Price's UTEP Injury Report

[Stallion]

Pretty long list including some of the best athletes-including all 3 of their BCS Division 1A Superstar transfers: No excuses

We did have one player get hurt. Chris Moore separated his shoulder and he's doubtful for this game coming up. The injury bug has kind of bit the Miners. If you look at where we started the beginning of the season, we have five starters out on defense -- both of our corners, Tim McCullouch and Josh Ferguson, and three starting defensive linemen [Chris Moore, James Olalekan, Steve Riddick] will not be able to play in this game. So we're having to train them up and coach them up as good as we can. We'd like to be at full strength playing SMU, but that's not the way it's going to be. Terrell Jackson won't be ready to go, and Donald Buckram is getting surgery tomorrow scoping his knee. I don't know if Fred Rouse will be able to play this week. Lorne Sam will be able to play more.

[davidsmu94]

and he wouldn't lie to us would he?

[Stallion]

could be but a lot of these guys were out last week too.

[Stallion]

Injury bug strikes
By Bret Bloomquist / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 09/25/2007 12:00:00 AM MDT


UTEP linebacker Nuuese Punimata, who was playing in place of injured Adam Vincent, returned an interception during the first quarter Saturday against Texas Southern at the Sun Bowl. (Victor Calzada / El Paso Times)With just four returning starters back from last year, the UTEP defense began the season by starting over.
Four games into 2007, the Miners have to do it again.

Heading into the Conference USA opener Saturday at SMU, UTEP will be without five players who started the opener, including both cornerbacks and three-quarters of the defensive line.

"The injury bug has hit the Miners," coach Mike Price said. "We'd like to be healthy, but that's not the way it's going to be. People don't realize how important that is. We're scrambing right now. ...

"I feel really good about the quality of our backups. We've got guys who are players who haven't played a lot. ... We're getting good depth, a lot better depth. Depth is giving us a chance to go into conference with a chance to be competitive because we could be really hurting."

Right now, the injury list includes linemen James Olalekan, Steve Riddick and Chris Moore, cornerbacks Josh Ferguson and Tim McCulloch, running backs Terrell Jackson and Donald Buckram and offensive lineman Tyler Ribitzki. Receiver Fred Rouse is questionable, and receiver/quarterback Lorne Sam's injured foot is getting better.

Buckram is having his knee scoped today and will be out several weeks. Also, Adam Vincent was limited to just nine plays against Texas Southern.

The list has forced UTEP into some unforseen changes.

True freshmen Martel Strange, a cornerback, and Craig Wood, a defensive lineman, lost their redshirts, as did sophomore running


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back Jason Williams.
Brandis Dew and Elijah Goldtrap join Wood as the players on the line who will be getting the most extra work. Melvin Stephenson II now joins Cornelius Brown as a starting corner.

"It's a lot of pressure," admitted Brown, who scored his first touchdown Saturday on a fumble return. "Coach just told us to run to the ball. As long as we keep running to the ball, we'll be great."

Last season, UTEP dealt with mounting injuries by having easier practices. Price felt that was a mistake and the Miners faded late in the season. That approach will not be repeated.

"The players and our trainer are working [deleted] the injury thing," Price said. "You just bite your lip and go on. We're going to continue to try to practice hard and hit and not take the pads off and do what we did at the beginning of the year at the end of the year.

"Last year I kind of backed off on the players. We're not going to back off on anybody. And our depth is going to help us. On the plus side, at least on the line, UTEP is getting bigger, though it is getting younger and less experienced.

"They look like they're supposed to look like," Price continued. "Goldtrap is 6-5, 280 pounds. Wood is 6-3, 290 pounds. Dew is 6-5, 275 pounds. Those are the kind of guys we need to have in the defensive line, those big and strong guys."

At least statistically, the line hasn't posted any eye-popping numbers, even before the injuries. Riddick leads that unit with 11 tackles, and no one else has more than seven. Dew has the group's lone sack in mop-up time against the Tigers.

Price was high on Wood's play against Texas Southern, as he was the team's defensive lineman of the week.

"They've been OK," Price said of the defensive line. "They haven't been playing well enough to get better stats."

Now would be a good time to start.

Bret Bloomquist may be reached at [email protected]; 546-6359.

[mrydel]

I do not think it is like we are going to say..."Look the DL has injuries, let's run Martin up the middle a lot!", or "The CBs are hurt, let's run some out and ups and deep posts!"

[Arkpony]

Ah! But we can dream Mrydel! We can dream!

[OC Mustang]

Sounds like a Bobby Bowden stunt to me. Price might be a wily coyote.

[PonyPride]

Having worked with that El Paso Times reporter, I'd bet my life (OK, I'd bet a Horned Frog's life) that Stallion's version of the quote is more accurate.

[MrMustang1965]