The UTEP football team showed its work at its Spring Showcase and the first impression is that the offense still has some work to do.
The Orange Swarm, the name given to the defense, controlled the Blue Blaze in front of 513 paying fans Saturday in what counts as the climax of spring, though not the end of it (the Miners have another practice Monday).
The final score was actually 97-87 for the defense, which included halftime competitions with alums and media that counted toward that score, and also included a 10-point play by the offense that ended with a lost fumble. The game was decided on the final play when Eastlake alum Jaime Guerrero intercepted a tipped ball in the end zone.
Here are some takeaways from the event.
UTEP still must improve on the offensive line
UTEP remade the quarterback and running back positions in the offseason and stand to bolster the receiver position when several injured players return to health in the fall, but that won’t much matter if the Miners don’t get better on the offensive line.
That also was a focal point in the offseason as UTEP will have five new starters there, and that group still has some coming together to do. The Blue Blaze failed to generate a running game behind new tailback Tavorus Jones, and starting quarterback EJ Colson had to use his mobility to elude the first wave of defenders on most passes.
Fortunately Colson does have mobility as almost every pass he attempted was on the run.
UTEP’s offensive fortunes in the fall will hinge on the new offensive line coming together and improving.
The one big play in the first half that didn’t result in a turnover was a 59-yard bomb from Raymond Moore III, who was the fourth-string quarterback in this game, to sophomore Nick Henry.
In the second half, in an extended goal-line sequence where fans were calling plays, Colson found Jeremiah Nash in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown.
Miner defense better at takeaways
The point of emphasis for the defense this spring was creating more turnovers and that came to fruition at the spring game.
Freshman cornerback Decorian Thompson jumped a Colson pass attempt to start the third possession of the game and followed it up with a lengthy return. Two possessions later, Jones fumbled at the end of the only long non-scramble run of the first half and it was recovered by senior linebacker Sterling Miles.
The game ended when the senior Guerrero picked off a deflected ball in the end zone.
In general the defense tackled well, won the line of scrimmage and generated a pass rush from the front four.
Intersquad games are zero sum, the dominance of the defense was exactly equaled by the struggles of the offense, but the defense looks to be in position to build on its solid 2025 season.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP Miners football defense controls Spring Showcase
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
