UTEP had a slightly unusual practice Wednesday afternoon as the offensive line and tight ends, as well as the entire scout team, were in full pads while everyone else was just in shoulder pads.
"The offensive line was doing some drills and they needed to be in full pads for protection of their knees," coach Mike Price said.
Then after a longish 100-minute practice there was a 10-minute scout-team scrimmage. This one, just six days after the previous one, featured a nice play by tight end Nuno Furtado, a transfer who will be eligible next season.
UTEP is fully healthy and has just one player (besides the quarterbacks) in a red no-hit jersey -- reserve cornerback Darren Woodard, who has a sprained ankle.
Travaun Nixon said his sprained knee, which he played on last week against Rice, is rapidly improving.
"It feels better than last week, it's progressing every day," he said.
For the second time this season, UTEP is facing a defense that bases out of the 3-4 (three linemen, four linebackers), and that involves some different ways to attack.
"It's preparing for a three-down linemen front," quarterback Nick Lamaison said. "At times we've done that. SMU does it, so we've got to prepare for four-down and three-down (linemen) fronts. When you do that, we have to stay sharp and crisp on everything we do.
"We're not trying to overload the offense this week."
For the second consecutive year, Andy McIntosh, a coach
of a semi-pro football team in Scotland, United Kingdom, is spending two weeks with the UTEP learning from the coaching staff.
He met Price at a clinic several years ago.
Oddity UTEP fell to 3-1 in games in which the opposing team won time of possession when it lost to Rice last week.
In holding the ball for 21:37, the Miners were held under 22 minutes for just the third time in the Price era (it happened in last year's New Mexico Bowl against Brigham Young and in 2008 against East Carolina). It is also just the 15th in the modern era dating back to 1965.
After having a season-low three plays of 20 yards or longer against Southern Miss, UTEP had 11 big plays against Rice.
Five were on kickoff returns, five on passes and one on a run.
Bret Bloomquist may be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; 546-6359.
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