UTEP still is confident it will be healthy for Buffalo, but the dings are starting to add up.
The list of significant players who missed practice Monday include: Donald Buckram, out for the week at least with a separated shoulder; safety Da'Mon Cromartie Smith with a foot injury; end Robert Soleyjacks with an ankle injury; and Daniel Palmer with a strained groin.
"They should be OK for the game," coach Mike Price said of the defensive starters Cromartie-Smith and Soleyjacks. "I'm not sure how long it will be."
JaBoy Leomiti took Soleyjacks' starting slot, while true freshman Bernard Obi moved up to the second team. George Kelly played Miner back in Cromartie-Smith's absence. Cromartie-Smith stayed on the sidelines to watch practice while other injured players left for rehab, so his return could be soon.
Now the good news: Josh Ferguson and Jamar Hunt both returned from injuries and were at full speed Monday. Hunt had missed more than a week with a concussion.
# Scouts: The Miners have used green scout team jerseys before Monday, but Monday was the first day the scouts were in them full time.
True freshmen not in scout jerseys included Obi, defensive
backs Nick Sampson, Ramonte Harris and Negale Miller, receiver Darrin Moore and Palmer (though he wasn't working out). Josh Flores was in a scout jersey but was taking reps as a fullback with the first team in the I-formation. The list of players making the trip to Buffalo has not yet been set.
Junior linebacker Landon Goodwell, now a starter, also took some reps at fullback in the I-formation. He was both a linebacker and tailback in high school and was a defensive lineman for the Miners last year.
UTEP rarely has used two-back sets in Price's tenure and hasn't recruited fullbacks.
# Punishment: For the second time in a week, UTEP closed practice with a brutal 15-minute conditioning drill that evidently followed some unspecified violations of team rules this weekend.
"Until they learn to be disciplined off the field, they'll be disciplined on the field," Price said. "Not disciplined -- punished.
"Enough said."
# Freshmen in charge: SMU coach June Jones is going with two true freshmen at quarterback in Katy's Bo Levi Mitchell and Rockwall's Braden Smith. SMU and Rice open both the season and Conference USA against each other on Friday, Aug. 29.
The list of significant players who missed practice Monday include: Donald Buckram, out for the week at least with a separated shoulder; safety Da'Mon Cromartie Smith with a foot injury; end Robert Soleyjacks with an ankle injury; and Daniel Palmer with a strained groin.
"They should be OK for the game," coach Mike Price said of the defensive starters Cromartie-Smith and Soleyjacks. "I'm not sure how long it will be."
JaBoy Leomiti took Soleyjacks' starting slot, while true freshman Bernard Obi moved up to the second team. George Kelly played Miner back in Cromartie-Smith's absence. Cromartie-Smith stayed on the sidelines to watch practice while other injured players left for rehab, so his return could be soon.
Now the good news: Josh Ferguson and Jamar Hunt both returned from injuries and were at full speed Monday. Hunt had missed more than a week with a concussion.
# Scouts: The Miners have used green scout team jerseys before Monday, but Monday was the first day the scouts were in them full time.
True freshmen not in scout jerseys included Obi, defensive
backs Nick Sampson, Ramonte Harris and Negale Miller, receiver Darrin Moore and Palmer (though he wasn't working out). Josh Flores was in a scout jersey but was taking reps as a fullback with the first team in the I-formation. The list of players making the trip to Buffalo has not yet been set.
Junior linebacker Landon Goodwell, now a starter, also took some reps at fullback in the I-formation. He was both a linebacker and tailback in high school and was a defensive lineman for the Miners last year.
UTEP rarely has used two-back sets in Price's tenure and hasn't recruited fullbacks.
# Punishment: For the second time in a week, UTEP closed practice with a brutal 15-minute conditioning drill that evidently followed some unspecified violations of team rules this weekend.
"Until they learn to be disciplined off the field, they'll be disciplined on the field," Price said. "Not disciplined -- punished.
"Enough said."
# Freshmen in charge: SMU coach June Jones is going with two true freshmen at quarterback in Katy's Bo Levi Mitchell and Rockwall's Braden Smith. SMU and Rice open both the season and Conference USA against each other on Friday, Aug. 29.
