departed
RB. "We have good candidates who can run
and who are good players. But they're not going
to be the same as Howard." Still, the talent
is there, especially with the depth at WR. Look
to see if/how often Price and company scrap the
TE as the fourth receiver and insert another slot
guy, especially early in the season. He's blessed
with many playmakers, and as the RBs step up,
wow. This team could easily match or surpass last
year's 35.75 points per game, which was good for
11th in the country. With only the 42nd-ranked
total offense, you can see how efficiency and
making the most of all efforts happens on Price's
teams. Look for the same magic to keep them in
games when it seems they are out-manned.
|
|
WR
Johnnie Lee Higgins
|
|
|
UTEP
2005 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players
|
OFFENSE
|
QB |
Jordan
Palmer-Jr |
Orlando
Cruz-Sr |
TB |
Matt
Austin-Sr |
Marcus
Thomas-So / Tyler Ebell-Sr |
WR |
Johnnie
Lee Higgins-Jr |
Aaron
Givens-Sr |
WR |
Chris
Francies-Sr |
Chris
Marrow-Jr |
WR |
Jayson
Boyd-Sr |
Daniel
Robinson-Sr |
TE |
Jake
Sears-So |
Casey
Mauch-Jr |
OT |
Josh
House-Sr |
Austin
Chestnut-Fr |
OG |
Jose
Garcia-Sr |
Clay
Salima-Sr |
C |
Andy
Smith-Jr |
Robby
Felix-Fr |
OG |
James
Riley-So |
Alex
DiMatteo-Sr |
OT |
Tyler
Ribitzki-Fr |
Luis
Espinosa-Sr |
K |
Reagan
Schneider-Jr |
Russell
Williams-Sr |
|
|
2005
DEFENSE
|
Defensive
Line
In the four-man front, inside guys Chris Mineo
and Zach West are back. Svelte junior Alex Obomese
has starting experience at one end, but the Miners
really need another quality pass rusher. The Miners
have options here. Alfonso Auelua, Ricky Van and
Humberto Padilla are three of those eight JUCO
players who have gray-shirted and are participating
in spring drills. They each add depth and experience,
any one of which will likely start. Behemoth Padilla
has great skills, and can line up as a tackle
or an end, while Van has improved steadily, to
where he now is a true force if not double-teamed.
Junior Joe Ward has the other end spot for now,
so all of this competition bodes well for depth
issues. There is speed in this crew, so last campaign's
42 sacks could be reached again. What was a 66th-rated
run-stopping unit will also improve, but having
allowed 105 first-downs on the ground, 3.7 per
carry and 20 ground scores will be the nuts-and-bolts
numbers most needing crunching.
Linebacker
Pencil JUCO transfer Jason McQuay into one of
the vacated spots. McQuay is undersized, but he
produces enough activity to achieve his objectives,
and then some. Jeremy Jones at the WILL spot means
experience takes over, but he needs to work on
his coverage skills, for they aren't as strong
as his run-stopping abilities. SAM Thomas Howard
is a machine who can use his size for obvious
hole-plugging, but also can use his feet for quality
pass coverage. Howard will lead the charge here,
and his example is a great one for the others
to follow (National Honor Society). Junior Troy
Collavo brings a nose for the ball and natural
athleticism with his girth. The unit is strong,
but ungelled. By mid-season, though, they are
capable of showing stronger results, an important
variable to improving the nation's 49th-rated
total defense.
Defensive
Back
Safeties Quintin Demps and Joe Fleskoski are big-time
hitters, but the Miners will still struggle early
to find a couple of lock-down corners. Best bets
are that the JUCO guys already on campus have
the inside track. Arthur Giddens has good size,
with even better perspective and perception. Tim
McCullouch also has a nose for the ball, with
five INTs last year at Long Beach (Calif.). Penciled-in
as of spring are senior James Delgardo and junior
Nate Droughen, both of whom bring experience,
regardless of where delegated. That means there
is some depth here, though not much, but that's
not really the problem. This secondary, like many
others, will only be as good as the DEs who put
pressure on the quarterback, for the CBs will
need help early on and the front seven has to
be on its toes then. The last CBs were excellent
in run support, so these adjustments will definitely
show. The last crew also helped UTEP to produce
better efficiency results than it achieved via
straight pass defense (22nd vs. 51st), so Fleckoski
and Demps will have their work cut out for them
as the leaders back here.
DEFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
"I think the linebackers and the corners
played so well (last year) that it's going to
be a huge thing to replace," Price said.
No kidding. Still, the 4-3 that UTEP favors is
an aggressive 4-3 that takes chances, mirroring
the intensity of defensive coordinator Tim Hundley.
And that may be the biggest boost this defense
gets, that Hundley is still around. Just before
spring ball starter, Hundley backed out of a verbal
commitment to take the defensive secondary coach
job at Michigan State. That thrilled Price and
the UTEP nation. After all, while giving up 25.1
points per game may not sound like a great job,
consider where Hundley came from in his first
year and what he was up against. UTEP gave up
38.3 points per game in 2003 and 42.6 in '02."
The Miners need to funnel the action into the
middle of the field, where the experienced safeties
can clean up. Price has built his ideal here based
on speed, but there is also size in both the line
and LBs, so it is just a matter of time until
things gel.
|
|
LB
Thomas Howard
|
|
|
UTEP
2005 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players
|
DEFENSE
|
DE |
Alex
Obomese-Jr |
Reggie
Miles-Jr |
DT |
Chris
Mineo-Sr |
Justin
Hanel-Jr |
DT |
Zach
West-Jr |
Humberto
Padilla-Jr |
DE |
Joe
Ward-Jr |
Justin
Watson-Jr |
SLB |
Thomas
Howard-Sr |
Anthony
Barnes-Sr |
MLB |
Troy
Collavo-Jr |
Jason
McQuay-Jr |
WLB |
Jeremy
Jones-Jr |
Marshall
Sanford-Sr |
CB |
James
Delgardo-Sr |
Tim
McCullouch-Jr |
CB |
Nate
Draughon-Jr |
Andre
Bailey-Jr |
SS |
Joe
Fleskoski-Jr |
Cedric
Click-Sr |
FS |
Quintin
Demps-So |
Phillip
Moss-Jr |
P |
Ryan
Hotchkiss-Jr |
Colin
Marcee-So |
|
|
|
2005
SPECIAL TEAMS
|
Kicker
Can Reagan Schneider regain his touch? Schneider opened
the season by hitting 12 in a row and 14 of his first
15, including a 52-yarder. But he missed four in a row
in the Tulsa game, so his strong spring will bring his
swagger back. Coverage will again be decent, and with
so many new DBs and LBs to try out, things will improve.
Punter
JUCO-transfer Ryan Hotchkiss won't be able to equal
Bryce Benekos' stellar 44.1 yards per try. But the net
results show that the coverage here is strong enough
to compensate for Hotchkiss' weaker leg.
Return
Game
Johnnie Lee Higgins does a nice job on kick returns,
but the nation's 10th-best punt returner is gone. Look
for Delgardo and Ebell to take over on PRs, with both
having excellent open-field vision. There will be a
rotating chair until PRs are again strong.
|
|