FAU

[SisyphusMiner]

Just watched the highlights of FAU vs UAB and based on all two and a half minutes of my exhaustive research, the FAU offensive line looks vulnerable.  I think we spend all day in their backfield.  Gotta watch out for their QB though, he has wheels

[kyyote]

He is going to need them.  The Miners will shut down the run and FAU will be forced to pass in desperation.  He will be running for his life.  And throwing up footballs for grabs.  And fumbling, too.

Just ask yourself what the game would look like if they were playing LA Tech and not carlotta.

[Chanson]

If FAU QB is going to run a lot, then I feel sorry for them the 2nd half. Why, because he is going to be exhausted and make mistakes. I just hope our offense can pick it up a bit.

[SisyphusMiner]

I didn't mean that the QB runs a lot.  Just that he's dangerous when he does.  FAU put up 202 rushing yards on Charlotte last night.  Their QB got 26.   He played for Miami prior to FAU.

Rush Defense:  UTEP ranked 12.  FAU ranked 114.
Pass Defense:  UTEP ranked 41.  FAU ranked  14.     I thought they looked vulnerable to the long pass but I guess not.

Rush Offense:  UTEP 66.  FAU 61
Pass Offense:  UTEP 82.   FAU 34


We will try to run on FAU all night.  This will be one of the worst rush defenses we have faced all season.  UNM, NMSU, So Miss, and La Tech all have much better rushing defenses, ranked 54-94.   UNT, Rice, and FAU all have rush defenses ranked worse than 106.

Meanwhile we will stuff their run and force them into passing situations, which will allow us to terrorize their QB all night as we have to so many others.

Don't turn the ball over, and we have a very good chance of winning one in the eastern time zone from a quality opponent.

[Minermojo]

I hope Hankins does a better job next week. I know he's just a freshman but that doesn't excuse it because he's the first string rb and because of that he should be better than the other two.

[SisyphusMiner]

Tired of the realignment stuff.  All the team can do is win their next game.

Since we don't have a game this week and are just spectators, do we want UTSA to win or to lose?  Is it better for us to face an unbeaten and nationally ranked team at home, or for them to have a conference loss which would drop them in the standings?

Ditto UAB.

Neither team likely to lose, but shit happens.

[Minermojo]

I personally want Ootsa to win but it's only because I want UTEP to upset them at the Sun Bowl as a ranked team. Plus, them being ranked will encourage more fans to come and see just how much better the Miners have gotten. A packed stadium would make miracles to happen. I hold no animosity for them because they're leaving, they have more to give to their new conference than we do. They're closer to the other schools, they're in a big city with lots to provide, but actually that's all they have over us. Their other sports (plus football before this year) sucked and with that maybe their coach won't stay around and they'll go back to being mediocre.

[kyyote]

I want LA Tech to humiliate UTSA and then I want UTEP to humiliate FAU and then them.  Then I want UTEP to demolish the other three traitors and finish the season beating the bastards of C-USA and telling all of them to shove it on the way out, no matter what.

Fuck 'em all and NO FISH!

[zyxwvutsru]

Well said Kyy

[SisyphusMiner]

After seeing the results from this weekend, every game remaining is winnable.

At the beginning of the season, the term "must win game" had an existential sort of sense to it.  Another 1-11 season, a loss to NMSU or BCU would have been devastating.  Those losses would make you question our raison d'etre.   At this point, with bowl eligibility achieved, "must win" is about credibility.  In that new definition, UNT is a "must win" game.  IMO, Rice and FAU are "should win" games.  Both are decent teams and losing to them would not make us question our legitimacy.  Beating them establishes it.  UAB and UTSA are "could win" games.  I don't think either game is a lost cause but I'm not going to judge a loss overly harshly.

A 6 win season is mediocrity.  7 wins is respectability.  8 is legitimacy. 9 or more is a dream season for us.  The last time we exceeded 8 wins was 1988 when we had 10 wins and had Andy Reid and Dirk Koetter as our OC and DC.  The last time before that?  1956. 

