Posted on: Monday, November 1, 2004

UTEP climbs back into poll

Associated Press

Texas-El Paso has cracked the Associated Press poll at No. 25, giving the Miners their first national ranking in 16 years.

"I think it's great for the team and it's great for the school," first-year coach Mike Price said yesterday. "It means every weekend you'll get your name on the tickertape across the bottom of the screen."

Price said the ranking will give UTEP visibility that will help recruit players and students.

The Miners have never been ranked in the AP poll, but hit No. 22 in the USA Today/CNN poll in 1988.

Last week, the Miners were No. 24 in the Bowl Championship Series standings and received five votes in the AP poll.

The Miners (6-2, 4-1 Western Athletic Conference) are coming off a 38-20 win against San Jose State on Saturday that gave the team its second winning season in 16 years.

The six victories also equals the total number of wins the Miners had in the past three years, when they managed only two each season.

With few exceptions, the Miners have been perennial cellar-dwellers in recent years. Last year, UTEP lost eight times by 28 or more points. This is just the fourth winning season since 1970, a span during which UTEP won two or fewer games 21 times.

But Price's team has won six of seven, including UTEP's first two shutouts since 1991. The only losses for UTEP have come to No. 18 Boise State and No. 20 Arizona State.

The rest of the Miners' schedule features teams at the bottom of the WAC — Rice, SMU and Tulsa — that could set the team up for its first nine-win season since 1988 when it went 10-3.

UTEP beat visiting Hawai'i, 51-20, on Oct. 16.

AP POLL

Miami, Florida State fall out of Top 10

Miami and Florida State tumbled in The Associated Press poll yesterday, falling out of the top 10 after being upset on the road.

The Hurricanes' first loss of the season, a 31-28 defeat at North Carolina, dropped them seven spots to No. 11 in the media poll. They were one of five ranked teams to lose on the road to unranked opponents Saturday.

The Seminoles lost 20-17 at Maryland to snap a six-game winning streak. They fell eight spots to No. 13.

Southern California is No. 1 and Oklahoma is No. 2 for the 10th straight poll. USC received 56 first-place votes and 1,616 points after a 42-12 victory at Washington State. The Sooners got eight first-place votes, five fewer than last week, and 1,556 points after squeaking by Oklahoma State, 38-35, on Saturday.

No. 3 Auburn (8-0) received a first-place vote. California moved up three spots to No. 4, its highest ranking since 1952, and Wisconsin (8-0) is No. 5.

Rounding out the first 10 are Texas, Utah, Georgia, Tennessee and Michigan.

The top five teams in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll are Southern California, Oklahoma, Auburn, Wisconsin and Georgia.

The Bowl Championship Series releases its standings today, with USC and Oklahoma expected to remain first and second, respectively.

Falling out of the rankings was Purdue, which lost its third straight, 13-10 at Northwestern. The Boilermakers were No. 5 just three weeks ago.

Minnesota also dropped out after losing 30-21 at Indiana.

SUNSHINE STATE BLUES

Three national powers not as dominant

Florida, Florida State and Miami were out of the national championship picture by Thanksgiving last year.

It could happen even sooner this season.

All three lost Saturday, the first time that happened on the same day since Oct. 14, 1978. The rare feat gave them a combined seven losses this season, their most this early since 1981 and staggering numbers for teams that dominated the 1990s.

It also is an indication that each program has problems — the biggest of which may be that the rest of the country has closed the gap on the Sunshine State.

"I think teams are catching up from the standpoint of recruiting," Miami coach Larry Coker said yesterday. "There is a lot of parity. If you're not on top of your game and make a play here and there when you need to, it can be a tough day."

The Hurricanes (6-1) have given up an average of nearly 500 yards the last three weeks and were upset 31-28 at North Carolina on Saturday night, losing for the first time since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Seminoles (6-2) missed three field goals in a 20-17 loss to Maryland.

The once-mighty Gators (4-4) have tumbled the furthest. After winning six Southeastern Conference championships and a national title in Steve Spurrier's 12 seasons, the team has gone 20-14 in three seasons under Ron Zook.

"It's hard to maintain the level of intensity that you have to maintain," Zook said yesterday."

Throw out the two non-conference cupcakes scheduled each year and Zook is 14-14 at Florida. He also has one loss each year to an unranked opponent — the last one prompting athletic director Jeremy Foley to fire him last week. Zook will finish out the season as coach.

On Saturday, Florida fell short against Georgia, 31-24.