Coach Kugler up until the very last assured those who were listening that his players would compete, and they did. But they were still serving as a speed bump for the teams they played. They barely slowed teams down and didn't move at all when they had the ball. Yet, as Kugler said, they were competing. They were competing pretty hard as best as they were able.
Last Saturday, the same players and coaches went out and were not only competing, for the first time in a very long time, the team was competitive. The speed bump became a road block and the offense that had rusted from lack of use cranked up, and sputtered to life. It was no Lamborghini, it was more Briggs and Stratton, but is showed it was still capable of motion and functionality. Head Coach Mike Price allowed that the whole game was all about the players and coaches, and that he had nothing to do with it. Of course, he was right. Mike Price was just there because the team needed a responsible adult. That is the quintessential Mike Price. He speaks the truth. He is a master at how he speaks the truth and about which truths he speaks. He is masterful in choosing different speech, and truths for different people. He also happens to have shown himself to have a deep understanding of the game and an ability to do more with less over his career. Coach Price was very busy on Monday, at the Media Luncheon. He was doing some of his best coaching. He was coaching up his players, coaches, media, and fans. The kids and players were great players and coaches, the fans were still the best fans, he was just there to hold down the fort and it was nice to see old friends in the media. Every word was the truth. Every word was heart-felt. It is that holding down the fort part that is the key.
If you were one of the fans in the Sun Bowl last Saturday, you know that there was an intangible difference. The players were playing differently. The crowd was different. Even before the game there was an anticipation and perhaps some hope in some of the fan's minds and hearts. As the first half played out, that was fed by the play and play calling that seemed to be a bit more inspired. As the team left the field to delirious chants of UTEP from the sparse crowd, the crowd sensed a difference. The players may have been motivated by something else, but the fans were responding to the difference they could see, and one of the differences was the old coach with a bit of a hitch in his get along pacing the sidelines and encouraging the players. Who knows how much if any effect Coach Price's take over of the helm may have had.
Today may give us a better idea, but those who believe that everything was in place and nothing changed and those who believe that Mike Price had an instant impact will still plead their cases. There may be little evidence in this game for either one, as Southern Miss has usually played UTEP tough and are always very physical. So, there will be the physicality that Kugler tried to build and at this point left questioning matched against the physicality of Southern Miss, perhaps the Achilles' Heel of Mike Price's offense of the past. So, that will be a twist that throws the arguments into full on debate mode after this game. Perhaps.
So, today's game should be a fun one for Miners fans. There is finally something to talk about other than how bad things are. I didn't believe the Miners would be able to do more than compete at the beginning of the season. The first five games the did that. The next game, the didn't just compete. They were competitive. I don't know if it was because of Mike Price. Here is the thing. When Mike Price got here, UTEP football was not competitive. They competed. Somewhat. Mike Price made the UTEP Miners instantly competitive. The one thing that he did that was different from other coaches was that even when the team wasn't winning enough games toward the end, the team was always competitive! Even when the team played the big boys, it was fun, because when we lost, it was us just laying down. It was fun, throwing haymakers and knocking the Hell out of the best of them. We may have lost the fights, but the other guy knew he had been in a fight.
That is what I will be looking for, today. Will they compete or will they be competitive. If they just compete, I will be shocked and disappointed. If they are competitive, I will be even more convinced that Mike Price has brought back that competitiveness that was gone, again.
It is way too early to let this kind of talk get started, but I can't resist. If Mike Price were to somehow get the Miners Bowl Game eligible, would he not have the rightful claim to the Best UTEP Coach of them all? I know. Bobby Dobbs and the Flyin' Miners beat Ole Miss. I am talking about coaching. If he did it with Nord's players and then did it with Kugler's kids, after the start to this season, it would be quite an accomplishment. This could be the ultimate motivational tool. For Sean, and for Mike, let's get to a bowl game!
That is how the Kyyote howls when the Miners give me hope. And it doesn't take much. Come on, Miners. Let's shock the world!
Go Miners!
