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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, October 25, 2003

UTEP air attack grounded

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Columnist

How is it, you wonder, that a school that has "pass" in its name can't seem to throw them to save its seasons?

In that the University of Texas-El Paso, whose name comes from the Spanish Paso Del Norte — the pass of the north — is one of the more curious misnomers in college football.

As they come to Aloha Stadium tonight, the 2-5 Miners are, for the third consecutive year, one of the worst teams in NCAA passing. They are 95th in passing offense and 107th in passing efficiency among 117 teams in Division I-A.

Of course, the shortcoming is never more glaring or more dangerous than when matched up against UH, which is second in passing offense and 45th in efficiency.

It isn't that UTEP won't pass, as is the case with ground-bound Rice. It is that the Miners haven't been able to for going on three seasons, with a 6-24 record.

Rarely has that failure been more noticeable or more costly than against the Warriors. Over the past two years, UTEP is a combined 22 of 68 with seven interceptions. The only touchdowns UTEP has managed to throw for in that period have gone the other way — three interceptions returned by UH for touchdowns.

And unless that changes sometime shortly after the 6:05 p.m. kickoff today — or the Miners succeed in dominating the clock with their ground game — the betting line that has made UH a 27-point favorite will be an understatement.

For as Fresno State learned two weeks ago, keeping up with the Warriors with one offensive hand tied behind your back invites trouble. Now that quarterback Tim Chang and his receivers are hitting their stride with 887 yards and 10 airborne TDs in the past two games, it pays to be able to put up points, too.

The Miners' aerial failure is all the more curious given that just three seasons ago Gary Nord's team was in the top 10 in passing thanks in large part to a smooth possession air attack that led the way to a conference co-championship.

Back then, the Miners completed nearly 60 percent of their passes and had an almost 4 to 1 edge in touchdowns over interceptions. So, it isn't like good passing has to be like splitting the atom.

Since then, however, the quarterback position has been a revolving door partly through injury and, in part, because the Miners either haven't been able to find or failed to develop adequate passers.

Now, up steps 6-foot-5, 230-pound redshirt freshman Jordan Palmer, younger brother of Heisman Trophy winner Carson, who is billed as the Miners' quarterback of the future.

If the Miners are to have any kind of a future, he'll have to be the one to change the air of their ways.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.