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UTEP Football Announces 2021 Schedule

MistaBinks

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UTEP officials along with Conference USA have revealed the complete 2021 football schedule for the Miners, it was announced by the league office on Wednesday.

The 2021 slate features six home games, including contests against Bethune-Cookman, New Mexico, Old Dominion, Louisiana Tech, UTSA and Rice. UTEP will also face off against a pair of Mountain West opponents in Boise State and New Mexico.

The schedule also marks the return of the Battle of I-10 with the Miners scheduled to travel to Las Cruces, N.M., to face off against NM State on Aug. 28 to kick off the 2021 season. The game will mark the 98th meeting in the Battle of I-10 with UTEP leading the all-time series, 57-38-2, over the Aggies.

“We are excited at the prospect of playing a complete 12-game schedule for the 2021 season after a tumultuous 2020 campaign,” head coach Dana Dimel said. “We have a fantastic home schedule this fall and we can’t wait to get to work preparing for the 2021 season. We are excited to renew rivalries with two teams this program is very familiar with in Boise State and New Mexico, a couple of former WAC opponents. It’s also nice to have eight games scheduled in the state of Texas or New Mexico that our fans will have the opportunity to see.”

Following the season opener, UTEP host Bethune-Cookman in the 2021 home opener at Sun Bowl Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 4, in what will be the first of six home games during the season.

On Sept. 11, the Miners hit the road for a non-conference game against Mountain West foe Boise State before enjoying the first of two bye weeks the week of Sept. 18.

UTEP returns home on Sept. 25 to host New Mexico in a non-conference matchup in the first meeting of a home-and-home series that will see the Miners travel to face UNM in 2022. The last time the Miners faced the Lobos was in the 2014 season opener in Albuquerque. UTEP defeated New Mexico, 31-24, top open that season on its way to an appearance in the New Mexico Bowl.

The series between UTEP and New Mexico is the second-longest in school history (78 games) next to NM State. New Mexico leads the series, 43-32-3. The Miners and the Lobos were joint members of the WAC from 1968-98.

After concluding non-conference play in the month of September, UTEP will step into Conference USA action by hosting East Division foe Old Dominion on Oct. 2 in El Paso. The Miners and Monarchs have only faced off three times previously with the last meeting coming in 2016 at home, which resulted in a 31-21 victory for ODU. Old Dominion leads the all-time series, 2-1, with UTEP’s lone victory being a 42-35 win in the first-ever meeting in 2014.

UTEP will then travel to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to take on Southern Miss Oct. 9before hosting Louisiana Tech in the Sun Bowl on Oct. 16. The Miners did not face the Golden Eagles during the 2020 season due to a COVID-19 cancellation, while LA Tech defeated UTEP, 21-17, last season in Ruston.

The Miners will enjoy a second bye week on Oct. 23 before crossing back over to the East Division for a road contest at Florida Atlantic (Oct. 30) the following week. UTEP last faced the Owls back-to-back seasons in 2015-16. The two teams have split the series with UTEP winning the first-ever meeting, 27-17, in El Paso. In 2016, Florida Atlantic claimed a 35-31 victory over the Miners in Boca Raton.

The month of November will feature three games in the state of Texas, including opening the month with UTEP facing off against Conference USA foe UTSA on Nov. 6at the Sun Bowl. The following week, the Miners will travel to take on North Texas on Nov. 13 before hosting Rice on Nov. 20 in El Paso.

The 2021 regular-season finale is slated for Nov. 27 when the Miners travel to Birmingham to face the UAB Blazers in road action.

It is important to note that all games are subject to date changes and some dates are expected to move in the coming weeks in order to accommodate national television. A schedule of televised games will be released at a later date.

Conference USA’s 17th annual Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 4.
 
Wow, is this poorly written. Can anyone tell me who the Miners are playing in their season opener? And then there's this paragraph:

The 2021 slate features six home games, including contests against Bethune-Cookman, New Mexico, Old Dominion, Louisiana Tech, UTSA and Rice. UTEP will also face off against a pair of Mountain West opponents in Boise State and New Mexico.

