Saturday El Paso Times

[50's PONY]

Miners intent on payback against Mustangs
El Paso Times Staff
El Paso Times
Article Launched:10/07/2006 12:00:00 AM MDT

The UTEP football team really didn't need a media guide hubbub to get motivated for Southern Methodist University.
Nor did they really need to see a last-minute junior college quarterback in Corey Slater, who will take the place of Justin Willis after Willis was suspended Friday for breaking team rules

Last year should've been enough.

You remember: The Miners, up at halftime, gave up 24 third-quarter points to the Mustangs in the regular-season finale in Dallas. A season-high seven turnovers contributed to an awful 40-27 loss, as SMU scored 30 points for the first time in 2005 and surpassed its season average (18.9 points per game) in the third quarter alone.

In the end, the Ponies totaled 20 points off of Miner turnovers.

"We embarrassed ourselves by our play," UTEP head coach Mike Price said this week. "We'd like to play better against them."

The Miners (2-2) will get that chance when they play the Mustangs (3-2) in UTEP's Conference USA opener at 7 p.m. today at the Sun Bowl.

However, the thing that may have contributed to last year's UTEP downfall -- a formidable SMU front seven -- is back. And though the defense has allowed an average of 350.2 yards a game, SMU has rebounded well from early-season losses to Texas Tech and North Texas.

Last week's victory over Tulane may have been SMU's best of the year, as the stoppers held the Green Wave offense to minus-33 yards rushing, a school record.

Senior defensive lineman Adrian Haywood (6-foot-3, 280 pounds) was named co-player of the week by C-USA last week after notching three tackles for a loss, including a sack and a forced fumble in the fourth quarter on a potential go-ahead scoring drive by Tulane.

He is the star of an SMU defense that also includes junior linebacker Wilton McCray (6-foot, 205), junior linebacker Reggie Carrington (6-2, 240) and senior defensive end Justin Rogers (6-4, 265).

"They've got some playmakers, and they got after us last year," UTEP quarterback Jordan Palmer said. "And they weren't as good last year as they are now, and they still got after us. They're going to try and make us throw into coverage and pressure us (with) the zone blitz. We haven't had a lot of zone blitz this year, but we had a lot last year, and I've played against teams that zone blitz you a lot. So I'm excited because they're going to stop you, stop you, then give up the big play, and that's what our offense is. That's what we did last year -- took the underneath stuff and made a couple of big plays and got receivers in open space."

Offensively, SMU often operates out of the "pistol" formation, a shotgun formation that includes a running back behind the quarterback. Willis had proved proficient in running it, whether handing it off, passing it or taking it himself.

Now, after Willis' suspension late Friday, that duty will go to junior college transfer Slater, who is expected to start today in Willis' place, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Willis, a redshirt freshman from Denton Ryan, traveled to El Paso on the team charter around lunchtime Friday. The decision to suspend Willis was made late Friday afternoon or evening.

On the season, Willis has completed 80 of 118 passes for 841 yards (168.2 yards per game average) and 12 touchdowns. He also has rushed 45 times for 210 yards (29 yards a game average) and is the Mustangs' second-leading rusher.

Slater is 7-of-18 for 54 yards. He came to SMU from Dixie State Junior College, where he went 62-of-133 for 963 yards and four touchdowns.

Willis may be gone. But the formation is the same. And the Miner players are prepared for it.

"They do a lot of different things with that," UTEP linebacker Troy Collavo said of the formation "You never know where they're going with the ball. They're pretty good at what they do."

Price figured Willis' may have been affected by the big, loud, hostile crowd.

Now, Slater will take on the crowd.

Whatever the case, UTEP's third-year coach knows -- absolutely, positively -- the Miners can't turn the ball over like they did last year in Dallas.

"We can't beat anybody with seven turnovers," he said. "If we have seven turnovers again, we'll get beat. It's just that simple. But that's not even in our thought process."

But this game may be more about respect -- Price played the Aretha Franklin song "Respect" at practice this week. Between last year's game and the controversy that erupted this week -- UTEP running back Marcus Thomas is pictured laying on the ground at the bottom of the SMU media guide -- you've got a game that Miner players are taking very seriously.

"They are going to come out and try to beat us. They think they can," Collavo said. "And since they beat us last year, they have all the right in the world to think that they can beat us this year. We've got to come out and prove that we can beat them and prove to ourselves that we are a good football team."

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

[KnuckleStang]

Am I the only one who thinks playing "Respect" at practice is kind of gay?

[perunapower]

Not just kind of. But very.

[gostangs]

Price is an old drunk fool

he'll probably win though - and they will say he is brilliant when really they just have a pretty good team at home and we have a new QB