5-1 Wow!!
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College football midseason takeaways: Surprises, disappointments, Heisman picks and more
We're at the halfway point of the regular season. Here are our reporters' breakdowns on Heisman candidates, surprises, disappointments and what's in store for the rest of the season.
Kyle Bonagura: UTEP. In the past 50 years, the Miners have finished with a winning record just six times. With a 5-1 start, that number looks like it's about to climb, and with two conference wins, UTEP has already doubled its conference win total from the past four seasons combined. How Dana Dimel has injected life into the program has been one of the most impressive coaching jobs in college football.
Yep, I will eat my crow with some salsa…Regardless who they have played. Given the history of the Miners, 5-1 is amazing! In recent years all the teams, and maybe even BCU would have beat UTEP. It’s a good time for us Miner fans!College football midseason takeaways: Surprises, disappointments, Heisman picks and more
We're at the halfway point of the regular season. Here are our reporters' breakdowns on Heisman candidates, surprises, disappointments and what's in store for the rest of the season.www.espn.com
Kyle Bonagura: UTEP. In the past 50 years, the Miners have finished with a winning record just six times. With a 5-1 start, that number looks like it's about to climb, and with two conference wins, UTEP has already doubled its conference win total from the past four seasons combined. How Dana Dimel has injected life into the program has been one of the most impressive coaching jobs in college football.
And we really have some great players to watch for the first time in a long time. Jacob Cowing is on everyone's radar now as an elite receiver. Praise had a monster game and looks like he'll play on Saturdays. Jadarian Thomas is catching his stride. He is an absolute beast. Not to mention our offensive line and backs. If we can just open up the playbook, just a little bit, we could surprise La Tech.
Given all the praise Dimel and his staff are getting for this 5-1 start I am beginning to wonder: are we being too harsh? Or do we see the potential pitfalls since we’ve watched this team the last couple of years?College football midseason takeaways: Surprises, disappointments, Heisman picks and more
We're at the halfway point of the regular season. Here are our reporters' breakdowns on Heisman candidates, surprises, disappointments and what's in store for the rest of the season.
Kyle Bonagura: UTEP. In the past 50 years, the Miners have finished with a winning record just six times. With a 5-1 start, that number looks like it's about to climb, and with two conference wins, UTEP has already doubled its conference win total from the past four seasons combined. How Dana Dimel has injected life into the program has been one of the most impressive coaching jobs in college football.
I think most are keeping a cautious approach. Maybe if we had been able to play a few more games last season we would have more believers. A win on Saturday should turn more heads. I still don't know how good this team is but at moment it looks like it has the potential to etch itself into UTEP football history.
Damn only 6 times in 50 years I didn't realize we sucked that bad lol. It's seems like more since I've been following them, but guess that puts it in real perspective.
If I remember correctly, we only lose 3 players on offense and 3 players on defense to graduation. Now, whether players like Cowing and Praise decide to stick around, that’s another story. I sure hope they do. We could have a nice two+ year run.
I'm a bit optimistic that Dimel has finally done this the right away. Instead of instant success then followed by years and years of losing it looks like it's the other way around.
You're living through the second golden age of UTEP football over the last 15 years or so (after the mid-50s through the mid-60s). Food for thought.
That’s a big issue going forward for me. Cowing is the one guy on offense that UTEP can’t afford to lose. If he gets injured UTEP is going to be in a world of hurt. If he leaves early or transfers I wonder if UTEP has adequate depth at the position to make up for his loss.
My first memory of winning UTEP football is Stulls 2 years, then price then one year with kugler and I guess this year. So about once or twice every 10 years is about right lol It'd be nice to at least get to the point of 5 out of 10 years and a conference championship 1 or 2 times per 10 years, but that's asking alot!
He would be a huge loss. I don’t think we make up for that loss. Not saying some kid can’t step up, but it would be a huge void to fill.
