UNLV Fan Here

[LVteam]

Hey guys, rebel fan here. Just wanted to stop by and say how much I look forward to watching our teams play each other on September 8.

I've watched a lot of UTEP basketball over the years but I'm not as familiar with the Miners football program, so this will be a great opportunity for me to see your team up close on the field.

For anyone making the trip to Vegas, I hope you'll have a lot of fun and enjoy what the city has to offer along with some great college football.

I host a podcast for the website RebelRaid.com and I would like to do a feature segment on UTEP's team from the perspective of its fans.

If any of you are willing to educate me about your team I'd love to hear your take and I'll likely use it on the show. Some general questions I'm interested in are:

UTEP OFFENSE

1) Who are the top skill guys entering the season (returners and/or newcomers)?

2) How does the offensive line look?

DEFENSE

1) Who are the top enforcers for UTEP?

2) Particularly, how does the secondary look?

GENERAL

1) What is the greatest strength of UTEP's team entering the season?

2) Is there an area of the team with question marks going in?

UNLV RELATED

1) What is your favorite thing, or least favorite thing about playing UNLV?

Thanks again for any insight(s) you can provide me, and feel free to visit our fan forum/podcast anytime as we approach our game. http://unlvmessageboard.com/rebels.php

Thanks.

 

[axingfools1]

Welcome! I will give it a shot from my perspective. I'm a big basketball fan, but here goes...

Administration and coaching has turned over and so us UTEP fans are looking for some drastic improvements in both sports.

Poor recruiting efforts and poor on the field play have slowly torn the football program down since the first few years of Mike Price firing it up. Poor accountability by our previous AD didn't help either.

We have lost a few fantastic players to the NFL draft over the past two years (Aaron Jones RB to the Packers and Will Hernandez LG to the Giants).

Our next head coach and staff will run an RPO offense and a 4-3 or 4-2-5 defense.

Although he hasn't won the starting position yet, Kai Locksley QB may be our biggest skill player. He is a 4-star transfer from Texas who was the JC offensive player of the year last season. He scored 20 TDs a piece on the ground and through the air in a total of 8 games! Add a healthy Quadraiz Wadley RB running behind All Big-12 transfer Winston Dimel FB and they should form a formiddable trio on the ground. High level of skill at the receiver position is questionable, but starters are experienced and are looking to be able to contribute much more this season.

Offensive line just took a hit with our starting LT out for the season. Look for 2 freshman to start the opener on the left side. Our man in the middle is Derron Gatewood C. He is all conference material and likely a team captain.

Our top enforcer on defense is expected to be Oregon graduate transfer AJ Hotchkins LB, but watch out for a RS freshman in the middle named Sione Tupou LB who turned a lot of heads in camp.

Across the D-line we return two freshman all-conference players in Chris Richardson DL and Trace Mascorro DE.

Our defensive backs are considered the strong suit of the defense. 4 year corners Nik Needham CB and Kalon Beverly CB are possible next level players.

Hopefully I missed more than a few because that means some suprises!

Overall the Miners should be strong in the run game and in the secondary. Our pass rush, passing game and kicking game were sour last year. Hopefully we will see some improvements there. Overall I think the consencus has us winning 3-4 games and then building from there.

Playing UNLV brings us back to the MWC where must of us feel we belong. Of course Vegas is am awesome visit anytime IMO. I hope we can arrange for the same in basketball.

 

[utep2step]

Hey guys, rebel fan here. Just wanted to stop by and say how much I look forward to watching our teams play each other on September 8.

I've watched a lot of UTEP basketball over the years but I'm not as familiar with the Miners football program, so this will be a great opportunity for me to see your team up close on the field.

For anyone making the trip to Vegas, I hope you'll have a lot of fun and enjoy what the city has to offer along with some great college football.

I host a podcast for the website RebelRaid.com and I would like to do a feature segment on UTEP's team from the perspective of its fans.

If any of you are willing to educate me about your team I'd love to hear your take and I'll likely use it on the show. Some general questions I'm interested in are:

UTEP OFFENSE

1) Who are the top skill guys entering the season (returners and/or newcomers)?

2) How does the offensive line look?

DEFENSE

1) Who are the top enforcers for UTEP?

2) Particularly, how does the secondary look?

GENERAL

1) What is the greatest strength of UTEP's team entering the season?

2) Is there an area of the team with question marks going in?

UNLV RELATED

1) What is your favorite thing, or least favorite thing about playing UNLV?

Thanks again for any insight(s) you can provide me, and feel free to visit our fan forum/podcast anytime as we approach our game. http://unlvmessageboard.com/rebels.php

Thanks.

1) Who are the top skill guys entering the season (returners and/or newcomers)?

Return: Ryan Metz/QB Derron Gatewood/Center (and other members of O Line but Gatewood is the anchor and best vet)
Warren Redix/WR
Newcomers: Winston Dimel/FB/Kansas State Kai Locksley/QB/Iowa Western CC/Arizona Western CC/Texas A.J. Hotchkins/Oregon

2) How does the offensive line look?

