UTEP Miners – C-USA 2010 College Football Predictions: UTEP head football coach Mike Price begins his seventh year coaching the Miners in 2010 and has a team that could possibly meet a few expectations in Conference USA. Building a solid football program in El Paso, Texas isn't the easiest thing to do but with a little luck, Price could deliver the best team the locals have seen in a few years. But don't look for the Miners to be listed as a favorite by oddsmakers or pundits.
College football oddsmakers at online sportsbook BetUS.com list the Miners as third best in C-USA at +1200 (12/1) odds behind the favorite Houston (-190) and Tulsa (+600).The Miners have seven starters returning on offense and four starters returning on defense. Overall UTEP has 25 players returning who have started games at the collegiate level (17 on offense and eight on defense).
Under new defensive coordinator Andre Patterson, UTEP will employ a new defensive scheme,with a 4-3 base, and a largely new defensive staff for the 2010 season. The Miners changed from the 3-3-5 scheme from 2008 and 2009. Patterson is a long-time NFL defensive line coach.
Donald Buckram is the nation’s second-leading returning rusher from last year when he averaged 132.8 yards per game. Buckram also ranks second among FBS returnees in scoring (10.5 ppg). Quarterback Trevor Vittatoe ranks second among FBS returnees in career passing yards (9,683) behind Houston’s Case Keenum (12,950). Vittatoe is also second in career passing touchdowns (75) behind Keenum (102). Vittatoe has thrown for 9,683 yards in his collegiate career and needs just 1,402 yards to supplant Jordan Palmer as UTEP’s all-time leading passer. Vittatoe is the only quarterback in school history to pass for 3,000 yards in three separate seasons. With 2,018 career rushing yards, Donald Buckram has an outside shot at eclipsing John Harvey’s school record of 3,576 yards.
Meeting Expectations: The Miners will go bowling following the 2010 football season. That's not such a bold prediction considering the number of starters returning and some of the promise they showed a year ago. If Houston stumbles UTEP could be primed to win the West. A worst case scenario for UTEP is a 7-5 regular season where best case could provide 9-3. Difficult schedule bumps will come on the road at Houston, Arkansas and Tulsa.
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