Exactly what I expected. Until this team earns respect they aren't going to get any. This season and the Kugler era will be decided by the four game stretch in September after the OU game. The toughest game is at Army. They embarrassed us last year, but in kugler's fifth year that has to be a game they win. Last year unt went to west point and won. Miner have to go at least 3-1 in that four game stretch or you can start throwing dirt on the Kugler era.
There aren't a lot of silver linings going into the year. There are a few things that give me hope. Kugler has his best qb since he's been at UTEP. Metz is the most productive signal caller since Trevor vittatoe. Tom Mason is a very good defensive mind and has a lot of talent. The secondary is the best I can remember at UTEP. They have some young guys upfront if they can stay healthy will really improve the pass rush. Last year was the first year tom mason has ever been the defensive coordinator for a team that didn't run the air raid. Last year the defense was playing like the offense would score 50 points. They gave up a lot of yards but usually tightened up in the red zone. A perfect example is the old dominion game. It felt like old dominion crushed us but we only lost by ten. Tom Mason is a smart guy he will make adjustments. I'm cautiously optimistic the defense will be pretty good.
This year feels a lot like 2004. Gary Nord had been here four years won the only conference championship UTEP has won in the last fifty years. After the 2003 season the majority of UTEP fans including myself wanted him fired. Nord always says he had a five year plan he never got to see year five. Price came in and reaped the benefits and after nords players left he couldn't win with his own. Through the years there have been many discussions about where the football program would be if Nord got his fifth year. Now we get to see history repeat itself this time the coach gets his fifth year. There are similarities. Both Nord and Kugler are great talent evaluator both could find under the radar talent. Hopefully, Kugler wins this year and rewards Still for his confidence. If this is a losing season it will catastrophic. It will mean starting over with a new coach, and because of the issues UTEP has this is not a quick fix. Worse would be the fact UTSA and UNT would have passed us by. In 2004 we were better than SMU and Houston. In the next eight years we slid and oth surpassed us. Now to be a position where we could be passed by UTSA and UNT is beyond sickening. Hopefully, Kugler has built something most of can't see right now and it all comes to fruition this year.
