"We’re going back to the system which was successful for us two years ago,’’ Nord said. "It will be a 4-2-5 formation with four down linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs. We’ll rush the passer with four down linemen and cover with the other seven. We want to keep it simple, and allow the players to fly around and have fun.’’
After winning the school’s first WAC championship in 2000, UTEP was 1-7 in league play last season despite being picked in several preseason publications as a contender for the title. The Miners lost their last seven games, another reason for the change in defensive philosophy.
"We answered some questions about our defense in the spring,’’ Nord said. "The 4-2-5 fits our personnel a lot better. Less mental preparation is required with this defense. I really believe our defense, which was last in the WAC a year ago, will be one of the top three defenses in the conference this year.’’
The Miners struggled last year because of a glaring lack of experience on both sides of the ball. At the end of the season, UTEP had 25 freshmen and sophomores on the two-deep chart. Only one senior started on defense for the Miners—cornerback Chance Clemson—as UTEP gave up almost 40 points per game while scoring fewer than 11 per game.
"I knew it was going to be difficult to replace the leadership we had received the previous year,’’ Nord said. "I thought we had enough ability to compensate for the lack of seniors. But we didn’t have the maturity to finish people off.’’
This season, the Miners return 18 starters and a senior class of 17. Still, Nord is a little concerned about youth.
"The biggest thing I’m concerned about is our youth at the skill positions,’’ he said.
QUARTERBACKS
Sophomore Jon Schaper (6-2, 210) exited spring drills as the No. 1 quarterback. He was erratic in his first season at UTEP, completing only 25-of-60 passes for 232 yards with five interceptions. He also rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
"Jon has everything you look for in a quarterback—size, speed, arm strength, intelligence and leadership,’’ Nord said. "I think he has a chance to be something really special.’’
The backup will be either sophomore Omar Duarte (6-2, 185) or red-shirt freshman Orlando Cruz (6-0, 205).
"I think there is a really big battle going on for the second team quarterback position between Duarte and Cruz,’’ Nord said. "I’m still not sure which direction we would go if we were to play tomorrow.’’
Also in the picture is red-shirt freshman Phillip Moss (6-0, 190).
RUNNING BACKS
The starter at tailback will be senior Sherman Austin (5-8, 175, whose backup will be sophomore Howard Jackson (5-10, 155). Both Austin and Jackson came to UTEP as wide receivers. Also in the mix at tailback will be red-shirt freshman Matt Austin (6-0, 195), who ran for 1,600 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior at Parkland High School in El Paso.
Austin has had two 100-yard games in his career and rushed for 450 yards last season.
"Sherman has the capability of being an All-WAC player,’’ Nord said. "He has gotten bigger and stronger, and will give us the senior leadership we need out of the backfield.’’
Nord said after spring practice that he is concerned about youth at the skill positions.
"Our quarterback is going to be a sophomore, our top two tight ends are sophomores and three of our top four receivers are red-shirt freshmen, he said. "And our best tailback, Howard Jackson, is a sophomore, too.’’
The Miners lost fullback Chris Porter, who ran for 1,135 yards the last two years and led the Miners with 454 yards last season. The starting fullback will be oft-injured junior Rovann Cleveland (6-0, 240).
"Rovann is one of the strongest kids on the team,’’ Nord said. "I would expect us to go to a two-back situation a lot more this year, and have him in the ball game for pretty much every snap.’’
Senior Jon Dorrenbos (6-0, 240) and sophomore Jimmy Smith (5-11, 235) have been moved from linebacker and will contend for the role of reserve fullback.
"Jimmy Smith moved from linebacker to fullback,’’ Nord said. "He’s our number two fullback right now, so he’ll get some playing time. He was originally a fullback when he came here, but we lacked depth at linebacker, so we moved him there.’’
In the spring game, Jackson and red-shirt freshman Matt Austin (6-0, 195) ran for 101 and 76 yards, respectively. Sherman Austin finished with 16 yards on 13 carries.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
The Miners must replace Lee Mays, who concluded his career with 200 catches for 2,908 yards and 28 touchdowns despite an injury-plagued senior season.
Listed as the No. 1 split end is senior Terrance Minor (6-1, 190), the only one of the returnees who has seen more than one year of action. He caught 24 passes for 371 yards last year and three touchdowns.
Backing up Minor will be red-shirt freshmen Chris Francies (6-2, 190) and Aaron Givens (6-2, 195). Nord said they were outstanding on the scout team last year.
"They are both over six feet tall, and have speed and the ability to catch the football,’’ he said.
Competing for the start at flanker will be sophomores Dirk Dillard (6-1, 190) and Will Smith (6-2, 200). Dillard had eight catches for 75 yards last year and Smith caught 15 passes for 247 yards. Smith’s 16.5-yard average per catch was best for the Miners.
"Will had his knee scoped and his role will be limited in the spring,’’ Nord said. "Dirk may be the fastest receiver we have. He’s our vertical guy to get down the field.’’
Dillard had three catches for 102 yards in the spring game, while Minor had four for 99. Red-shirt freshman Jacob Gonzalez (6-1, 210) had four catches for 78 yards. Minor, Dillard and Gonzalez caught touchdown passes from Schaper.
