Texas El Paso Miners - NCAA Football Odds, Lines & Betting

Texas El Paso Miners Team Info : The Miners were another C-USA program that faded fast in the last weeks of the season. UTEP was fifth in the conference’s tight West Division, but they dropped five of their final six games to end their season.  The Miners, led by coach Mike Price, will bring back eight starters to their 39th-ranked offense.  Running back Marcus Thomas (156 attempts, 513 yards, 5 TD) will play a much bigger role in the offense due to the loss of quarterback Jordan Palmer, who led the conference in passing yards.  Palmer directed the fifth-ranked passing attack in the country, so it will be interesting to see how Price changes the balance of the unit. 

The entire offensive line is back, and this bodes well for freshman Trevor Vittatoe, who looks to be the starting pivot.  The graduation of receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins is another blow to the Miners.  The defense returns only four players, but last season’s group probably needed a makeover in the first place, as UTEP ranked 104th in total defense and 107th in scoring defense.  Linebacker Troy Collavo was a major influence with 125 tackles, and Jeremy Jones looks to be the player best suited to replace him.  Cornerback Quinton Demps is one of the nation’s top cover men, and he and Josh Ferguson combine to give UTEP a strong secondary.  They will have to be, because the Miners were 76th nationally in sacks last season and it does not look much better for 2007. 

The punt return team, ranked second in the NCAA in 2006, also took a big hit with the loss of big-play man Higgins. The Miners go to Texas Tech in their second game of the season, and a rough three-game stretch in October (East Carolina, Houston and Rice) will dictate whether this is a winning or losing campaign in El Paso. 

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