Oregon State gets its last nonconference tune-up Saturday night, and the matchup at UTEP looks lopsided on paper.
The Beavers are 1-2 and will visit the Miners, who are also 1-2, at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
PT. Oregon State is listed as an 11.5-point favorite.
The game will not be televised, with radio coverage on KEX 1190 in Portland and KEJO 1240 and 93.7 in Corvallis. It will stream on MW+.
UTEP’s first season in the Mountain West has been rough. The Miners have been blown out at Oklahoma and Michigan by a combined 103-17, and their only real offensive boost came in a blowout of Texas Southern.
Even with that result included, UTEP still ranks 137th in total offense in FBS games. The defense has not been much better for third-year coach Scott Walden’s team.
Quarterback Skyler Colson has been one of the few bright spots. He started at UCF, transferred to Incarnate Word and is now the Miners’ starter. Colson has completed 64.3% of his passes for 377 yards, six touchdowns and one interception.
There are a few names to know on the UTEP side. Running back Tavorus Jones, a Missouri transfer, has 30 carries for 162 yards, which already tops his total from his previous three seasons combined.
Linebacker Jayden Wilson, who had eight tackles for loss last season, has 15 tackles this year with 1.5 for loss. Safety Xavier Smith is also active in the secondary, with 21 tackles after posting 60 tackles and an interception a year ago.
The broad view is simple: Oregon State brings the more dangerous offense, and UTEP has struggled badly on both sides of the ball. The only reason this isn’t rated even lower on the threat scale is the possibility of changes at center and in the safety rotation.
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