Predicting potential Dubs on the Football schedule

[jdubb66]

NAU for sure a winnable game. New coaching staff, new schemes, new players not withstanding, beating a D2 opponent should be within reach. NAU could return as many as 16 starters from last years FCS playoff team however. They won't be a pushover by any means.

UNLV is a winnable game. They will be coming off a serious beat down at the hands of a nationally ranked USC team. They could be beat up and hurtin when the Miners rumble into town with 1 win under their belts. The rebs will be coming off a 5-7 season having improved each of 3 years under Tony Sanchez.

Put NMSU in the winnable column. This time it will be the Miners coming off of a serious beat down in Tenessee and will look to keep enough players on the field to beat their hated rivals from just up I-10. Given NMSUs season for the ages last year, it won't be an easy task but this is a rivalry game and the Ags will be trying to replace their 3 biggest offensive weapons in Tyler Rodgers, Larry Rose and Baltimore Raven Jaleel Scott.

Rice Owls squarely in the winnable column. Rice was one win better than the Miners last year and had a coaching change-over as well. They'll have a very inexperienced offensive line with little in the line of playmakers to help offset the lack of ground beef. A motivated and eager Miner squad could easily overcome their own setbacks to bring home the dub.

Also rans: Any team having to travel from the east to play at UTEP is a candidate for upset. We've seen time and again how teams seem to shrink in the face of 1000 plus mile road trips to play at altitude. This year, those candidates are UAB, Middle Tenessee and Southern Miss, tough wins for sure for the Miners, but if jet lag sets in anything can happen. Miners could easily go 1-2 against these teams IF they can gather some momentum with good performances early in the season.

Based on these "facts" I would say that a 3 win season is not out of the question for this new Miner team and I for one look forward to the new season with high expectations.

"This is not an 0-12 team"
- D. Dimel

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

Fair assessment. I know this isn’t an 0-12 team, but are they a 1-11 team, or a 3-9 team? I honestly have a hard time saying UNLV is a winnable game just because UTEP is notoriously awful on the road. Granted I am going off of history here, but it looks like these players are working hard this off season so anything is possible in that game.

 

[KaneFan29]

UNLV plays at USC the week before and they lost to FCS Howard in the home opener last year. Allegedly the biggest point spread upset of all time.

I would not expect them to underperform at their home opener this season. That Howard game cost them a bowl appearance. This game will be a slobberknocker.

 

[El Paso 1]

There are ZERO winnable games this season. Any victory will be a major accomplishment. It will be a HUGE embarrassment for Senter if UTEP loses the NAU game. That to me is the must win game to keep fans coming for the rest of the season.

 

[KaneFan29]

I guarantee UTEP will beat NAU.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

I don’t see how the NAU game will be an embarrasment for Senter if The Miners lose. He will have less than a year on the job and I think we can agree that he walked into a disaster. I will not jump ship at the first game because I feel like this rebuild is going to take time. Could it be an embarrassment to the average fan if the team loses? Probably. But in reality this team is going to have a hard time this season so they probably will stop showing up to games at some point right? There is a realistic chance this team could be 1-4, maybe 2 -3 by the time they play UNT at home in October so the herd will be thinned by that point.

 

[JCorona]

A loss to NAU will fall squarely on Senter. He hired Dimel when there were other candidates out there.

I don’t think we will lose to NAU but if we do he has to take responsibility for it.



I’ll use UNT for example because their 2015 1-11 team was very similar to our team last year. That year UNT lost at home 66-7 to an FCS team. It’s the worst beating a FCS team has ever given an FBS team. The next year under new AD/HC UNT not only blew out their FCS team they also beat four FBS teams.

The point is that 15 UNT was probably worse than our 17 team. Not even Oklahoma at home who made the CFP beat us as bad as that FCS team beat UNT on the road. Sure they got lucky and beat a bad UTSA team but if we had a scholarship kicker we would have beat a bowl bound WKU.

Anyways back to the topic. I predict four wins. NAU, NMSU, UTSA, and RICE.

 

[EPTUTEP]

Why does Senter have to take responsibility if we lose against NAU??? None of the other candidates we could have hired would have put us in any better situation to beat NAU. We were the worst team in football and one offseason isnt going to improve this program very much at all.

Winnable games are NAU, NMSU, Rice.

 

[JCorona]

Why does Senter have to take responsibility if we lose against NAU??? None of the other candidates we could have hired would have put us in any better situation to beat NAU. We were the worst team in football and one offseason isnt going to improve this program very much at all.

Winnable games are NAU, NMSU, Rice.

Because in 2015 the two worst teams in the nation were 1-11 UNT and 0-12 UCF. In one offseason they made enough improvements to make Bowl games. This was accomplished after their AD’s made good coaching changes.

