UTEP Miners football vs. UNM Lobos at University Stadium: Recap

The UTEP Miners football team takes on its second-oldest rival Saturday night in Albuquerque's University Stadium when it plays New Mexico.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and will be carried on the Mountain West Network and 95.5 FM KLAQ.

The Lobos will face a UTEP defense that started to play to its potential against New Mexico State.

This game has been a good predictor for the rest of the season. The last three times UTEP beat UNM, in 2010, 2014 and 2021, the Miners have gone on to make the New Mexico Bowl.

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UTEP football live updates

UNM 27, UTEP 10: UTEP tacked on a touchdown and tried an onside kick, but UNM recovered and capitalized on the short field. Miners had seven turnovers, matching the most since 2005. UTEP now 1-3. Read the story in Monday's El Paso Times.

UNM 27, UTEP 10: The Lobos hand the Miners their third loss this season.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, 7:54 4th: After New Mexico starts on the 19, UTEP gets a three-and-out and forces a 31-yard field goal. It misses, another stop for the Miner defense. Defense has put in a winning effort. I'l be heading to the field. Next update will be well after the game is over.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, 9:41 4th: A Hardison interception is UTEP's fifth turnover of the game.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, 13:31 4th: UTEP gets to the Lobo 29 and fumbles the ball away. A pass to Walter Dawn that would have lost 6 yards on third and 4 if he hadn't fumbled.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, end 3rd: UTEP marches the ball to a first down on the UNM 35 after remembering it has a running game. There have been two seven-point plays this game - UNM's pick-6 and the Miners' fumble inside the Lobo 1. UTEP is surely saying this should be no worse than 13-10. But of course it isn't.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, 1:51 3rd: UTEP defense with another three-and-out, aided by a couple of UNM penalties and several negative runs.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, 4:39 3rd: UTEP gets into a 4th-and-3 on its 38 and throws incomplete into a mob of red jerseys.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, 5:45 3rd: Tyreke James with his first interception. It came a play after Cal Wallerstedt had his second sack of the game. Two players who weren't starters when the year began.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, 9:36 3rd: Miners drive to the UNM 39, stall, throw incomplete on fourth-and-2, lather, rinse, repeat.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, 9:36 3rd: UTEP gives up a couple of first downs but forces the punt. Defense isn't playing poorly, offense is. UTEP has it's usual list of what-ifs, but the biggest one is that the Lobos have been better so far.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, 13:37 3rd: More disaster. Tyrin Smith catches a pass for 75 yards but fumbles on the 1-yard line as he's going in. Fumble, touchback, UNM ball on the 20. That was a bomb on second-and-25 from the Miner 24.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, half: Some stats: Yards are 214-77 for New Mexico. UTEP has eight rushes for 3 yards. Hardison is 8-for-23 for 73 yards. Would be a closer game if it hadn't been for the pick-6 but the offense hasn't been good.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, half: Some stats: Yards are 214-77 for New Mexico. UTEP has eight rushes for 3 yards. Hardison is 8-for-23 for 73 yards. Would be a closer game if it hadn't been for the pick-6 but the offense hasn't been good.

UNM 20, UTEP 3, 0:04 2nd: UNM goes 33 yards in five plays and makes a 51-yard field goal. On the bright side Cal Wallerstedt had his first career sack.

UNM 17, UTEP 3, 0:43 2nd: Sitting on 35 yards and facing a third-and-10, Miners come alive and drive to the 26. Then a sack sets up 4th-and-17 from the 33. Instead of trying a 50-yard field goal, Miners go for it, throw a bomb, it is incomplete.

UNM 17, UTEP 3, 3:47 2nd: A stop and a weird one. UNM drives 40 yards, converting a third-and-8 along the way, stalls on the 12 and doinks a field goal off the upright.

UNM 17, UTEP 3, 7:52 2nd: Three passes, one complete for 4 yards, punt. Miners' last eight play calls were passes, none worked.

UNM 17, UTEP 3, 8:54 2nd: UTEP defense stops the bleeding with a three-and-out but an offense that has done little now has he ball on its own 9.

