It didn’t take much to find UTEP’s offense in 2017. Just scroll to the bottom of nearly every offensive ranking. 

“We were last in the country,” Miners coach Dana Dimel said.

Dimel spent the last nine seasons coordinating Kansas State’s offense, which focused on being efficient and versatile.

“K-State, we never racked up a ton of yards, but we were one of the highest scoring per possession,” Dimel said. “We averaged like 33 points over the last eight years. That’s with 60-70 snaps a game. Some have to get 95 out there to get that number. That’s what we want to do, just become more efficient and productive.”

He’ll have to start with a new foundation. Quarterback Zack Greenlee is gone and so is Tyler Batson, last year’s leading receiver. Dimel is hesitant to make any bold proclamations or get too excited about any individual unit, but he’s building around the foundation of any good offense: The offensive line.

Senior tackle Jerrod Brooks, junior tackle Ruben Guerra and senior center Derron Gatewood give him experience to work with, but he’ll have a quarterback competition to settle before the season begins. Kai Locksley, the NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year in 2017, is competing with senior Ryan Metz and likely will still be doing so when the season kicks off against Northern Arizona on Sept. 1.

“It stands pretty even right now,” Dimel said. “That’s not coach-speak or trying to hide anything. It’s just even. They both bring a lot to the table. If the season started tomorrow, we’d play both.” 

Terry Juniel, Kavika Johnson and Erik Brown give the Miners a senior trio at receiver and running back should be a strength with Joshua Fields and Quardraiz Wadley returning. Fields and Wadley enjoyed 137 and 156-yard days a year ago, respectively, and more special days could be ahead for the duo.

The Miners have to start somewhere, but Dimel knows the first step is clear.

“The first thing,” he said, “is for us to be competitive.”