College football countdown | No. 112: UTEP

[Harry]

Former Texas-El Paso coach Mike Price's lasting legacy isn't that he won four or five games in five of last seven seasons with the Miners, but that he made winning four or five games a disappointment. Stick with me here.

UTEP played football before Price arrived, did so for the better part of a century, yet never — OK, almost never — did it well. How many times did the Miners win four or more games from 1975 through 2003, the year prior to Price's arrival? Six times.

So Price's run ended on a low note, especially given how well the Miners opened under his watch — at least eight wins each season in 2004 and '05 — but in the long run, Price changed the way UTEP views itself. That's some legacy, right?

In short, UTEP needs quite a bit to go its way in order to crack through the ceiling and reach bowl eligibility. The year could get out of control before it begins, thanks to a tough early stretch, and the Miners also get Houston and Southern Mississippi on the road over the final four games. If UTEP wins three or four games, does the program make a coaching change? If the school wants to snap out of this funk, it might have no choice.

2012 RECAP

— In a nutshell: Price's run with UTEP ended poorly, at 3-9, though the Miners can take some solace in the fact that six of those nine losses were by 11 points or fewer. A seventh loss came to Oklahoma, 24-7, and an eighth to Mississippi. On the other hand, the three wins came against New Mexico State, Tulane and Southern Mississippi — nothing to write home about, in short. So this wasn't a great team by any means; nor was it a terrible team, and certainly not one that should have lost nine games during the regular season. Eight, maybe. Seven. Not nine.

— High point: A 34-33 win over Southern Mississippi in November. UTEP could exhale: USM was winless, and no one wants to lose to a winless team in November.

— Low point: The offense was missing in action most of last season, but never more so than Oct. 6 in a 17-0 loss to SMU. The shutout was the second of Price's career, joining a 48-0 loss to Montana State as the coach at Weber State in 1984.

— Tidbit: UTEP has only two winning streaks of more than six games in program history: 2004 (under Price) and 2000 (under Gary Nord). The Miners have only one 10-win season, the fewest of any FBS program in the state of Texas with the exception of Texas-San Antonio, which only christened its program in 2011.

— Tidbit (turnovers edition): UTEP is 10-6 the past six seasons when not committing a turnover. As that total suggests, it's not an overly common occurrence. Twice in this span, in 2011 and 2007, UTEP had at least one giveaway in every game.

FORMER PLAYERS IN THE NFL

— 10: WR Kris Adams (New York Giants), G Eloy Atkinson (Tennessee), RB Joe Banyard (Minnesota), S Antwon Blake (Jacksonville), CB Cornelius Brown (San Diego), OT Oniel Cousins (Cleveland), S Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith (Pittsburgh), WR Donavon Kemp (Dallas), CB Drew Thomas (St. Louis), CB Darren Woodard (St. Louis).

ARBITRARY TOP FIVE LIST

— Alabama coaches, 1997-2007

1. Dennis Franchione (18-8, 2001-02).
2. Mike Price (0-0, 2003).
3. Mike Shula (26-23, 2003-06).
4. Joe Kines (0-1, 2006).
5. Mike DuBose (24-23, 1997-2000).

COACHING

— Sean Kugler (UTEP '89), entering his first season. Kugler played at UTEP and later spent eight seasons as an assistant, the last six with the offensive line, making him an attractive candidate for the university following Price's retirement after last season. "We're so pleased to get Sean back at UTEP," UTEP athletics director Bob Stull said when Kugler was hired, and the feeling is mutual. After spending a dozen years away, one on the FBS level and 11 in the NFL, Kugler is back at his alma mater.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2013/05/21/utep-college-football-countdown-2013-preview/2326879/

[EastTexasMG]

FORMER PLAYERS IN THE NFL

— 10: WR Kris Adams (New York Giants), G Eloy Atkinson (Tennessee), RB Joe Banyard (Minnesota), S Antwon Blake (Jacksonville), CB Cornelius Brown (San Diego), OT Oniel Cousins (Cleveland), S Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith (Pittsburgh), WR Donavon Kemp (Dallas), CB Drew Thomas (St. Louis), CB Darren Woodard (St. Louis).

Wasn't Eloy Atkinson commited to NT for a little while?

[UNTLifer]

Yes he was. He defected at the last minute to El Paso.