The UTEP football team's showdown against Oregon State was billed as the Miners' first real test of the season against someone at their group-of-6 level, the game that would show where the they are as they enter Mountain West play.
The verdict after a never-in-it, never-competitive 33-7 loss: UTEP is at the bottom of that mountain, or perhaps the bottom of an abyss.
Games aren't played on a stat sheet, but at one point in the first quarter, with the score 17-0, yards were 160-2, first downs were 13-0 and UTEP had six penalties. By halftime the Miners were all the way up to 36 yards, which alas was smaller than their 54 yards of penalties.
Simply, the Miners didn't show up for
their homecoming, and many of their fans didn't either (official attendance 15,099).
Here is the drive chart from the opening kickoff. UTEP won the toss (Miners are 4-0 in coin flips this year, the one area where they are undeniably awesome), deferred (they have kicked to start every game), and Oregon State went 75 yards in seven plays, facing one third down. 7-0.
UTEP took the ball and went sack, holding, 1-yard scramble, then 4 yards on a third-and-25 surrender draw play. Punt.
Oregon State went 40 yards in seven plays, field goal, 17-0. UTEP gained 5 yards on a scramble, gave up five on a pre-snap penalty, 3-yard run, incomplete pass, punt. Oregon State went 75 yards in seven plays, facing no third downs and nothing worse than a 2nd-and-4, touchdown, 17-0.
UTEP: 0-yard pass, 7-yard pass, sack, punt. OSU ran one more play, end of first quarter.
The Miners then circled the wagons and only lost the second quarter 3-0 as Oregon State's offense seemed to lose interest.
UTEP fixed that problem for Oregon State with the best start to a second half the Miners have had against FBS competition all year, using 9 plays to go 75 yards, getting a touchdown pass from EJ Colson to Carver Cheeks, and on some level they were back in it at 20-7.
Then Oregon State went 75 yards in eight plays without facing a third down, stopped UTEP, then went 74 yards in six plays to go up 33-7 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Matters are not improving for UTEP. As they start their much awaited opening of Mountain West play, the Miners don't look ready.
Up next
The Miners play their first-ever Mountain West game Saturday, Oct. 3 when they travel to face old rival New Mexico in Albuquerque. The 2 p.m. kickoff will be streamed on MW+ and carried on 600 ESPN El Paso.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: This went poorly. UTEP's measuring stick game reveals steep climb ahead
