The UTEP Miners (0-0) will visit the #18 Arkansas Razorbacks (0-0) on Saturday, September 5, 2015 at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The game will televise at 3:30 pm ET on ESPNU. The current odds list Arkansas as a 33-point favorite with the over/under set at 49.5.
The Miners will rely on senior running back Aaron Jones to help get this team some wins. He finished last year with over 1300 yards and added 14 touchdowns. Mark Leftwich will begin the season as starting quarterback and will look to revive a passing game that came in last in the league in yards. The Miners will have a majority of their starters returning on defense. Their defense led the conference in passing yards allowed per game. The Miners are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 road games and 1-7 ATS in their last eight games on field turf.
Brandon Allen returns to the team as a senior and will look to build off his finish to last season. He threw for 20 touchdowns last season and only had five interceptions. Alex Collins will start at running back after finishing with 1100 yards on the ground along with 12 touchdowns. The big story here is the defense. Arkansas lost 4 starters to the NFL and will have some big holes to fill. The secondary will have to be on their toes in order to contain offenses. The Razorbacks are 5-0 ATS in their last five September games and 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games.
My Pick: Utep +33
This is once again, too many points for me to give up. Yes, Utep is horrible. I think if they can establish the run and stick to their game plan. They should be able to keep this game somewhat close. With Arkansas’s defense in question, UTEP should be able to score more often.