UNM 17, UTEP 3, 10:14 2nd: UTEP throws two more bombs. The first reaped a roughing-the-passer penalty, the second was intercepted. Zero completions for Hardison on last nine attempts, two of which were interceptions. Most of those not high-percentage play calls.

UNM 17, UTEP 3, 10:31 2nd: UNM starts the quarter with runs of 21, 14 and 22 yards (the last one a scramble). Lobos were looking at a 2nd-and-18 shortly thereafter but a facemask saves them and they finish the drive on a 3-yard run. Eight plays, 75 yards, 5:43. UTEP is in trouble.

UNM 10, UTEP 3, end 1st: Lobos face a third-and-6 on their 29 when the second quarter starts. Defense has been good except for a stretch of plays on that second drive. Difference in the game is the pick-six, of course.

UNM 10, UTEP 3, 1:21 1st: UTEP uses two good Ronald Awatt runs to move the ball to the 29, then three incomplete long passes and the Miners settle for a 46-yard Gavin Baechle field goal, his seventh consecutive field goal. Drive was six plays, 13 yards, 1:44.

UNM 10, UTEP 0, 3:06 1st: Miner defense gets a stop they had to have. UNM lost three yards on three plays then Marcus Bellon returns a 47-yard punt 34 yards to set the Miners up on the Lobo 42.

UNM 10, UTEP 0, 6:28 1st: UTEP can't right itself. A dropped pass, a failed run and an incomplete bomb and the Miners punt.

UNM 10, UTEP 0, 6:28 1st: That good start was a long time ago. Gavin Hardison throws a ball off of Tyrin Smith's hands and it goes right to Reco Hannah, who picks it off and goes 22 yards to the end zone. Hardison's first interception this season though it wasn't his fault. Miners in a quick, ugly hole.

UNM 10, UTEP 0, 6:28 1st: That good start was a long time ago. Gavin Hardison throws a ball off of Tyrin Smith's hands and it goes right to Reco Hannah, who picks it off and goes 22 yards to the end zone. Hardison's first interception this season though it wasn't his fault. Miners in a quick, ugly hole.

Tackle on the kick return was by Burges alum Alex Marenco.

UNM 3, UTEP 0, 6:28 1st: Lobos quickly march to the 15 before Miner defense rallies, helped by a motion penalty that turned third-and-4 into third-and-9. UNM guilty of offensive pass interference on third down, which is declined and Lobos make a 37-yard field goal. Eight plays, 62 yards, 3:55.

UTEP 0, UNM 0, 10:24 1st: UTEP gets a first down but a sack dooms the drive. Did establish some field position but Miners can't down the punt before it goes into the end zone. Had a chance to down that inside the 5 but would have been tough.

UTEP 0, UNM 0, 13:24 1st: Crisp three-and-out for the UTEP defense, starting with Praise Amaewhule tackling the quarterback for a 4-yard loss. Good start for the Miners.

UTEP 0, UNM 0, 15:00 1st: UTEP wins the toss! Miners had been 0-3 in coin tosses this year. They defer so for the first time this season they'll start on defense.

5 minutes until kickoff: A sparse crowd at the moment. Appears maybe 6,000 fans or so. Warm and sunny outside. New Mexico about to take the field.

15 minutes until kickoff: Outside of one linebacker position UTEP is fairly healthy. Safety Justin Prince is suspended indefinitely, linebackers Jerome Wilson and Gary Theard are out as they have been all season.

38 minutes until kickoff: Miners fully assembled for stretch line. They kick off as a two-point favorite. With an over-under of 38, they are projected to win 20-18. UNM in all red with grey helmets.

53 minutes until kickoff: Miners have a new-look helmet in this game, blue with an orange 9 and 5 around the grey pick axe that represents the 1. White top and blue pants. First fans are starting to trickle in the stadium, a few specialists warming up on the field. Pretty day in Albuquerque.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Recap of UTEP Miners football vs. UNM Lobos at University Stadium