Spring football is ongoing across the state of Texas now that spring break is over. The 13 FBS programs in the Lone Star State are allowed to participate in 15 on-field practice sessions, including 12 involving contact. Spring games are littered throughout April with most taking place on April 15 or April 22. Houston goes first when the Cougars play their spring game on April 7. 

The 2023 season is one of change. Sam Houston is moving up to Conference USA from the FCS ranks. Houston is now in the Big 12. UTSA, North Texas, and Rice are preparing for their first season in the American Athletic Conference. 

But what is the best and worst case that can happen for each team in 2023? Here’s where we stand on the UTEP Miners. 

UTEP MINERS 

2022 record: 5-7 

2023 schedule 
Aug. 26 at Jax State
Sept. 2 Incarnate Word
Sept. 9 at Northwestern
Sept. 16 at Arizona
Sept. 23 UNLV
Sept. 29 Louisiana Tech
Oct. 11 at FIU
Oct. 18 New Mexico State
Oct. 25 at Sam Houston
Nov. 4  Western Kentucky
Nov. 11 IDLE
Nov. 18 at Middle Tennessee
Nov. 25 Liberty L

Best case: A new-look Conference USA provides fresh hope for Dana Dimel’s Miners. Former conference foes such as UTSA, North Texas, and UAB were replaced with programs such as Jax State, Sam Houston, and New Mexico State. UTEP fits those athletic budget profiles more favorably. The Miners reached a bowl game in a seven-win season in 2021, but regressed back to a five-win team last season due to offensive struggles and the inability to close out games. 

A return to a bowl game for only the second time since 2015 would be a positive season for Dimel’s club. Competing for a conference crown isn’t out of the question. Only Liberty feels like a clear-cut favorite with everyone else in C-USA entering the season with major question marks. A solid defense exists in UTEP, so if the Miners find more offensive success, watch out. 

Worst case: The Miners know what lows look like. There are some players remaining on the roster who suffered through one-win seasons in 2018 and 2019. The program is 15-18 over the last three seasons, and a failure to achieve a winning record in a watered-down conference won’t be a good sign for the future. The worst case for UTEP is to lose any remaining momentum from the 2021 campaign that resulted in a sell out to start the 2022 season. Earning support from the local community is always an uphill battle for the Miners, and the only remedy is to win. The offense must become more consistent for that to happen in 2023. 

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