Im of the opinion that Praise is just as valuable to the defense as Cowing is to the offense. He is a huge disruptor, even when his stats don’t show for it.
We had a good program until the late sixties. The last 20 years have been the most successful run in modern time for UTEP football. We have four winning seasons and five bowl games. The last three coaches have all had winning seasons and bowl appearances. It looks like Dimel is about to join them. Now the key is can we sustain the success and build on it. Eight wins is the high water mark gotten to by Nord and Price. Kugler got to seven. I think Dimel will pass them all and get to nine. When he does I will happily eat crow and admit I was a dumbass for not believing in Dimel.
I just want them to win a bowl game before I die. I don't want to be 92 years old, hooked up to every machine imaginable to keep me alive, trying to hold out for that bowl win. I want to be buried with my bowl victory T-shirt.
I’m starting to feel the same way about an NCAA Tournament game.
Wow. How awesome is thatCollege football midseason takeaways: Surprises, disappointments, Heisman picks and more
We're at the halfway point of the regular season. Here are our reporters' breakdowns on Heisman candidates, surprises, disappointments and what's in store for the rest of the season.
Kyle Bonagura: UTEP. In the past 50 years, the Miners have finished with a winning record just six times. With a 5-1 start, that number looks like it's about to climb, and with two conference wins, UTEP has already doubled its conference win total from the past four seasons combined. How Dana Dimel has injected life into the program has been one of the most impressive coaching jobs in college football.
If, and huge if, Dimel and Golding win a bowl game and NCAA game, does that make Senter the best AD in the history of UTEP?
Smith isn’t a bad WR as well. If they can keeping Cowing and Praise! Then next year, might be just as good. People are buying tickets, I wouldn’t be shocked to see at-least 25k. With 11k it sounded loud at times, 25k would be a pretty loud crowd. It will be needed, La Tech is due for an ass whooping by the Miners. And their damn ECU coach 😂
I don't think that matters. We would have to go back 55+ years to the last time an AD saw his football and basketball coach win a bowl and NCAA game.
Now that I think about it. Without a doubt he would be the best AD in modern history. I'll have to research who was AD in 66-67
The bowl win wouldn’t be the issue. If UTEP has a really bad season and wins the CUSA tournament and they end up in one of the 16 seed “play in” games, beating some MEAC team, doesn’t really count in my book. Since they would likely lose to a 1 seed in the next game.
Alternatively if UTEP were a 1 or 2 seed and beat some bad MEAC or Southland team, that’s not impressive to me. Far fetched, but all wins aren’t the same.
I see your point. I can't remember at the top of my head but CUSA hasnt had a Cinderella story like that in either a long time or ever. If you have a bad season youre not winning the conference tournament.
And if we have a great season we're not sniffing anything better than a 12-14 seed.
College football midseason takeaways: Surprises, disappointments, Heisman picks and more
We're at the halfway point of the regular season. Here are our reporters' breakdowns on Heisman candidates, surprises, disappointments and what's in store for the rest of the season.
Kyle Bonagura: UTEP. In the past 50 years, the Miners have finished with a winning record just six times. With a 5-1 start, that number looks like it's about to climb, and with two conference wins, UTEP has already doubled its conference win total from the past four seasons combined. How Dana Dimel has injected life into the program has been one of the most impressive coaching jobs in college football.
Just guessing but I'm pretty sure old Kyle there doesn't know that Dismel is in year 4...
Far fetched, but “possible”. But yeah, winning a bowl game and winning a NCAA game would certainly make him the “best”. Even that is subjective though
Given our great history over the last 55 years it's unbelievable that it took him 2 full years and one covid year to get to this point. Like I've said many times. I rather have lost in the beginning and win in the latter years than start with wins and endure seven years of losing. Let's see if things have really changed in UTOPIA.
Losing Cowin would definitely be felt. However, Garrett is a pretty solid receiver as is Tyrin Smith. And Rey Flores did an outstanding job catching the ball out of the backfield last week. There is talent on this team. It's just not being used as well as it could be with a better coaching staff.