I’m not demanding a bowl game just to make necessary improvements to beat an FCS team at home.

 

[El Paso 1]

I don’t see how the NAU game will be an embarrasment for Senter if The Miners lose.

To me it's an embarrassment any time a D-1 A team loses to a D-1 AA team.

 

[El Paso 1]

I will not jump ship at the first game because I feel like this rebuild is going to take time. Could it be an embarrassment to the average fan if the team loses? Probably. But in reality this team is going to have a hard time this season so they probably will stop showing up to games at some point right? There is a realistic chance this team could be 1-4, maybe 2 -3 by the time they play UNT at home in October so the herd will be thinned by that point.

I won't jump ship either, but it would be tough to keep those fair weather fans to come back if UTEP loses the first game.

 

[El Paso 1]

Why does Senter have to take responsibility if we lose against NAU???

Because he is the AD and he hired Dimel. The honeymoon is just about over for Senter.

UTEP will have to win games and Senter can't just say he is excited to see the great progress UTEP will accomplish this season. His coaches that he hired have to produce results.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

To me it's an embarrassment any time a D-1 A team loses to a D-1 AA team.

This is definitely a hypothetical question, but do you feel like the team is in a better position to win the NAU game with Dimmel, Locksley, and company vs. where they could have been if Kugler were around for another year?

I agree that a loss would be disasterous for the program in the short term because it would be a massive misstep right out of the gate.

 

[El Paso 1]

This is definitely a hypothetical question, but do you feel like the team is in a better position to win the NAU game with Dimmel, Locksley, and company vs. where they could have been if Kugler were around for another year?

I agree that a loss would be disasterous for the program in the short term because it would be a massive misstep right out of the gate.

Definitely with Dimel and Locksley.

I imagine for the first game there will be people attending the game out of curiosity. We want to keep those fans and want them to attend more games.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

Definitely with Dimel and Locksley.

I imagine for the first game there will be people attending the game out of curiosity. We want to keep those fans and want them to attend more games.

The consensus on this board is that we will win 3 games, maybe. If the season plays out like that we will lose fans as the season goes on.

 

[El Paso 1]

The consensus on this board is that we will win 3 games, maybe. If the season plays out like that we will lose fans as the season goes on.

Totally agree, but I just think we will lose a lot more fans if UTEP loses to NAU.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

I agree 100%.

 

[ShovelMan66]

Why does Senter have to take responsibility if we lose against NAU??? None of the other candidates we could have hired would have put us in any better situation to beat NAU. We were the worst team in football and one offseason isnt going to improve this program very much at all.

Winnable games are NAU, NMSU, Rice.

Senter hired a guy who hasn't been a HC in a billion years and has an 0-11 season under his belt. No matter who is on the team, UTEP has no business losing to a school like NAU. They are a good FCS team, but they are not James Madison or NDSU caliber. They play in a 10,000 seat domed arena and have little fan support. If UTEP prepares for them, they will beat them.

We might be a shitty team in a shitty conference, but we're not that shitty.

 

[picks up]

Senter hired a guy who hasn't been a HC in a billion years and has an 0-11 season under his belt. No matter who is on the team, UTEP has no business losing to a school like NAU. They are a good FCS team, but they are not James Madison or NDSU caliber. They play in a 10,000 seat domed arena and have little fan support. If UTEP prepares for them, they will beat them.

We might be a shitty team in a shitty conference, but we're not that shitty.

This could be the most positive thing ever posted by ShovelMan

 

[utep2step]

Some local Flagstaff news media outlet was tweeting weeks back when schedule was finalized that UTEP was winnable. Hope Kap takes them up on that.

UTEP D line has to show considerable improvement this year. Two years ago they were bad. Last year saw improvement but still needed to work getting behind the line more often but then again they were tuckered out by late 3rd because of the offense consistently went 3 and out. If they improve even more, I can see 4 in the W column. I really have a gut feeling the offense will over achieve this year simply because UTEP is loaded in the backfield with Dimel to lead (literally lead block) and Locksley and Metz are under center.

 

[JCorona]

Do you guys think we can get a W against these guys? It would be a nice victory on senior day.

 

[axingfools1]

Do you guys think we can get a W against these guys? It would be a nice victory on senior day.

It might be hard. They really look like they play well together!

 

[Cube Jack]

NAU is bringing their band and cheerleaders. I imagine they're also bringing a bunch of fans. They're probably eagerly looking forward to the game.

 

[Stanman915]

I actually see UTEP winning 4-6 games this year.
NAU-win
UNLV-win
NMSU-win
Rice-win
WKU-win
Not sure where the sixth win comes but I like our chances against UAB. I think most fans would love a 5 win season and it would be considered a big success.

