ArmyStrong vs. MinerStrong – who comes out on top?
With the Texas blowout in the rear view mirror, UTEP must switch gears quickly as they prepare for Army’s historic visit to the Sun Bowl tomorrow night.
This matchup pits two teams looking to grind it out at the line of scrimmage with the victor most likely coming from the team that control the ball the longest while winning the turnover battle.
UTEP (1-1) will continue to feed the nation’s second leading rusher, Aaron Jones, while trying to contain Army’s highly successful triple option (338.5 rushing yards per game). The Golden Knights (2-0) racked up 329 rushing yards in their 28-13 win over Temple last weekend.
The #MinerStrong defense will have to shake off last weekend’s performance and try their best to slow down Army’s rushing attack or it could be a long day in the Sun Bowl.
Army’s defense will also have their hands full with UTEP’s offense and the return of Zack Greenlee should help make the Miners a little less one-dimensional on offense following a dismal passing performance in Austin last Saturday.
The Golden Knights are also playing with heavy hearts after the recent passing of starting cornerback Brandon Jackson which could be a distraction or could very well be an inspiration for Army to perform at a high level to honor their teammate.
Even playing in the Sun Bowl might not be much of an advantage as ticket sales have been slow and it looks like Army will have quite a few supporters in the stadium come kickoff from nearby Fort Bliss. The odds makers are also siding with #ArmyStrong installing the Golden Knights as 3 to 4 point favorites as of yesterday.
Not your typical home game to say the least, but still a “golden” opportunity for UTEP to prove the naysayers wrong by snagging a win against a formidable non-conference foe. Although both teams are looking to run the clock and pound on the ground this should still be a somewhat high scoring affair with the defense making a key stop late for their respective team to seal the win.
Should be an exciting inaugural meeting between both schools and a great matchup for the city of El Paso to celebrate the hometown team and a highly respected service academy.
#GetYourPopcornReady