UTEP Miners Football

The 2023 UTEP Miners football team was part of the NCAA Division I FBS season. They played at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, and were in Conference USA. Dana Dimel, their coach for six years, led the team.

UTEP Miners Football Team Introduction

The UTEP Miners football team proudly represents the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the exciting world of American football. Competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the NCAA and the West Division of Conference USA (CUSA), they bring passion and skill to every game. Under the guidance of Coach Dana Dimel, the team has a storied history, including championship victories in 1956 and 2000. With 14 postseason bowl appearances, they continue to showcase their talent on the field. Join us at the Sun Bowl, where 51,500 fans cheer on our Miners to victory!

UTEP Miners Football Team History

The UTEP Miners football team has a rich history dating back to 1914. Tommy Dwyer led the first team, succeeded by Harry Van Surdam in 1920 when the school changed its name to the College of Mines and Metallurgy of the University of Texas. Notable coaches include Mack Saxon, who had the most wins in program history, and Mike Brumbelow, who led the team to success in the 1950s. Ben Collins and Bum Phillips also made contributions to the team's legacy. Despite challenges, the Miners continue to strive for excellence on the football field.

UTEP Miners Football Team Coaches

Head Coach Profile

Scotty Walden, born November 15, 1989, is the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Before this role, he coached at East Texas Baptist University and Austin Peay State University and served as interim head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi. Walden played quarterback at various colleges before starting his coaching career at Sul Ross State University. He's known for his offensive expertise and coaching prowess.

UTEP Miners Football Team Stadium

The UTEP Miners football team plays home games at the Sun Bowl on the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) campus. This outdoor stadium has been their home since 1963 and hosts the annual Sun Bowl college football game in late December. Originally seating 30,000, it now has a capacity of 46,670. The stadium's opening game saw a victory for Texas Western (now UTEP) over North Texas State. Situated in a natural bowl, it offers spectators a great view of the action, with the playing field at 3,910 feet above sea level.

UTEP Miners Football Team Rivals

New Mexico State

The UTEP Miners have a long-standing rivalry with New Mexico State called the Battle of I-10. Over 107 years old, this rivalry has seen many thrilling games throughout its history. UTEP leads the series with 58 wins, 38 losses, and 2 ties. They dominated the rivalry from the 1920s to the 1960s. The teams alternate between playing in El Paso and Las Cruces, New Mexico, adding to the intensity of the matchups.

New Mexico State–UTEP: All–Time Record

UTEP Miners Football Team Record and Stats

Conference Championships

UTEP won two conference championships: one outright in 1956 with a 9–2 record and one shared in 2000 with an 8–4 record. They beat teams like Arizona and Fresno State but lost to North Texas and TCU.

UTEP Miners Football Team Roster

Current Players:

• Quarterbacks: Gavin Hardison, Kevin Hurley, Cade McConnell, Jake McNamara, Seth Mouser, Zach Rodriguez

• Running Backs: Torrance Burgess Jr., Aaron Dumas, Joshua Dye, Mike Franklin, Deion Hankins, Xavier Johnson, Ezell Jolly, Daryon Triche, Cartraven Walker, Zachary Essih

• Wide Receivers: Kelly Akharaiyi, Jeremiah Ballard, Marcus Bellon, Jalile Bost, Jostein Clarke, Lucas Flores, Javoni Gardere, Ryan Gonzales, Caden Harris, Kyle McNamara, Jamal Muhammad, Yamil Oaxaca, Tyrin Smith, Dre Spriggs, Jackson Weng, Michael Whitaker, Emari White

• Tight Ends: Elijah Boyd, Juan Camacho Jr., Judah Ezinwa, Zach Fryar, Kheagian Heckaman, Julian Lopez, Luke Seib, Marcus Vinson

• Offensive Line: Luis Carlos Aranda, AJ Barton, Rolando Beltran, Jael Duran, Ivan Escobar, Azizi Henry, Zuri Henry, Steven Hubbard, Joseph Immediato, Elijah Klein, Eduardo Licon, Sedrick Luke, Justin Mayers, Tyrone Durant McDuffie III, Andrew Meyer, Aluma Nkele, Otis Pitts III, TangiTangi Pongia, Nick Scalise, Jaquan Toney, Jake Utley

• Defensive Ends: Praise Amaewhule, Valentino Diaz, Viontay Robinson, Osaiasi Taueli, Bryton Thompson, Kanious Vaughn, Matt Wann, Maurice Westmoreland

• Defensive Tackles: Dante Granados, Dresden McIver-Brown, Jalen Rudolph, Keenan Stewart, Tevita Tafuna, Sione Tonga'uiha, Logologo Va'a

• Defensive Linemen: Chase Bibler, Jagves Garnett, KD Johnson, Joey Lightfoot, Dimitri Madden, RaQuan Thompson

• Linebackers: Kenny Byrd, Nate Dyman, Jake Hall, Tyrice Knight, Kiante Liggins, James Neal, Josh Phillips, Xavier Simmons, Jerome Wilson Jr.

• Cornerbacks: Amier Boyd-Matthews, John Burris III, Stefan Cameron, Ilijah Johnson, Trez Moore, Atiq Muhammad, AJ Odums, Torey Richardson, Brandon Shivers

• Safeties: Josiah Allen, McKel Broussard, Davis Burns, Josiah Dye, Jaime Guerrero, Trejon Hugue, Jayce Hunter, Kobe Hylton, Oscar Moore, Lantz Russell, Tyler Williams, Jaleal Williams-Evans

• Special Teams: Buzz Flabiano, Julian Melucci, Mark Ramos, Dylan Mauro, Joshua Sloan, Justin Duff, Josh Hancock, Angelo Tejada

Captains and Leaders:

• Captain: Gavin Hardison (Quarterback)

• Co-Captains: Praise Amaewhule (Defensive End), Torrance Burgess Jr. (Running Back), Luis Carlos Aranda (Offensive Line)

• Offensive Leader: Gavin Hardison (Quarterback)

• Defensive Leader: Praise Amaewhule (Defensive End)

UTEP Miners Football Team Schedule

The UTEP Miners Football Team Schedule for the current season is as follows:

• Aug 31, 2024: @ Nebraska, Time TBA, Tom Osborne Field at Memorial Stadium

• Sep 7, 2024: vs So. Utah, Time TBA, Sun Bowl

• Sep 14, 2024: @ Liberty, Time TBA, Williams Stadium

• Sep 21, 2024: @ Colorado St., Time TBA, Canvas Stadium

• Oct 3, 2024: vs Sam Houston, Time TBA, Sun Bowl

• Oct 10, 2024: @ W. Kentucky, Time TBA, Houchens Industries L. T. Smith Stadium

• Oct 16, 2024: vs FIU, Time TBA, Sun Bowl

• Oct 22, 2024: @ Louisiana Tech, Time TBA, Joe Aillet Stadium

• Nov 2, 2024: vs Middle Tenn., Time TBA, Sun Bowl

• Nov 9, 2024: vs Kennesaw St., Time TBA, Sun Bowl

• Nov 23, 2024: @ Tennessee, Time TBA, Neyland Stadium

• Nov 30, 2024: @ New Mexico St., Time TBA, Aggie Memorial Stadium