Good, but not great as what was designed to be and NCAA All American Will Hernandez was drafted by the Giants. Line was to be one of the best in CUSA and tops in FBS and there was some flashes of greateness. Derron Gatewood is no Will Hernandez but the line was fairly solid protecting our qb's. Allowed 0 sacks in two or three games.

DEFENSE

1) Who are the top enforcers for UTEP?

The secondary.. Local sports media, Coach Dimel and folks on here who took note at camp say linebacker AJ Hotchkins from Oregon is head and shoulders a top tier LB and operates with a high motor and anchors a pretty good LB corp.

2) Particularly, how does the secondary look?
The secondary is the best unit on this entire team.... hands down. Their numbers speak for themselves but got overlooked by preseason coaches in CUSA and they're pissed about it. They've been together since their freshman year and were thrown to the wolves early by former UTEP HC Sean Kugler. They have battle scars.

GENERAL

1) What is the greatest strength of UTEP's team entering the season?

Secondary and FB when Winston Dimel decided to come which strengthened the "blocking back" position for the Pistol/Wildcat and to follow his dad. OU and Mizzou really wanted him. UTEP fans didn't think he'd come.

2) Is there an area of the team with question marks going in?

Yes, the coaching staff. Dimel doesn't exactly have a stellar HC resume while at Houston and Wyoming but as the saying goes in FBS "he wasn't given enough time". Our OC also has a so-so resume and the DC is a Coach Dimel buddy from K State and another "will see". Dimel was at K State for almost ten years and Snyder no longer needed his services because the offense was just a tad to run oriented and/or conservative to put K State up at the top of their conference. Accroding to Dimel, he saw the writing on the wall and was watching the UTEP HC position from afar and had a gut feeling it would open soon and when it did he came to our new AD and President like Stephen Hawking at a British Astrophysics Convention ready to sell his "I'll get you out of this hole" presentation (no pun intended).

UNLV RELATED

1) What is your favorite thing, or least favorite thing about playing UNLV?

Old WAC rival that UTEP fans salivate over. Basketball driven of course.

 

[utep2step]

Oh yes! How can I forget Trace Mascorro. He will be in your backfield a few times and you'll hear his name over the PA system a few times "Trace Mascorro with the stop". Just what I've read but they say his strength is beast like and is great at fighting off blocks. He's young but people are saying he is definitely NFL material by his senior year.

In case your're wondering, this team has some really solid talent. Former UTEP HC Sean Kugler didn't exploit it, hence, goose egg season.

 

[LVteam]

Thank you, gents. Great stuff! I appreciate your help and look forward to chatting more in the days ahead.

 

[KaneFan29]

FU Rebel Lover! This is Miner country.

 

[develman]

FU Rebel Lover! This is Miner country.

WTF? LMAO!

 

[minermx07]

FU Rebel Lover! This is Miner country.

How would Knoxville Mayor and Future WWE HOFer Kane feel about such rudeness?

 

[KaneFan29]

How would Knoxville Mayor and Future WEE HOFer Kane feel about such rudeness?

Depends if he were talking to a potential voter

 

[kickballpro]

UNLV’s Head Coach worked at Irvin High School and Onate High School.

 

[HeWore62]

Hey guys, rebel fan here. Just wanted to stop by and say how much I look forward to watching our teams play each other on September 8.

I've watched a lot of UTEP basketball over the years but I'm not as familiar with the Miners football program, so this will be a great opportunity for me to see your team up close on the field.

For anyone making the trip to Vegas, I hope you'll have a lot of fun and enjoy what the city has to offer along with some great college football.

I host a podcast for the website RebelRaid.com and I would like to do a feature segment on UTEP's team from the perspective of its fans.

If any of you are willing to educate me about your team I'd love to hear your take and I'll likely use it on the show. Some general questions I'm interested in are:

UTEP OFFENSE

1) Who are the top skill guys entering the season (returners and/or newcomers)?

2) How does the offensive line look?

DEFENSE

1) Who are the top enforcers for UTEP?

2) Particularly, how does the secondary look?

GENERAL

1) What is the greatest strength of UTEP's team entering the season?

2) Is there an area of the team with question marks going in?

UNLV RELATED

1) What is your favorite thing, or least favorite thing about playing UNLV?

Thanks again for any insight(s) you can provide me, and feel free to visit our fan forum/podcast anytime as we approach our game. http://unlvmessageboard.com/rebels.php

Thanks.

This is heady social media. Well played, neighbor.

Look forward to seeing how the Rebels and Miners match up.

 

[minermx07]

Depends if he were talking to a potential voter

A potential voter, who it turns out attacked the Undertaker backstage while wearing a UNLV hoodie.

 

[utep2step]

His questions are too specific. Probably an on line UNLV.com sports media personnel person, which as Digs fans should embrace and always feel welcomed. We need to be diplomatic to them since we want in the MWC, right?