SPARTANS STRIKE BIG IN THE SECOND HALF AS UTEP FALLS 24–11 AT THE SUN BOWL

PREP1 Sports | October 18, 2026 | 📸 Photo by Derek Lopez | @shotsby.dxrk The UTEP Miners moved the football, won the battle for total yardage and put together several promising drives Saturday night. But in college football, moving the chains is only part of the equation — and the San José State Spartans made their opportunities count. San José State defeated UTEP 24–11 on October 17 at the Sun Bowl, using a dominant defensive performance and two explosive third-quarter touchdown runs to take control of the Mountain West matchup. The Miners finished with 462 total yards, compared with 426 for the Spartans, and recorded 27 first downs. Yet San José State's relentless pass rush, combined with UTEP's struggles to finish drives in the red zone, proved decisive. The Spartans recorded 11 sacks and held the Miners without a touchdown until the fourth quarter. A PROMISING START GOES UNREWARDED UTEP showed signs of offensive potential early, moving the ball into San José State territory on its opening possession. A 64-yard completion from quarterback EJ Colson Jr. to Kam Thomas put the Miners in scoring position, but the drive ended when a 37-yard field-goal attempt missed wide left. San José State capitalized later in the first quarter. Quarterback Daniel Rolovich led an 80-yard scoring drive, connecting with Carson Clark on an 11-yard touchdown pass to give the Spartans a 7–0 lead. The Miners controlled possession for much of the first half and kept San José State off the scoreboard in the second quarter. However, UTEP couldn't find the end zone before halftime, and the Spartans carried their seven-point advantage into the locker room. THIRD-QUARTER EXPLOSION CHANGES THE GAME The turning point arrived after halftime. San José State wasted little time extending its lead. Rolovich connected with Clark on a 63-yard completion, setting up running back Viliami “Juju” Teu for a two-yard touchdown run. The Spartans pushed their advantage to 14–0. Then Teu delivered the night's biggest offensive highlight. The running back broke free for a 67-yard touchdown run, finishing a three-play, 76-yard drive and extending San José State's lead to 21–0. Teu finished with 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, while Clark recorded five catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. UTEP finally reached the scoreboard late in the third quarter when Carlos Arreola connected on a 47-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 21–3. San José State answered with a 26-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, restoring a 24–3 cushion and putting the Miners in an increasingly difficult position. MINERS FIGHT BACK, BUT THE DEFENSE HOLDS UTEP refused to go quietly. The Miners put together an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped by Nik Henry's eight-yard touchdown run. Cash Cheeks completed the two-point conversion pass, trimming the score to 24–11 with 10:52 remaining. The touchdown gave the Sun Bowl crowd a reason to believe a comeback might be possible. UTEP continued to move the football, but San José State's defense delivered the critical stops. The Spartans recorded 11 sacks and 14 tackles for loss, repeatedly disrupting the Miners' passing game. Raymond Moore III was sacked eight times, while Colson was brought down three times. The pressure prevented UTEP from converting its yardage advantage into enough points to threaten the lead. The Miners had one final opportunity to make things interesting, but San José State stopped them on downs inside the Spartans' 25-yard line with 1:49 remaining, securing the road victory. YARDAGE WITHOUT THE FINISH UTEP's 462 total yards were its highest offensive output since 2023, and its 27 first downs marked the program's most since 2022. Those numbers offered evidence that the Miners could move the ball against a Mountain West opponent. But the final score told a different story. UTEP went 1-for-3 on field-goal attempts, settled for a field goal on one third-quarter possession and managed just one offensive touchdown. Despite reaching scoring territory, the Miners struggled to turn opportunities into touchdowns. San José State, meanwhile, produced 426 total yards and made its explosive plays count. Rolovich completed 12 of 23 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown in his first collegiate start, while Teu's two scoring runs supplied the decisive second-half surge. WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE MINERS? The loss dropped UTEP to 1–6 overall and 0–3 in Conference USA, while San José State improved to 4–3 overall and 2–1 in the Mountain West. The teams compete in different conferences, making this a nonconference matchup. For UTEP, the next step is clear: maintain the offensive progress, protect the quarterback and finish drives with touchdowns. The Miners demonstrated that they could move the football, but against a defense as disruptive as San José State's, missed scoring chances and negative plays proved too costly. The Miners are scheduled to return to action October 31 against North Dakota State. Saturday night at the Sun Bowl was a frustrating reminder that statistics alone don't win football games. UTEP had the yardage advantage, but San José State delivered the explosive plays, defensive pressure and timely stops needed to leave El Paso with the victory. FINAL SCORE: SAN JOSÉ STATE SPARTANS 24, UTEP MINERS 11 📸 Photo by Derek Lopez | @shotsby.dxrk PREP1 NETWORK | PREP1USA.COM