Texas Southern vs. UTEP Miners

UTEP (1-2, 0-0 C-USA) will host Texas Southern (0-3, 0-3 SWAC) of the Championship Subdivision on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. MST. The Miners will be home for four of their next five games. Following next week's conference opener at SMU, UTEP will take on Tulsa (Oct. 6), East Carolina (Oct. 13) and Houston (Oct. 27) in succession at the Sun Bowl. The Miners were dealt a 29-24 loss at I-10 rival New Mexico State last week.

Texas Southern remained winless with a 28-7 setback at Jackson State on Sept. 13. The Tigers have scored 31 points in their first three contests. UTEP is 14-5 in the Sun Bowl under head coach Mike Price. The Miners are 1-0 in the venue in 2007, a season-opening 10-6 triumph over New Mexico. Texas Southern is 0-1 on the road with the aforementioned loss to Jackson State.

The UTEP-Texas Southern Ledger

UTEP has won the two previous matchups between the schools, both in the Sun Bowl. The Miners beat the Tigers 52-6 in 2001 and 45-0 in 2005.

The Last Meeting

UTEP limited Texas Southern to 146 yards of offense in a 45-0 blanking of the Tigers on Nov. 12, 2005 in the Sun Bowl. UTEP won its ninth straight game in the Sun Bowl, extending a school-record streak in the process. Jordan Palmer completed 16 of 23 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns, breaking Billy Stevens' career record for passing yardage. Palmer helped the Miners to a 28-0 halftime lead, connecting with Marcus Thomas, David Sutton, Chris Marrow and Joe West for scores. He extended the lead to 35-0 on a three-yard touchdown run of his own midway through the third period. A 26-yard field goal by Reagan Schneider and a two-yard run by El Paso native Jon Lane completed the scoring.

Texas Southern missed its best scoring opportunity with 31 seconds remaining in the first half, when Kyle Watson's 22-yard field goal attempt was wide right. Brent Wilson rushed 22 times for 90 yards for the Tigers. Thomas rushed for 112 yards on 18 carries for the Miners, and caught four passes totaling 69 yards. Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. chipped in with three receptions for 73 yards.