UTEP gets to take its swing at what would be the biggest upset in program history when it heads to Norman as a 41 1/2-point underdog to take on the No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners.
The Miners are looking to improve on their 1-40 mark against ranked teams on the road.
UTEP — enter head coach Scotty Walden's third season — feels its finally settled at quarterback with Incarnate Word transfer EJ Colson. Oklahoma is led at quarterback by Heisman candidate John Mateer, now in his fifth year with the Sooners.
"I don't look at it as, ooh, they are the big guys, stuff like that," said UTEP safety Xavier Smith. "They're at a higher level than us, but we play football the same way and as a man,
I don't back down from anyone. I'm going to strap up my pads the same way they do and be ready to hit.
"We're coming. It's going to be relentless, 11 hats to the ball, relentless effort. I want them to know, we're coming. Coach Walden has been preaching, 'Choose hard.' On the back of our shirts it says, 'Choose hard' and that's what we do every day. We wake up, we choose hard."
UTEP Miners
Where: El Paso
2025 Record: 2-10
Streak: Lost 5
Coach: Scotty Walden, third season (5-19 at UTEP, 39-39 career)
Total offense 2025: 331.8 yards per game (110th)
Total defense: 391.3 yards per game (86th)
UTEP offense
UTEP feels it finally has a star quarterback in place for the first time in Scotty Walden’s three years with EJ Colson. His task to protect the football (UTEP led the nation in interceptions last year) and to lead, and, by all accounts, that was a success in August camp.
A bigger key will be UTEP’s completely remade offensive line, all turned over with four transfers and a returning freshman (Tyler Roberts) who redshirted last year. Tyler is 6-8, 307 and right tackle Grayson Johnson is 6-9, 324 so they look the part, but how quickly that group can come together is the key to everything.
They’ll be blocking for two transfers making their Miners debuts in Lamar Sterling and Tavorus Jones. Where UTEP hopes health makes a big difference is at the pass catching positions, as three key returnees, Kam Thomas, Jaden Smith and tight end Cash Cheeks, all missed last year to injury. The Miners think getting those players back can make a big difference.
UTEP does not have any returning starters for its 2025 team.
UTEP defense
The UTEP defense features a good mix of returners and promising transfers, though there are only four returning starters from what was a solid defense across much of 2025 (safety Xavier Smith, cornerback Justin Content, lineman Ashton Coker and captain linebacker Jaydon Wilson).
On paper, UTEP feels good about all three levels of the defense, starting up front with Coker, senior Shakaun Bowser and transfer senior Elijah Fields, who was a revelation in fall camp. Smith begins his fourth year as a starter, his third year starting for UTEP, and last year intercepted Texas’ Arch Manning in the end zone, so he’s used to a big stage.
OU wasn’t particularly distinguished at running the ball last year but in matchup like this, the 41 1/2-point underdog has to start by stopping the run.
UTEP special teams
UTEP’s secret weapon is transfer punter Brady Braun, who was spectacular in fall camp both in distance and hang time. Kicker Carlos Arreola, a Clint graduate, won a three-way battle for kicker and for the second straight year will begin the season handling placekicking duties.
Kam Thomas was an all-conference returner two years ago before missing last year to injury. UTEP will obviously need to make big plays in the kicking game to improve its chances as a huge underdog.
UTEP players to watch
Quarterback EJ Colson. Colson leadership has drawn raves and he’s protected the football, which was what he was tasked to do when he transferred. Now he has to put that on the field. He'll give fans a preview of his ability to reliably put points on the scoreboard.
Left tackle Tyler Roberts. This can stand in for the entire offensive line, which is the key to UTEP’s offense in this game. Oklahoma’s right defensive end Adepoju Adebawore is one of the less experienced players Oklahoma’s loaded defensive front, he’ll be making his first career start while Roberts is making his second. How UTEP’s offensive line holds up will dictate the game.
