Offensive Balance

[kyyote]

UTEP       Runs/Passes   UNT       Runs/Passes
               30 / 48                         41 / 29     Loss

UTEP        31 / 51            OU        38 / 23      Loss

UTEP        31 / 27           NMSU     40 / 25      Win

UTEP        21 / 46            UNM      45 / 19      Loss

UTEP        54 / 11           Boise      19 / 34      Win

UTEP        45 / 14           Char       27 / 38      Win

Notice that we started the season pass happy as Hell.  Then nmsu is a win and we are nearly balanced with runs and passes for a win.  Then, back to pass happy when we could see that UTEP could run on them at will.  The first three losses we were a combined 82 runs and 145 passes. 

Then, Boise came to town and we swung completely the other way.  We ran 54 times and passed just 11 times while Boise was forced to pass and ran 19 times to 34 passing attempts.  We won in the most impressive win I have seen in years.  Since we had a big win, Dimel went with it.  Against Charlotte 45 runs and 14 passes.  So, in the last two games 99 runs and 25 passes.

The first three years were run and even passes were just runs from a different spot.  Hardison was a passing quarterback and the Miners were all of a sudden pass crazy.  And we won some games.  So, we start the year as the pass happy team.  Now, it would be easy to just look at UTEP but opponents had something to do with it.  For years, all we did is run dumbly, blindly into defensive walls and defenses knew that all they had to do was put 8 men in the box and watch us be stupid.  They stuck with it and dared UTEP to beat them with the pass.  Lo and behold, Hardison did.  All of us could see that with a real honest to goodness threat of a pass all of a sudden the opponents could just pack the box or they would get burned.  And we all saw that we could run easily on UNM but kept passing now that opponents figured out to defend against the pass.  It was just as plain as day.  Somehow, by accident probably, Dimel figured he had better hold onto the ball to keep the rout from breaking the scoreboard and sonofabitch! we could run.  So he did.  It was beautiful even if it was an accident.  It was so beautiful that he figured it was the way to go.   Run, run, run.

He seems to game plan the offense way too much to accommodate the opponent instead of making them adjust their defense to play against what we want to do, and then overthinks and over adjusts shit.  in six games we have gone from 3 games of pass happy to a balanced game, to crazy run happy.

If you are LA Tech, do you have any questions of what UTEP is going to try to do?  Hell no!  Back to 8 in the box and stuff the run.  Dimel is back to winning the top trophy.

Now, is there anyone out there worried about our defensive backfield?  Thrown out and being beaten easily it was lucky for us that it happened late and Charlotte ran out of time.

[SisyphusMiner]

Running is fine as long as it's working.  You have to make them respect the pass however.   Dumbel has gone back to run between the tackles on first and second down and throw on the resulting 3rd and 8.   The announcer for the last game said all you have to do is watch the fullback because the run is going wherever he goes.

You sometimes need to mix things up.  I really wish we would've run Flores a couple times to mix it up.  He's just faster and it throws the D off.  In fact I think we really need a fast RB more than a power RB.  We just take so long for Hankins to get to the line.

And yes, I personally am concerned about the backfield.  Guys open and lots of penalties.

[MinerInWisconsin]

UTEP has run quite well the last 2 games. The previous pass happy games are why UTEP ranks poorly as a rushing team.

With the emergence of Hardison as a running threat and his ability to throw while on the move, UTEP is hard to defend.

A good passing team is going to have some success. Hopefully Tech doesn't have too much and finds it difficult to slow down the Miners.

One thing that makes this game more dangerous than the Charlotte game is the travel. Not easy for a team to travel to the east coast, come back to El Paso and then turn around and travel to Ruston, LA.

[Minermojo]

These kids are young, I don't really think traveling after traveling somewhere the week before really affects them. It affects old people like Ky and me and makes us grouchy. Kids love to travel especially when all they have to do is board the bus and airplane and taken to their hotel. Easy peasy, I could do that too really easy.

[kyyote]

The Good Miners won't even notice a difference and the Bad Miners live up to whatever excuses are needed.  The Good Miners will beat LA Tech like a red-headed stepchild.  Boise has always been honorable and hardworking strong-tough.  Because of that, I hold no ill will towards them.  I actually felt a twinge of pity for them in the way they had been made to feel small.  That team would really make some serious gains on the edge Tech always had over us with Holtz at the helm. 

Me, grouchy? Well, maybe.

[MinerInWisconsin]

These kids are young, I don't really think traveling after traveling somewhere the week before really affects them. It affects old people like Ky and me and makes us grouchy. Kids love to travel especially when all they have to do is board the bus and airplane and taken to their hotel. Easy peasy, I could do that too really easy.

Hope you're right and back to back road trips are not a problem.

You mentioned old. I'm pretty much older than dirt. My first Miner game was TWC over Arizona 14-13 at Kidd Field in 1950. And yes travel makes me grumpy. But then putting on my socks in the morning makes me grumpy too.

[Minermojo]

Wow, you went to a game in 1950? Wow, yep you've got me beat. I was two years old then, like Ky poops yellow in his pampers now I was doing that in 1950.

LOL, I'm only kidding my friend. I kid you like that because I know that we're friends and can take it as well as dish it.

[MinerInWisconsin]

Yep, I was 8 and got hooked on the Miners early. My memory is still too good though cause I remember a lot of pain caused by Miner football over the years.  A lot of good fun with UTEP athletics too. Kidding is no problem. It adds to the board experience.

Go Mesita, where I first played organized football.

[kyyote]

Those of you who grew up here in El Paso and are older like myself have my special respect. I grew up spending my Saturday mornings watching the history that was lived in this region. You can almost reach back into it and your families lived it before you. Also, because of it?s isolation the people have remained rooted in the history and interwoven into even current life in El Paso. MIW, I guess you may have played on the same playground with a little boy named Timmy Floyd.

[MinerInWisconsin]

Those of you who grew up here in El Paso and are older like myself have my special respect. I grew up spending my Saturday mornings watching the history that was lived in this region. You can almost reach back into it and your families lived it before you. Also, because of it?s isolation the people have remained rooted in the history and interwoven into even current life in El Paso. MIW, I guess you may have played on the same playground with a little boy named Timmy Floyd.

Same playground as Tim possibly but I'm 12 years older. El Paso was a great place to grow up and I lived in several different areas and attended several different schools until landing at El Paso High for 9-12.  EPHS has one of the most unique and beautiful football stadiums anywhere, as you probably know and I have fond memories of time spent there. The EPHS vs Austin rivalry was intense and in those days schools lit up their letter on Franklin Mountain. You could see the E change during the game when Austin students would sneak up the mountain to rearrange the smudge pots.