9/27/2023 football Edit

Know the Opponent | UTEP

Ben Carlisle • BleedTechBlue

Publisher

Louisiana Tech (2-3, 1-0) will travel to UTEP (1-4, 0-1) for a Conference USA match-up on Friday night.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 PM on CBS Sports Network.

BleedTechBlue.com caught up with Bret Bloomquist of the El Paso Times to help preview the Miners.

It’s year six of the Dana Dimel era in El Paso. The Miners had won 12 games over the previous 2 seasons but are off to a 1-4 start in 2023. What’s the vibe like around the program right now?

"We still have everything in front of us to play for," which is the mantra of the doomed. The team does still seem upbeat but the vide among fans is poor. They've put the coach on death watch. But one thing Dimel has unquestionably done is generate a lot of loyalty among his players, only two of whom have entered the transfer portal in his era. One to Arizona, one to Florida State, and receiver Tyrin Smith went to A&M only to come right back after a few spring practices.

Gavin Hardison is in his 4th year as the starting quarterback for the Miners. How would you evaluate his play this season?

He would be the first to say that he's thrown too many interceptions, and he's a career 55 percent passer. That's what he is. Having said that, he throws some great balls. The NFL scouts at UTEP practices are coming to watch him. He'll get a next-level shot. I agree with Dimel that UTEP's problems don't start with him, despite his poor numbers. I still think he's their only real chance at saving this thing.

Deion Hankins and Tyrin Smith are two playmakers that have been in the program for a while. Who are a couple other skill guys to watch for on Friday night?

Right now their best skill guy is running back Torrance Burgess Jr. Receiver Kelly Akharaiyi is finally emerging. Jeremiah Ballard is the next receiver and Marcus Bellon is back after injury and is a good punt returner. Smith and Hankins, who respectively didn't play and barely played last week, should be back and full gos.

Defensively, UTEP is allowing 29 points per game? How would you evaluate their play through 5 games? Where are they looking to improve going forward?

Their last two games have been bad, but the defense has been a strength over the last two years and was solid in the first two and a half games. Tyrice Knight is a superstar linebacker, the nation's solo leading tackler at the moment. Their line has generally been good, but they have to fix their run defense after the first truly poor outing they've had in that respect in a while.

How do you see this game between LA Tech & UTEP playing out on Friday night?

Generally I agree with the spread, which has UTEP favored by a point, but that is hard for me to see. UTEP is in a bad place right now, they don't look like someone who can beat a good C-USA program. But the oddsmakers know more than me. I guess they are looking at Hank Bachmeier's last game in the Sun Bowl, which to put it mildly, did not go particularly well. Having said that, UTEP thinks highly of Bachmeier, who from what I understand may not start. If UTEP wins, it will be along the lines of 17-14. If they lose, I suspect they get routed.

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