UTEP’s defense kept the team in almost every conference game two years ago. The Miners weren’t necessarily good – but they were feisty.
That resilience completely disappeared in 2019. The Miners dropped 30 spots in total defense, gave up 6.8 yards per play and ranked No. 119 nationally in scoring defense. More disappointing was that the Miners finished within 10 points of a conference opponent just once, after five such games in 2018.