CBS sports rankings has us at #51.  That is respectability.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/rankings/cbs-sports-ranking/

[kyyote]

sacks

10   Jadrian Taylor   UTEP
53   Praise Amaewhule   UTEP

Tackles for a loss
8      Praise Amaewhule   UTEP



First down def
21   UTEP
32   Fla. Atlantic

3rd down conversion % def
13   UTEP
21     Fla. Atlantic

4th down conversion % Def
24    UTEP

Passes intercepted
29   Fla. Atlantic
46   UTEP

Pass Yds Allowd
21   Fla. Atlantic
39   UTEP

Rush Def
10   UTEP
101   Fla. Atlantic

TOP
11   UTEP
108   Fla. Atlantic

This all comes down to prior competition.  Nobody believes we have beat anyone and they figure our 6-1 record is inflated.  They may be right, but every time I kind of thought that this season the Miners dominated the other team. 
The Miners have been judged to lose and lose pretty big to UNM, and kept them way under what the oddsmakers predicted.  The Minrs are averaging holding opponents 12 points below predicted scores.  LA Tech was held 30 points under their predicted score of 33.

I have been burned by orange faith before and I have held my enthusiasm until I felt it was no fluke, and the Southern Miss and especially the LA Tech games made it clear to me that this team is legit.  I still don't think they are ready to play for the National Championship, but until someone from CUSA shows me they are head and shoulders above the rest, they are just another CUSA team and we damned sure have no business being afraid of any of them.  I still like the Miners to win and hold FAU to under 20 points.  Our defense is real.  They believe in themselves and have formed a brotherhood, a team, that is determined to not let their brothers down.  There is something special happening with the defense.  It is the coolest thing in the world when you get a group of men to pull together that way.  They feed off of pushing each other to be super and living up to the pushing feeds the frenzy.  FAU may be a decent team and I think that they are, but the are running into a buzz saw.  A hungry living, crazy buzz saw.  The first series, if we have the ball, I don't have huge expectations, but if we are on defense they are going to be shocked.  We get the ball back and now begin the grind again, this time with more success.  And so it goes, shocking defense and the Chinese water torture of offense. 

[Minermojo]

The Faux game should have been televised. It will get exciting. I hope the Miners don't look ahead to the Ootsa game and play their hearts out in Florida. Keep them away from Calle Ocho or they won't be thinking of football.

[kyyote]

I got espn+ last year so that I could watch big 12 games, my wife and mother graduated from Oklahoma State and have been able to watch the Miners games, too.  It makes it possible to watch about 75% of all of the football games, maybe.  As for looking past FAU, people used to winning take winning for granted and look past teams to future matchups, but newly found winners are digging the moment while they beat some new victim as they amaze themselves with their new power.  Wat too much fun to look past.  Like a hungry man looking past the filet mignon to the chocolate cake. 

[Minermojo]

I got espn+ last year so that I could watch big 12 games, my wife and mother graduated from Oklahoma State and have been able to watch the Miners games, too.  It makes it possible to watch about 75% of all of the football games, maybe.  As for looking past FAU, people used to winning take winning for granted and look past teams to future matchups, but newly found winners are digging the moment while they beat some new victim as they amaze themselves with their new power.  Wat too much fun to look past.  Like a hungry man looking past the filet mignon to the chocolate cake.

Question for youse: I just subscribed to espin for football and basketball season and will cancel once they are over. What is espin+? Is that on the internet? How much does it cost?

[liebestraum]

I got espn+ last year so that I could watch big 12 games, my wife and mother graduated from Oklahoma State and have been able to watch the Miners games, too.  It makes it possible to watch about 75% of all of the football games, maybe.  As for looking past FAU, people used to winning take winning for granted and look past teams to future matchups, but newly found winners are digging the moment while they beat some new victim as they amaze themselves with their new power.  Wat too much fun to look past.  Like a hungry man looking past the filet mignon to the chocolate cake.

Question for youse: I just subscribed to espin for football and basketball season and will cancel once they are over. What is espin+? Is that on the internet? How much does it cost?

ESPN+ is $6.99 per month.  You can get it as an App for your phone, tablet, or computer.  If you have a smart TV, you can also watch it there.  I?ve been able to watch pretty much every UTEP football and basketball game on it, as well as Sam Houston football games.

lieb