Winless during the 2017 season, the UTEP Miners enter Saturday's game against Northern Arizona with the FBS' longest current losing streak at 12 games.
Last year, the Miners' schedule did not include a meeting with an FCS opponent and UTEP has not lost to a program from the division since a 34-13 loss to Cal Poly as part of a 2-11 2003 season. Picked to finish near the bottom of Conference USA, the Miners enter the 2018 season with no players selected to the conference's preseason team and just three conference honorable mentions returning to the roster.
With Dana Dimel entering his first season as UTEP's head coach, 16 years removed from his last head coaching position at Houston from 2000-02, the Miners enter the 2018 with plenty of questions on both sides of the ball.
Without the benefit of film from Dimel's new program and roster, here's a look at UTEP based on the team's current depth chart entering the season.
QUARTERBACK
UTEP lists both senior Ryan Metz and junior Kai Locksley as starters, with both expected to take the field on Saturday according to
El Paso Times reporter Bret Bloomquist. Locksley began his collegiate career at Texas before playing last season at Iowa Western, where he was named NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year after accounting for 40 touchdowns, 20 through the air and 20 on the ground.
The son of Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, Kai will challenge the returning Metz for playing time on an offense that averaged a nation-worst 11.7 points per game in 2017. Metz threw for 637 yards with six interceptions to three touchdowns while splitting time with two others at the position last year as the Miners' pass offense managed just 134.9 yards per game.
RUNNING BACKS
The running backs will be led by Dimel's son Winston, who transfered from Kansas State and will start at fullback after three All-Big 12 seasons for the Wildcats. Winston Dimel rushed for 22 career touchdowns at Kansas State, including 12 on just 30 carries during the 2016 season.
With just 95.6 yards per game on the ground as a team in 2017, combining with the passing yardage total for the worst FBS offense in the nation, junior Quardraiz Wadley and sophomore Joshua Fields top the Miners' running back depth chart. Wadley played in just four games due to an injury last season, but finished second on the team behind Fields with 277 yards. Field finished with 362 yards in 11 games played, but scored on just two of his team-high 89 carries.
Locksley's arrival at UTEP could lead the quarterback to be the team's best runner, as the junior college transfer rushed for 705 yards last season at Iowa Western Community College. The Miners also shifted former linebacker Treyvon Hughes back to running back after the junior started six games on defense last year.
RECEIVERS
UTEP returns nearly all of its leading receivers from last season, though projected starters Terry Juniel and Kavika Johnson combined for 387 yards and two touchdowns in 2017.
Seven receivers caught at least 10 passes last season, but no returner averaged more than 13 yards per reception.
Three of the team's core pass catchers have ties to Arizona, with Juniel playing for Valley Vista High School in Surprise and Glendale Community College, and tight ends Josh Weeks and David Lucero formerly attending Show Low High School and Arizona Western College respectively.
OFFENSIVE LINE
With all-conference left guard Will Hernandez drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, UTEP's offensive line returns three players who started in 2017.
Center Derron Gatewood, who landed on the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy which is awarded to the nation's best center, started 22 games over the past two seasons and leads the group. Right guard Ruben Guerra started eight games last season at tackle before shifting inside and Jerrod Brooks is set for the right tackle spot after playing in all 24 games the past two years.
On the left side, UTEP will rely on Bobby DeHaro coming off of a redshirt season to replace Hernandez at left guard. The original projected started at left tackle, Greg Long, reportedly will miss the 2018 season with an injury, and Josiah Gray and Zuri Henry are now listed at the position on the team's depth chart. Gray played on the scout team last year as a redshirt freshman and Henry is in his freshman season from Wylie High School in Texas.
FRONT SEVEN
Former Kansas State defensive end CJ Reese followed Dimel to UTEP as a graduate transfer as well and is listed as one of the team's potential starters along with 2017 All-Conference USA Freshman Trace Mascorro lined up on the other side.
Inside, Denzel Chukwukelu returns to start at defensive tackle while Chris Richardson is listed as the team's starting nose. Mascorro led the position group with four tackles for loss last year, but the defensive line returns just one sack as a group from last year's team total of 11.
Last season's key linebackers Julian Jackson, Dante Lovilotte and Alvin Jones graduated leaving returner Dylan Parsee, true freshman Jame Tupou and Oregon graduate transfer A.J. Hotchkins as the team's listed starters.
SECONDARY
UTEP's most experienced group comes on the backend of its defense, where Kalon Beverly and Nik Needham earned All-Conference USA honorable mentions in 2017.
Needham started 11 games in 2017 while Beverly started 10 as the two served as UTEP's main cornerbacks. The two seniors each deflected eight passes last season, with Needham the leading tackles returner after finishing fourth last season.
Free safety Kahani Smith started seven games as a junior and strong safety Michael Lewis started six in his sophomore season. Along with nickelback Justin Rogers, the five defensive backs combined for five of the team's six interceptions in 2017.
OUTLOOK
"We saw so much offense last year, with the experience on our team, I think that has to help us and I believe in that," said Lumberjacks head coach
Jerome Souers. "The kids are mature now, we just don't want to give anything away cheaply."
Running quarterbacks in the mold of Locksley gave Northern Arizona trouble at times last season. In the Lumberjacks' five losses, quarterbacks combined for 48 carries, 298 yards and six touchdowns. Additionally, Portland State and Montana State each found success with their quarterbacks on the ground as each broke the 80-yard mark.
Souers said Dimel's offense at Kansas State, where UTEP's head coach served as the offensive coordinator, running backs and tight ends coach across a nine-year stretch, included similarities to last year's opponents.
"If you look at 11 games of Kansas State, you are going to see 500 formations, motions and adjustments and a lot of the quarterback running the football," Souers said. "So it is difficult to defend. It's not an option, but they use the quarterback as a ball carrier."
Locksley's impact on UTEP's offense will likely play a key factor in the game's outcome. In last year's loss at Arizona, Northern Arizona still managed 562 yards of offense and 24 points, including 285 and 14 respectively in the first half before the game moved into garbage time. UTEP topped 285 yards just twice in 2017, with 287 in a 15-14 loss to Western Kentucky and 410 in a 42-21 loss to Louisiana Tech.
Historically 8-52 against FBS opponents, Northern Arizona likely hasn't had this good of a chance of an FBS upset in recent memory, even including its 17-14 win at UNLV in 2012.
