FACTS & STATS: Site: Sun Bowl (51,500) -- El Paso, Texas. Television: None. Home Record: SMU 1-4, UTEP 2-3. Away Record: SMU 0-5, UTEP 2-2. Neutral Record: SMU 0-0, UTEP 0-0. Conference Record: SMU 0-6, UTEP 2-2. Series Record: SMU leads, 9-6.

GAME NOTES: The Miners of Texas-El Paso wrap up their 2008 home schedule this Saturday as the SMU Mustangs pay a visit to the Sun Bowl for a Conference USA matchup. The frustration continues for the Mustangs as the team has now dropped eight games in a row and have yet to beat a FBS team this season as their only win came back on September 6th over Texas State (47-36). The victory over the Bobcats was the Mustangs' lone home win of the season as they have lost their last four in Dallas. However, in looking at the glass half- full, in its last three home games vs. Tulsa, Houston and Memphis, SMU lost by a total of 17 points. The Mustangs have just one game remaining after this clash as they host the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss two weeks from Saturday. The Miners, after dropping their last two games, responded last week with a 37-24 victory over Sun Belt Conference leader UL-Lafayette. The win over the Ragin' Cajuns evened the Miners' road record at 2-2. This week's game against SMU will be UTEP's last at home this season and with a victory will finish at .500 at the Sun Bowl. These two Lone Star State rivals have met 15 times previously with the Mustangs holding a 9-6 series lead, however, the Miners have won four of the last five matchups and two straight, including last year's 48-45 overtime win in Dallas.

With not much going right for the Mustangs in 2008, the team showed a lot of heart and fought Memphis to the very end as they dropped a 31-26 decision to the Tigers. The Mustangs fell behind early 14-0 before they answered late in the first quarter on a touchdown strike from QB Bo Levi Mitchell to receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Mitchell was injured in the second quarter and did not return but watched as his replacement, Logan Turner rallied the team with 228 passing yards and two second-half touchdown passes finishing with an impressive 144.4 passer rating. Mitchell was off to a very good start himself before being injured completing 5-of-7 passes for 83 yards and a score. Sanders finished the day with six catches for 107 yards giving him six-100 yard receiving games this season. Sanders leads the team with 67 receptions on the year and is second on the squad to Aldrick Robinson in receiving yards (958) and touchdown receptions (nine). Robinson finished the day with six catches for 44 yards but together with Sanders, added to their legacy as SMU's best wide receiver tandem in school history. Although Sanders and Robinson are the big names for the Mustangs, it was two unknowns who stole the show. Turner, with his outstanding half of football and Cole Beasley who caught six balls for 66 yards and two touchdowns giving him three on the season. The Mustangs came into the game averaging a pathetic 42.9 rushing ypg, last in the FBS and actually had less against the Tigers, gaining only 38 yards on 16 carries, right at their season average of 2.4 ypc. Improving the Mustangs' running game should be June Jones' top priority in the off-season.

For the most part the Mustangs have little trouble putting points on the board. Unfortunately, the defense has had a problem keeping points off the board in every game this season as SMU has failed to hold an opponent under 31 points. Currently, the Mustangs rank 115th in the nation in scoring defense (39.4 ppg) and 118th in total defense (485.3 ypg) having jumped ahead of North Texas after holding Memphis to 436 yards. Like their offensive counterparts, the Mustang defense struggles in the ground game as the unit is ranked 117th in the nation in rushing defense allowing 242.8 ypg. The Tigers exploited the Mustangs rushing for over 300 yards last week (306) on 55 carries (5.5 ypc). In their last two games, the Mustangs have allowed over 700 yards on the ground and held the ball for almost 37 minutes. Defensive back Chris Banjo had his second consecutive strong game as he made 12 tackles against the Tigers. He had 13 in a loss to Navy. Bryan McCann recorded his team-leading third interception of the year which gives him eight in his career. Youri Yenga, the Mustangs' sack leader with 4.5 did not record a sack but finished the game with eight tackles.

The Miners are averaging 388.9 ypg in total offense and much of that has come through the air as they rank 22nd in the nation with 258.3 ypg. Leading the Miner offense is QB Trevor Vittatoe who has completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,189 yards and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of four-to-one with 24 touchdowns and just six picks. In the victory over the Ragin' Cajuns Vittatoe completed 24-of-33 passes for 294 yards with five touchdown passes, which tied his career high. Vittatoe's two favorite targets on the season have been Jeff Moturi and Chris Adams who are averaging 52.4 and 65.1 receiving ypg, respectively. Fifteen of the Miners' 25 touchdown grabs have come by Moturi (eight) and Adams (seven). Both Moturi and Adams contributed to the victory over ULL as Moturi finished with five catches for 61 yards and Adams collected six passes for a team-high 83 yards. Both players each had two touchdown grabs in the game. Moturi has been the main option for Vittatoe, as the wideout is leading the squad with 38 receptions for 472 yards. Terrell Jackson, the Miners' leading rusher with just 45.4 ypg, rushed for a career- best 105 yards. As a team, the Miners average a respectable 130.6 ypg on the ground but have only eight rushing touchdowns on the season, three by James Thomas II, who leads the UTEP ground game with a 7.7 ypc average.

UTEP is very similar to its opponent this week (SMU), as the defense has given up more points (37.7 ppg) than the offense has scored (33.4 ppg). The Miners are ranked right ahead of the Mustangs in scoring defense and total defense allowing 472.3 ypg. The Miners have been just as poor in defending the pass as they have in stopping the run -- allowing 264.7 ypg through the air and a staggering 208.8 rushing ypg which is 108th in the country. The defense did show improvement last week as ULL managed 384 yards and only 17 points, as one of the Cajuns' touchdowns came on an interception. ULL entered the game averaging 491.5 yards and 37.4 points per game so the Miner defense held the Cajuns 107.5 yards and 20 points below their season average. Senior defensive back George Kelly made his first career start and led the Miners with nine tackles and has 43 for the season. Adam Vincent leads the team with 81 tackles. The Miners intercepted three passes on the day giving them 10 on the season, with Corneillus Brown leading the way with three. The team ranks 23rd in the nation in turnover margin. After having only 16 sacks all of last year, the Miners have already passed that total having sacked the opposition 18 times so far this season, however, they did not record a sack against ULL.

This matchup looks to be one of those high-scoring, last-team-with-the-ball- wins games that is typical in Conference USA. With this being UTEP's last home game and needing every win to perhaps earn a bowl bid, expect the Miners to come out on top.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Texas-El Paso 34, SMU 30