Hmm, so I take from the first sentence that we will be playing UNM at home, and from the second sentence that we will also be playing UNM. Good to know.

Whomever put this together for the athletic department writes as well as Terry and Dimel coach.
 
Dimel is setup with a reasonable opportunity to get 6 wins. I hope the pressure is on him to get to a bowl this year or adios. If he can't accomplish that is his 4th year then surely he will be let go.
 
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UTEP will schedule a FCS team for a home game from now on. Home opener would be that FCS team or NMSU most of their future openers.
IW is on the schedule for 2023 but no fcs in 2022. Other future schedules have no fcs on them yet but there is room to add them
 
Any decent team should be able to open up 5-1 with next season’s schedule. Hopefully Dimels seat is a bit warm and uncomfortable.


Aug. 28 at N.M. State

Sept. 4 Bethune-Cookman

Sept. 11 at Boise State

Sept. 18 BYE

Sept. 25 New Mexico

Oct. 2 Old Dominion*


Oct. 9 at Southern Miss*

Oct. 16 Louisiana Tech*

Oct. 23 BYE

Oct. 30 at Florida Atlantic*

Nov. 6 UTSA*

Nov. 13 at North Texas*

Nov. 20 Rice*
 
Any decent team should be able to open up 5-1 with next season’s schedule. Hopefully Dimels seat is a bit warm and uncomfortable.


Aug. 28 at N.M. State

Sept. 4 Bethune-Cookman

Sept. 11 at Boise State

Sept. 18 BYE

Sept. 25 New Mexico

Oct. 2 Old Dominion*


Oct. 9 at Southern Miss*

Oct. 16 Louisiana Tech*

Oct. 23 BYE

Oct. 30 at Florida Atlantic*

Nov. 6 UTSA*

Nov. 13 at North Texas*

Nov. 20 Rice*

5-1?

tenor.gif
 
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Yeah, I don't think that 5-1 should be anywhere near a sure thing. Bethune-Cookman is the only sure win that I see. NMSU and UNM are toss ups at best, Boise State is a loss, and the other two games are conference opponents, one home and one away. Honestly, 3-3 seems to be a more realistic goal, 4-2 would be significant progress.
 
Yeah, I don't think that 5-1 should be anywhere near a sure thing. Bethune-Cookman is the only sure win that I see. NMSU and UNM are toss ups at best, Boise State is a loss, and the other two games are conference opponents, one home and one away. Honestly, 3-3 seems to be a more realistic goal, 4-2 would be significant progress.

Unless B-C comes in and beats us.
 
Yeah, I don't think that 5-1 should be anywhere near a sure thing. Bethune-Cookman is the only sure win that I see. NMSU and UNM are toss ups at best, Boise State is a loss, and the other two games are conference opponents, one home and one away. Honestly, 3-3 seems to be a more realistic goal, 4-2 would be significant progress.

NMSU didn’t have a football season and UNM went 2-5 last year. If this team can build on what they did offensively and defensively there’s no reason they should not be in those games. UTEP could be the favorite in both games
 
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NMSU didn’t have a football season and UNM went 2-5 last year. If this team can build on what they did offensively and defensively there’s no reason they should not be in those games. UTEP could be the favorite in both games
If UTEP has an improved FB team it should make a bowl game. If they are not improved then losing to NMSU and UNM are distinct possibilities. UNM looked better this past season than UTEP even with a 1st year coach. NMSU is getting a 3 game spring season and will have a chance to knock off UTEP in week zero of 2021. No excuses for Dimel in his 4th season but no guarantees either.
 
By year four we should have seen enough improvements to think a 6-1 start is possible. NMSU took the entire year off. UNM looked awful last year. ODU didn’t play. USM looked really bad last year too. LT was in a dog fight with us at home.


I think we showed we’re improved enough to string together a few quarters of good football. I don’t see them doing it consistently enough to win the required amount of ball games to make bowl.
 
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