 

[Cube Jack]

I actually see UTEP winning 4-6 games this year.
NAU-win
UNLV-win
NMSU-win
Rice-win
WKU-win
Not sure where the sixth win comes but I like our chances against UAB. I think most fans would love a 5 win season and it would be considered a big success.

If UTEP were to beat NAU, UNLV and NMSUx then we're talking 3-1 to start the season which would increase fan interest and ticket sales. Then the UTSA game always draws many UTEP fans and alumni who have either moved or made the trip. We're talking best case scenario now so it's all a dream for now. Here's hoping this new attitude pays off.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

It’s hard for me to say UNLV will be a win. Just because UTEP is so awful in OOC road games. That game may be a good barometer as to how the season will play out. God willing UTEP isnhead and shoulders above NAU and they can get out to an early lead and work on some things as the game progresses because I’m sure they could use all the extra reps they can get.

 

[jdubb66]

It might be hard. They really look like they play well together!

Is this the Southern Miss production of Kinky Boots?

 

[Hollywoodminer]

I actually see UTEP winning 4-6 games this year.
NAU-win
UNLV-win
NMSU-win
Rice-win
WKU-win
Not sure where the sixth win comes but I like our chances against UAB. I think most fans would love a 5 win season and it would be considered a big success.

Stand Tall stanman915 - 6 wins is the number...

 

[utep2step]

Do you guys think we can get a W against these guys? It would be a nice victory on senior day.

Who was the brain trust at Southern Miss that put that picture together?

 

[MinerManiac]

Stand Tall stanman915 - 6 wins is the number...

Only 6 wins Hollywood? For you that is incredibly pessimistic!

 

[utep2step]

I actually see UTEP winning 4-6 games this year.
NAU-win
UNLV-win
NMSU-win
Rice-win
WKU-win
Not sure where the sixth win comes but I like our chances against UAB. I think most fans would love a 5 win season and it would be considered a big success.

NAU is coming into this game thinking they will pull out a W. Dimel needs to put this one away quickly if given the opportunities and erase all doubters and show why he was the right pick.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

Do you guys think we can get a W against these guys? It would be a nice victory on senior day.

This is the first thing I thought of when I saw that photo.

 

[develman]

• 1. UTEP 41 NAU 14
  2. UNLV 26 UTEP 19
  3. TENN 45 UTEP 24
  4. UTEP 29 NMSU 24
  5. UTSA 38 UTEP 20
  6. UTEP 27 UNT 24
  7. LT 44 UTEP 17
  8. UTEP 24 UAB 16
  9. UTEP 34 Rice 24
  10. MTSU 27 UTEP 20
  11. WKU 35 UTEP 21
  12. UTEP 23 USM 20

 

[axingfools1]

• 1. UTEP 41 NAU 14
  2. UNLV 26 UTEP 19
  3. TENN 45 UTEP 24
  4. UTEP 29 NMSU 24
  5. UTSA 38 UTEP 20
  6. UTEP 27 UNT 24
  7. LT 44 UTEP 17
  8. UTEP 24 UAB 16
  9. UTEP 34 Rice 24
  10. MTSU 27 UTEP 20
  11. WKU 35 UTEP 21
  12. UTEP 23 USM 20

So you have us averaging nearly 25 points a game. That's double last years total. I will take it!

 

[utep2step]

• 1. UTEP 41 NAU 14
  2. UNLV 26 UTEP 19
  3. TENN 45 UTEP 24
  4. UTEP 29 NMSU 24
  5. UTSA 38 UTEP 20
  6. UTEP 27 UNT 24
  7. LT 44 UTEP 17
  8. UTEP 24 UAB 16
  9. UTEP 34 Rice 24
  10. MTSU 27 UTEP 20
  11. WKU 35 UTEP 21
  12. UTEP 23 USM 20

Flip the WKU and UTSA. WKU is in major rebuilding mode, but so is UTEP as well. However, UTEP picked up some really good weapons where as WKU lost some. They do have one very solid rb. The Vols game may get really ugly. I realize no one his high on Rocky Top right now but I have a gut feeling UTEP is walking into a buzz saw with a "let's make a statement" type game and will be looking to pummel UTEP in to submission to show Vol fans that the 9/1/16 Appy State game will not happen again and to erase doubt about their fate as a top SEC program.

 

[Roy_Bigwood_05]

3-9 is my official prediction, worst case 1-11, best case 4-8.

We should beat NAU, UTSA, and Rice, and maybe WKU or NMSU. Don't see us beating the Aggies, but it's a "Winnable" game.