By Ralph Lauro Aug 20, 2007, 14:20 GMT
OFFENSE: With the departure of quarterback Jordan Palmer, who set numerous school records and started in 42 career games, the Miners will aim at becoming a more run oriented team and that should be interesting considering the offense averaged a miserable 57.6 rushing ypg last season. Senior tailback Marcus Thomas however, does give this unit hope for improvement, as he has the ideal blend of size and speed. The 6-1, 215-pound versatile back rushed for just 513 yards and five scores last season, but he played a big part in the passing attack, finishing second with 39 catches. If Thomas can get help from the offensive line, which returns all five starters, he could have a run at a 1,000-yard season. While the running situation is clear cut, the same certainly can't be said about the quarterback position. The departure of Palmer leaves UTEP without an experienced gunslinger and their are as many as five guys competing for the starting job. Freshman Trevor Vittatoe and sophomore Brandis Dew figure to be the leading candidates, but senior Lorne Sam isn't far behind. Senior Joe West, at 6-2, should provide a solid target for whomever is under center and he should have no trouble improving on the 27 catches he posted last season.
DEFENSE: The Miners were torched for 394.9 total ypg and 31.3 ppg last season, so starting over may not be a bad idea. Actually, UTEP doesn't have much of a choice, as it welcomes back just four starters on this side of the ball. The biggest makeover this unit will endure comes on the defensive line, where their is no returning starters and very little experience. Junior tackle James Olalekan has played 23 games the last two years, making him the most experienced lineman by far. The linebacker corps however, is in better shape thanks to the return of Jeremy Jones and Emeri Spence. Jones missed most of last season with a broken leg, but when healthy there may be none better. In 2005, the senior posted 130 tackles and 14.5 TFLs to earn all-league honors. Spence, a senior as well, finished with 58 tackles last season. In the secondary, UTEP welcomes back two starters, most notably Quintin Demps. The senior free safety led C-USA with seven interceptions last season and he is also the team's returning tackler with 67 stops in '06. Demps is the leader of this unit and he could contend for All-American honors once again.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Miners lost both their kicker and punter this past offseason, so they must start over. Transfer Jose Martinez will take over the field goal kicking duties, although he is still recovering from ACL surgery from last February. Freshman Kyle Peterson will handle the punting duties and he should at least be able to match the mere 36.0 yards per punt Ryan Hotchkiss averaged in 2006.
OUTLOOK: The Miners have a glaring hole to fill at quarterback and that is especially big for a team that averaged 312.8 passing ypg last season. This, along with a shaky and young defense, will most likely lead to UTEP's second consecutive losing campaign.
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