Tuesday El Paso Times

[50's PONY]

Price is excited about sellouts

By Matthew Aguilar / El Paso Times
El Paso Times

UTEP head coach Mike Price is excited about the prospect of the Miners selling out the Sun Bowl for the third time in as many tries Saturday against SMU -- something that never has happened in program history.
"Wouldn't it be great to have three sellouts in a row?" Price asked. "We've only had two in a row twice. There is no such thing as can't. No such thing as never. So why can't we do it? Our football team can do it. Our fans can do it. So, for the third time, I'm asking: Let's pack this stadium. Wasn't it fun? Stay until the end. Hear (Miner receiver) Chris Marrow sing the song 'Shout.' Sing it with him. Have fun. Bring your guests and families and lets have another sellout."

No one left early Saturday because it was one of the better games in UTEP-NMSU history. Up 17-0, the Miners had to fight hard to reject a very strong Aggie challenge, 44-38.

Coming on the heels of the previous week's 27-13 loss at New Mexico, it was an important win.

"The plan that (NMSU head coach) Hal Mumme and I had to make this game interesting and keep everybody in the stands worked perfectly," Price said. "There for a while, at the beginning of the game, I was a little nervous that we wouldn't extend it all the way through the fourth quarter. Like I said many times before, when I first got the job here, people said that they just wanted to make it exciting in the fourth quarter. I'm just dong what I was told. (Athletic director Bob Stull) gets on me if we run away from everybody too soon. And he comes down and starts calling his plays."

Price said he felt like UTEP's offense beat NMSU's defense, and NMSU's offense beat UTEP's defense. And that the difference was special teams.

"We had some brilliant plays," he said. "The kickoff return by (junior safety Quintin Demps) was tremendous."

Price said senior quarterback Jordan Palmer played well, receivers caught the ball well, the pass blocking was good, the run blocking was improved and the kicking game was solid.

"We finally scored in the first quarter," he said. "We didn't run the clock out on offense at all. There were a couple of drives that were 42 seconds long, and that type of thing. We were focused. Our offense clicked. We called the right plays. And if we didn't call the right plays, Jordan (Palmer) called us into the right plays. We improved our rushing attack. Having (junior Lorne Sam) at quarterback helps the rushing attack even more, because then you don't know where the ball is going. When he's in the game, it's like running a two-back offense."

Defensively, he said the team did a good job of stopping the Aggies on the 1-yard line and forcing a fumble on another NMSU drive.

"It was forced," he said. "We knocked that ball out and got on it, which was a big play to stop them from that touchdown. Then there were two fourth-down plays that were great. So I was real pleased with that, and (junior linebacker) Emeri Spence's interception to conclude the game was good."

Which brings us to SMU.

"We're embarrassed by what we did last year," Price said. "This is not a revenge game. We have not, and will not, express that to any team member. They beat us solid last year. We gave them the ball seven times and played very poorly and embarrassed ourselves by our play."




Irritant: Price said he'd rather not have cut-blocking as a legal part of college football, calling it "a source of irritation for everybody that plays against (teams that use it)."
New Mexico State players are alleged to employ the technique, and Price said players were banged up as a result.

"I'd rather not have it, but they don't ask me about the rules anyway," he said.

When asked whether he uses it, Price said, "Maybe a couple of plays we'll do it. Not very much."




Palmer at WR: So far, Palmer has been used as a receiver in two games, against New Mexico and New Mexico State, while Sam was playing quarterback.
"When we first stuck him out there at wide receiver, he went out and lined up and the (New Mexico) defensive back said, 'They're not throwing the ball to you, are they?' And Palmer said, 'No, let's just make it look like we're doing something over here.' "




Injuries: Among those bruised up are junior offensive lineman Oniel Cousins, senior cornerback Nate Draughon and freshman safety Braxton Amy.
"(Sophomore offensive lineman) Tyler Ribitzki got the flu the night before the game, and was vomiting all night long until 3 a.m. the day of the game," Price said. "I didn't think he would make it (to the game). He was in the hospital and deathly ill. Then he got up and Dr. (Dwayne) Aboud and his crew saved the day again and gave him intravenous fluids, and he was able to play three quarters of the game. So that really showed toughness. He sucked it up for the old team."

Matthew Aguilar may be reached at [email protected]; 546-6166.

[Dement-ed]

Palmer at WR: So far, Palmer has been used as a receiver in two games, against New Mexico and New Mexico State, while Sam was playing quarterback.
"When we first stuck him out there at wide receiver, he went out and lined up and the (New Mexico) defensive back said, 'They're not throwing the ball to you, are they?' And Palmer said, 'No, let's just make it look like we're doing something over here.' "

Anyone else see this alignment coming into play Saturday?
I do.

[smupony94]

Speaking of which how can I get tickets? I have booked a flight.

[RGV Pony]

Hmmm. NMSU outplayed UTEPs defense. UTEP offense outplayed NMSU defense.


What was it again that he said was the difference in the game?

Who is #9 for the good guys?

[MrMustang1965]

Speaking of which how can I get tickets? I have booked a flight.

Contact Information
214-SMU-GAME - Phone
214-768-2997 - Fax

[smupony94]

DBB is a good guy and got me an extra one.

[Big10Ponyfan]

What garbage coming out of that story. Nice to see that Mike Price controls the content of the UTEP football beat at the El Paso Times.