Garrett is one of the 3 offensive starters we’ll lose due to exhausting his eligibility. I do like the potential Flores brings to the table. He had a great game Saturday. Smith is good, we’d need him to step up to fill the vacancy. Hopefully it’s a moot point and Cowing sticks around.
that type of success would have to be sustained for at least five years
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Yea we're still a long ways from that. I'm excited about the future of our athletic department. For the first time since 04-05 I can start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. In my experience as a fan that small hole can be filled with cement rather quickly.
In not a believer in this team, yet. UTEPS defense is much better than I expected and it’s the defense that is carrying this team and winning games. UTEP is ranked 16th nationally in total defense!! WOW!!
On the contrary Dimels offense remains dismal with a national ranking of 74. Scoring offense is worse at 85th nationally. Until the offense and scoring improve I will remain a skeptical.
On the contrary Dimels offense remains dismal with a national ranking of 74. Scoring offense is worse at 85th nationally. Until the offense and scoring improve I will remain a skeptical.
You want realistic achievable maintenance of success for you major revenue sports and it goes beyond the field and hardwood, those fields are the end product. As a matter of fact, you don't "start with the center and work your way outward" as Kugler stated when he got to UTEP. It doesn't start with a four to five star point guard and 7'-2" big man. It doesn't start with the coach.
It starts with a few laser focused supporters, an AD with a belly full of fire and lead lined and the willingness to get the chancellor to support your vision. That's how it started from you 'bamas to your Boise States.
Natalicio, Stull and Mike Price were once on the same page and the first two years were nice. There appeared to be total symbiosis. There are only two people who supported Dimel after that embarrassing first loss to NAU, the embarrassing losses to NMSU, the heart tearing losses to La Tech and that was Senter and Mrs Dimel. Wilson is in the stands shaking hands, even at non revenue games. That is the process of. The process of rebuilding relationships. The process of rebuilding trust with the city. The process of to start winning games. Senter, Wilson and Dimel have a lot of work still left do, but something is there and was before the USM game.
If you win conference but lose the bowl game is that not success? In the college football world it is seen as such. The bowl game is the reward for a good season. That's not my words, that's bowl committees and NCAA words from their lips.
If your like La Tech and wins bowl games but fail to win conference titles is that not success as well? As of this point in history against a P5, yes. However, as I state in a previous thread, La Tech wants Holtz to win a title and he has not done that.
"Depends on who they beat"...."Far fetched, but “possible”. But yeah, winning a bowl game and winning a NCAA game would certainly make him the “best”. Even that is subjective though".
Oh f'en please.
George McCarty was the AD back then. He coached Aggies in mbb then coached the Miners, then became TWC AD. Under his leadership, he brought in Bobby Dobbs as fb HC who won 2 Sun Bowl games over TCU of the SWC and Ole Miss out of the SEC. He hired a pretty good mbb coach named Haskins and got UTEP into the WAC. Also had Memorial Gym built and the Sun Bowl was built by the county while he was AD. I think it's going to take some doing for Senter to exceed all those accomplishments but I'll be very happy if he does.
1992 was a great year and I still think had the refs not took that Cincy game from us, we would've made the final 4.
I agree. Cincy went on to destroy Penny Hardaway and Memphis State to make the final 4. To top it off, we would’ve been a better matchup against Michigan than Cincinnati was, as they only had one guy over 6’6”. Michigan’s size was too much. Oh what could have been.
We’ve won close games against poor competition. The one decent team we’ve played (Boise) blew us out.
I think we’re a much improved team, with some legitimate playmakers for once. We’re not “good”, but we’re also not terrible. It’s a giant leap for a team that’s looked absolutely miserable for years. I’ll take it….
That’s a fair assessment. Not like some on here who say “no one is going to come to an ancient stadium” but less than 20k are left (unconfirmed).
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