UTEP (-2.5) over New Mexico
The Lobos are a solid 3-0 team that showed off a great running game against New Mexico St a game that was no where close as the score showed. Both Moore and QB McKamey had great games rushing the ball. I?m not 100% solid on the Lobos because I don?t think they have played the best teams, but either has UTEP. Both teams have played New Mexico St and both hung a pretty good number on them. BUT the Lobos played them at home on Senior night and the miners played them @ N.Mexico St and on the first game of the season. First you have to look at the Houston game in which the miners threw 2 picks and fumbled 2 times plus gave up 100 plus yards in penalties. Even though the miners gave up over 500 yards of offense they also picked off the ball 5 times. Still even down 14 in the third the miners battled back and won in OT. This might be a bad thing if they are emotionally spent or this might be a good thing because they came together to over come. Ebell is a solid scat back that has great speed but putting the ball on the turf is not going to get it done. These teams have 2 different styles, one a rusher and the other a passer. However IMO the UTEP defense is better suited against the run then the pass. However the Lobos can throw the ball and if they do it is going to be Basett (sp) that gets those passes. Losing West and Ward on the d-line to injury is going to hurt the miners but speedy LBs should help against the run. They need to have a big game because if they shut down Moore they shut down the lobos. Still the offense for the miners should be enough to pass all day, and if they limit the turnovers they could put up a pretty big number on this team. The speed on the screen pass is also an edge for UTEP, because the lobos will be trying to get to Palmer they can set up the screen and Ebell should take it the rest of the way.
Cheers
Irish
The Lobos are a solid 3-0 team that showed off a great running game against New Mexico St a game that was no where close as the score showed. Both Moore and QB McKamey had great games rushing the ball. I?m not 100% solid on the Lobos because I don?t think they have played the best teams, but either has UTEP. Both teams have played New Mexico St and both hung a pretty good number on them. BUT the Lobos played them at home on Senior night and the miners played them @ N.Mexico St and on the first game of the season. First you have to look at the Houston game in which the miners threw 2 picks and fumbled 2 times plus gave up 100 plus yards in penalties. Even though the miners gave up over 500 yards of offense they also picked off the ball 5 times. Still even down 14 in the third the miners battled back and won in OT. This might be a bad thing if they are emotionally spent or this might be a good thing because they came together to over come. Ebell is a solid scat back that has great speed but putting the ball on the turf is not going to get it done. These teams have 2 different styles, one a rusher and the other a passer. However IMO the UTEP defense is better suited against the run then the pass. However the Lobos can throw the ball and if they do it is going to be Basett (sp) that gets those passes. Losing West and Ward on the d-line to injury is going to hurt the miners but speedy LBs should help against the run. They need to have a big game because if they shut down Moore they shut down the lobos. Still the offense for the miners should be enough to pass all day, and if they limit the turnovers they could put up a pretty big number on this team. The speed on the screen pass is also an edge for UTEP, because the lobos will be trying to get to Palmer they can set up the screen and Ebell should take it the rest of the way.
Cheers
Irish
