By Malcolm Butler
Sonny Cumbie and Co. have had two weeks with a bad taste in their mouths since falling 38-14 at South Alabama.
They have also had two weeks to get better.
Tech (1-3, 0-0 C-USA) will open Conference USA action tonight when the Bulldogs host UTEP (3-3, 1-1) at 6 p.m. at Joe Aillet Stadium. The game can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network on 107.5 FM with Malcolm Butler (PxP) and Teddy Allen (color) providing the call. The pregame show starts at 4:30 p.m.
The contest can also be seen on ESPN+ with Lyn Rollins (PxP) and Chris Mycoskie (analyst) providing that call.
Cumbie knows in order for the Bulldogs to win ball games, they must cut down on turnovers and missed opportunities. That has been stressed over the past 14 days.
“The message has been for our team to just continue to keep playing hard,” said Cumbie. “I heard it said earlier this week that toughness and effort and heart is the baseline. Now we have to have execution to go along with that. That’s what will win games.”
The past two games have seen LA Tech in the thick of things at the half, trailing 13-6 at Clemson and 17-7 at South Alabama. But third quarter meltdowns mostly triggered by turnovers have prevented any chance of coming back to win those games.
Cumbie knows that every possession will count tonight, playing a run-heavy, ball-control offensive team in the Miners. It’s a UTEP team that has won three of its last four, including a 27-10 win over Boise State.
“They are very physical in terms of how they play on offense,” said Cumbie. “How they play on defense. They will get right up in your face on the defensive front, and they do a great job of penetrating with their d-tackles. Their linebackers really fly around from sideline to sideline. A lot of that has to do with mentality and makeup and how you set up your practices.
“I want our team to be the more physical team. That’s our message. That’s what we’ve been talking about since Thursday. We want to be the more physical team on the field. UTEP prides itself on that style of football. That’s what we want to get to and play here just from a physicality standpoint. We will have a challenge but we hope that when we watch the game on Sunday that we feel like we were the most physical team.”
Due to the Miners ability to eat up the clock and shorten the game, Cumbie knows his team must make the most of its offensive chances and limit wasted opportunities. Thus, take care of the football.
“You have to be really smart and how you attack UTEP offensively,” said Cumbie. “And the calls that you make. You don’t ever want to waste a play call and this is especially true when you may only have 45 or 50 plays. It will be a challenge. I think that’s something we’ve made aware to our players.
“Our ultimate job on offense is to move the ball, get first downs and score points. As long as we do that then everything will be alright. We can’t concern ourselves with how many plays we get or don’t get. We need to make the most of the things that we do get.”
The Miners won last year’s meeting 19-3 in El Paso.
