UTEP Miners College Football Pregame Quote, 10/14/2023

So, as we talk about last week’s game, obviously the fast start was really critical for us to come out and get some quick scores like we did. The first drive was a really good drive, with just a real physical run game. We threw the ball when we needed to throw it, and threw it efficiently on that drive, but most of it was dominated by good run blocking and good running by the backs. We got the ball in the end zone and took the lead. Then the rest of that quarter pretty much was indicative of how we can play when we do get an early lead. When we get early leads, it really helps our defense. We haven’t done that this year, come out and play fast and quick as we did. The first play of the second drive where we ran the combination route outside, Cade (McConnell) put a perfect throw on the ball and Kelly (Akkaraiyi) made a really good catch looking over his shoulder. But the ball was up there higher, and the higher it is like that the longer Kelly could see it. So, he made a great play. (He) outran the secondary after the catch and got us off to a 14-0 lead. From that point on, now our defense can become even more aggressive. The third drive, we capitalized again and got a good play-action pass. On the play-action pass, Kelly again came wide open going in to finish out and get that 21-0 lead. The fast start, the good execution, Cade ran the offense really well. Kelly and JB (Jeremiah Ballard) made some really good catches on those first three series. We ran the ball well and had a super, super productive first half. I don’t look at the halftime stats very often, so I didn’t realize we had 342 yards in the first half. What a tremendous effort for us. From that point on, we just played the game the way we needed to play it. We didn’t take a whole lot of chances. There were some opportunities where I maybe could have taken some chances to go for it. But I just felt like the way our defense was playing and the way we were controlling the clock, we didn’t want to take a whole lot of unnecessary chances. I just think that’s the way you call a game when you’re not trying to pad stats or anything. You’re just trying to get a “W.” We did have one pass play, one route call there in the third quarter. Jeremiah Ballard came wide open down the middle of the field, but we got a pressure when we kind of came out in the side to take another shot. He was probably 10 or 15 yards behind the defense. We gave up just enough pressure that Cade couldn’t get the throw off that probably would have put the game away there. He was incredibly open on that route. But in synopsis, the lead allowed our defense to play more aggressive. Our defense ended up having, after we tallied all the sacks, eight sacks in the game. So, what an effort. Praise (Amaewhule) was able to break the school record for sacks. But when you read the stat sheet for Praise, Kanious (Vaughn) and Mo Westmoreland, it’s like reading one for half a season. Those guys, the totals for tackles for losses and sacks that three of our defensive ends had in that game was just outstanding. So, the synopsis of it all is let’s start faster because when we start faster, that dictates to some of the strengths of our football team, which is our offensive line and defensive line. So, that’s what we need to do each and every week if we can. That’s a lot easier said than done, but when we do that, we’re a whole lot different football team. I was really pleased with the play of a lot of guys across the board defensively. Our secondary did a (good job), because as we talked about post game, a lot of the sacks were coverage sacks. So, our defense did a real good job of covering up their receivers. The offensive line played well. I thought the Deion (Hankins) and Torrance (Burgess Jr.) combination was really good. I think those two really fed off of each other. When Torrance got in there, he looked outstanding. He made some really good runs like he does each and every week. Our tight ends and fullbacks blocked really well, did some good things. So, overall (it was a) good performance. Our kickoff coverage was just tremendous. We kept coming down the field and making some big hits on kickoff cover. So, all that was good. It was really important to get road wins. We talked about road conference wins are so big in each and every team’s leagues that they play in. So, that was important for us to get one of those. It gets us back home again playing in the Sun Bowl on Wednesday, which would be the first time that we’ve had the opportunity to do that. It should be exciting to have a Wednesday game here. (I’m) looking forward to it and playing NM State, which obviously is a huge rivalry game for both programs.

On NM State and the rivalry game 

Talking about New Mexico State where they had a good start to their season. They have a lot of skill on offense. They got good receivers, good running backs, a good quarterback. (They’ve) had some success this year with those guys. They’re very aggressive defensively with what they do. A lot of pressures in that in the defensive scheme that they have. So, a lot of preparation for us goes into this game, and it’s always a fun game to play. So, whenever you have your rivalry game, it’s great. I think it’s great that it’s on national TV. I think that’s good exposure for both programs, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity. 

On the fast start at FIU:

It was a combination of us being able to execute at a high level of what we did and then also taking the things that were there. But when I say execution, there was just some really good throws and catches going on. So that performance was good. The catch by Jeremiah Ballard that we had there early, that was a check by Cade (McConnell). He checked into that. He saw the look that he was getting, and he checked into it. So, it was a combination of all those things Cade just managed the offense well. The receivers played outstanding. The line did a good job of blocking for him. So, all of it combined was important for us to have those kind of numbers. Everything has got to be humming on all cylinders to have that kind of production that we had. But the big thing too, I’ve said all along, we were 128th in the country in turnover margin. So, we won the turnover margin, and we won the game. If we had done that in other games, we probably would have won. So, I think that’s a big step for us as well. 

On the level of play of Cade McConnell, once the fourth stringer:

I’m just really proud of him, really proud of what he did, really proud of the way he handled it. He told me Tuesday, ‘I’m not nervous, I’m not going to be nervous for this game. I’m prepared.’ He’s just a case in point of somebody that sat there and was our fourth-string quarterback and never came to practice one day pouting or acting like ‘I should be number one, I’m the best guy,’ nothing but supportive of the other three guys. The next thing was taking diligent, diligent notes at every meeting like he was starting. He prepared like he was starting. Very seldom do you get to your fourth-string quarterback. I mean, very seldom does that happen, but when we did, it was because the way he prepared himself. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself or pouting about it, he just prepared himself like he was a starter. That’s what happens when you do that and when you have that kind of character. I think that’s an important lesson for everybody to learn, to have that kind of work ethic and (to know) character pays off. So, that was a big thing for him.