Safety Xavier Smith. Smith begins his fourth year as a starter under Walden and has consistently been one of UTEP’s most productive players. Oklahoma was solid throwing the ball against SEC defenses last year, so the Miners will need a great game from Smith.
Key stats
224-34. The combined score of UTEP’s four losses in Norman (55-14 in 2000, 68-0 in 2002, 56-7 in 2017, 45-13 in 2022).
1-40. UTEP’s road record against top 25 teams. The win was a 31-27 win against No. 14 Arizona State in 1974.
4. The Miners’ national ranking last season in third-down defense, one spot behind Oklahoma. UTEP opponents converted third down 28.16% of the time last season.
No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners
Where: Norman
2025 Record: 10-3 (lost in first round of playoffs to Alabama)
Streak: Lost 1
Coach: Brent Venables, fifth season (32-20 at Oklahoma; 32-20 overall)
Total offense: 354.3 yards per game (90th)
Total defense: 272.5 yards per game (6th)
Sooners offense
Oklahoma was surprisingly average on offense last year when it ranked 90th nationally, including 112th in rushing the football. Quarterback John Mateer wasn't the problem and as a fifth-year senior brings a toughness and maturity to the team.
The key is improving in the run game, and to that end the Sooners added Lloyd Avant (Colorado State) and five transfer linemen, including Arkansas starter E'Marion Harris, but they will also be starting two sophomores on the offensive line. OU has four key returners on the line, and while they struggled last year, they are young and now experienced.
Isaiah Sategna III led the receivers last year and now he has help with transfer additions Trell Harris (Virginia), Parker Livingstone (Texas) and tight ends Hayden Hansen (Florida) and Rocky Beers (Colorado State). Oklahoma has the firepower to be dramatically improved on offense. It will need to be to make a run at the playoffs.
Sooner defense
OU was superb on defense last year and return 11 of their top 20 players in terms of snaps played. That's from a group that ranked 6th nationally and 3rd against the run. Not surprisingly that starts with a defensive line that is loaded with future NFL prospects.
Top returnees include cornerbacks Courtland Guillory and Eli Bowen, safety Peyton Bowen, end Taylor Wein, tackle David Stone, and linebackers Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke.
Sooner special teams
This may be where Oklahoma is best, starting with reigning Lou Groza award winner Tate Sandell at placekicker. Grayson Miller is a second-team preseason SEC punter after averaging 44.4 yards per punt last season.
Punt returner Isaiah Sategna also is a preseason second-team selection, as OU will have one of the best special teams units in America if it can improve on its dreadful kickoff return game.
Oklahoma players to watch
Quarterback John Mateer. Mateer's raw numbers were actually average last year (63.3% completion, 2,885 yards and 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions), but he has a much better receiving corp this year and is still the engine behind the Oklahoma offense.
Running back Lloyd Avant. Oklahoma was poor at running the football last season and to that end Brent Venables brought in Avant from Colorado State to fix matters. His numbers with the Rams weren't huge (90 rushes for 417 yards; 24 receptions for 261 yards; 11 kickoff returns for 268 yards) but Oklahoma feels it should be all-around better at running the ball with a revamped offensive line.
Defensive tackle David Stone. Oklahoma's great defensive line starts with Stone, a former 5-star recruit who is a preseason first-team all-SEC pick after growing more dominant as the 2025 season went on.
Key stats
1. Oklahoma's national rank in red-zone offense in 2025, the bright spot amongst many struggles on that side of the ball. The Sooners scored on 34 of 35 trips in the red zone.
20-0. Oklahoma's record in its last 20 home openers. It's last loss was 17-10 to TCU in 2005.
8.0. Yards per kickoff return last year. As good as Oklahoma was everywhere else on special teams, it was 133rd out of 134 teams in kickoff returns.
UTEP vs. Oklahoma football tickets for Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Ticket prices for the UTEP at Oklahoma game at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium start at $48 on SeatGeek, $54 on StubHub and $52 on VividSeats. Tickets through the Oklahoma Sooners are sold out.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP at No. 10 Oklahoma scouting report. How do Miners match up?
