EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — UTEP football suffered its third straight loss to begin the 2024 season after it was handed a 28-10 defeat by the reigning Conference USA champions, Liberty, at Williams Stadium on Saturday.
Liberty running back Billy Lucas scored three rushing touchdowns and collected 104 rushing yards on 21 carries against the Miners. Lucas had to step up at the RB position after star running back Quinton Cooley left the game in the first quarter after he got banged up on his sixth carry of the day.
Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter completed 15-of-19 passes for 228 yards and had one touchdown pass.
UTEP’s offense struggled to produce when it mattered the most. UTEP came out with just three red zone points in the contest. UTEP went 1-for-2 in the redzone. The three points came from a 25-yard made field goal by Buzz Flabiano to give UTEP a 3-0 lead to start the game. Flabiano went 1-for-2 in field goals in the contest. He missed a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter with 9:45 on the clock.
One of UTEP’s best moments on offense came in the third quarter. Down 14-3 with 12:33 on the clock, Skyler Locklear connected with Kenny Odom for a 60-yard touchdown play that made it a 14-10 game.
After that scoring drive, UTEP was unable to score again. The Miners went 3-and-out in its next two drives, had a turnover on downs, and then punted on its final drive of the game.
Locklear completed 26-of-43 passes for 244 yards, had one touchdown pass, and threw two interceptions. UTEP’s offense recorded just two penalties for 25 yards in the contest.
UTEP’s defense was a big reason the Miners were able to stay in the game. After going down 14-3, the defense held Liberty’s offense scoreless in its next six drives. Two of those drives ended in with a fumble recovery by UTEP’s defense. UTEP’s defense took a massive jump from its Week 2 performance against Southern Utah.
All-in-all, UTEP had its chances to keep the game close against the reigning CUSA champions but ultimately could not capitalize. It will go down as the Miners’s third loss of the season, but UTEP head coach Scotty Walden notices the improvement the team made on Saturday.
“I know to the outside world, I’m judged on wins and losses and that is the bottom line, but the reality of it is, is that it’s about the process. It’s about what’s going on behind the scenes. It’s about how we played, and I call tell you this: this Miners football team played a lot cleaner than last week and played much more composed and poised.” UTEP football head coach Scotty Walden said postgame.
UP NEXT
Liberty (3-0, 2-0 CUSA) will play East Carolina in a non-conference game at Williams Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21.
UTEP (0-3, 0-1 CUSA) will play Colorado State in a non-conference game at Canvas Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21.
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