UTEP prepares for in-state rival Rice

UTEP (3-4, 3-1 C-USA) battles Rice (5-3, 4-1 C-USA) on Saturday in the Sun Bowl. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m. MDT. The Miners lost at Tulsa, 77-35, in their last action on Oct. 18. Rice is coming off a 42-17 demolition of Tulane last weekend in New Orleans. The Owls are ninth in the country in passing offense (308.3 ypg), 10th in scoring offense (40.1 ppg) and turnover margin (1.13), and 15th in passing efficiency (154.07).

UTEP is 4-3 following off weeks under fifth-year head coach Mike Price, but 0-3 since 2006. This is the Miners' second bye week of the season. They lost to New Mexico State, 34-33, coming off a bye week on Sept. 20.

UTEP will play five games in the month of November for the first time since 2003 and only the second time since 1952. The Miners also had five November games in 1919, 1920, 1929, 1941, 1946 and 1952. UTEP is 5-22 in November since 2001 and has gone winless in the month in four of the last seven years (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007).

The Miners are 5-10 in November under Price with a current six-game losing streak. UTEP's last victory in November was a 36-17 triumph at UAB on Nov. 10, 2006.

UTEP will need to win three of five games in November to be bowl eligible. Following the Rice game, the Miners will play at Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 8 and host SMU on Nov. 15 before capping the regular season slate with road games at Houston (Nov. 22) and East Carolina (Nov. 28).

Since 2001, the Miners have played their home games at the Sun Bowl on AstroTurf GameDay Grass.