The Miners lost Joey Knapp and Jason Glover, but Nord believes sophomore Jonas Crafts (6-4, 250) can get the job done. He had 10 catches for 77 yards in five games last year before breaking his foot against Alabama and missing the rest of the season.
Backing up Crafts will be junior Justin Hunt (6-4, 230) who had three catches and two touchdowns last year.
"Justin has gotten himself a lot bigger and stronger,’’ Nord said. "He’ll be on the field a lot this year.’’
OFFENSIVE LINE
UTEP’s youthful line gave up 35 sacks last year, but Nord believes the four returnees will be able to protect the mobile Schaper.
"We have a lot more bodies than we’ve ever had at this position, and all of them have a chance,’’ Nord said.
The only loss was Lawrence Norman, who started 35 consecutive games over the last three seasons. He will be replaced at left guard by either fifth-year senior Curtis Castle (6-3, 260) or sophomore Ben Graniello (6-3, 285).
Nord believes his tackles—junior right tackle Trey Darilek (6-6, 290) and senior left tackle Ariel Famaligi (6-4, 320)—have the potential to rank among the best in the league.
Darilek is a two-year starter and Famaligi has started 34-of-35 games the last three seasons.
The starting center and a key player will be junior center Chris Kerr (6-4, 275), who put on 30 pounds during the off-season.
"It’s critical to have your center back, because he’s the quarterback of the line,’’ Nord said. "Chris had as good a spring as anybody.’’
Junior Robert Clayton (6-4, 290) will be the starter at right guard.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The defensive line should be a strong point for the Miners this season.
"If we get everybody healthy, we’ll have an unbelievable amount of experience there,’’ Nord said. "I expect big things from our front seven in 2002.’’
The starter at left tackle will be either senior Bobby King (6-5, 355) or junior Dan Kerr (6-4, 270). King missed the entire 2001 season with a back injury. He started five games in 2000 during UTEP’s WAC title run and nine games in ‘99. Kerr had 49 tackles, seven for losses, last season.
The right tackle will be junior Sam Clarke (6-2, 275), who had 46 tackles, seven tackles for losses and 10 hurries last season. His backup will be junior Jeremy Castillo (6-3, 260), who made 56 tackles last year and led the team with 20 quarterback pressures despite missing three starts.
The ends will be seniors Karmul High (6-4, 250) and Rick Fette (6-4, 245). High started every game last year at left end and made 39 tackles.
"Karmul is one of the finest pass rushers off the corner in the conference,’’ Nord said.
The backups at end are senior Gabe Williams (6-5, 230) and junior Jeremy Evenhus (6-3, 255).
Two defensive linemen who excelled in the spring were red-shirt freshman Chris Mineo (6-2, 270) and sophomore Ibok Ibok (6-5, 235).
LINEBACKERS
There will only be two linebackers in the new 4-2-5 defensive alignment, and one of them is outstanding.
Sophomore Robert Rodriguez (6-1, 240) was a first-team Freshman All-American pick last year by The Sporting News and the Football Writers Association of America.
The El Paso product led the WAC in tackles with 137 and averaged 18.8 stops in the last four games.
The other starter will be senior Camar Jackson (6-3, 245), who has 170 tackles and 19 tackles for losses in his career.
The backups will be sophomore Godwin Akinduro (6-3, 225) and senior Bubba Wiseman (6-0, 280). Akinduro had 51 tackles last year and Wiseman had 40.
Nord said he has high hopes for red-shirt freshman J.D. Hearn (6-2,220), who was an all-district linebacker at Mesquite (Texas) High School.
"He’s going to be a really good player at UTEP,’’ Nord said.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Senior free safety D.J. Walker (6-3, 215) was chosen unanimously by his teammates to captain the 2002 squad. He is a two-time All-WAC honoree who has 12 career interceptions. He was fifth in the league last year with four interceptions and 13th in tackles with 85.
"D.J. has a real knack for the ball,’’ Nord said. "His leadership is something we desperately need at the safety position.’’
Back at strong safety is junior Mark Dowdy (5-11, 190), who started every game last season and made 63 tackles.
Left cornerback Weldon Cooks (6-2, 180) has made 18 starts over the last two years.
"The scouts are high on Weldon with his ability to cover man-to-man,’’ Nord said. "He is one of our best athletes.’’
The Miners will miss Clemons, who started 30 games at right corner the last three years. The favorite to succeed Clemons is sophomore Jahmal Fenner (5-8, 180), who made 24 stops last year. The first-string rover will be junior Tim Woodard (5-11, 195), who made 68 tackles and intercepted five passes last year.
The backups will be senior Paul Smith (6-1, 185), sophomore Matt Elwood (6-0, 190), junior Jared Robertson (5-11, 175) and sophomore Brandon Yaites (5-10, 185).
Nord also expects red-shirt freshmen Steve Douglas (6-1, 195) and Marshall Sanford (6-1, 195) to contribute.
"They are two big-time freshmen prospects,’’ Nord said.
Douglas was a member of two Empire League championship teams at Loara High School in Anaheim, Calif., and Sanford was and all-district defensive back at Brazoswood High School in Lake Jackson, Texas.
SPECIAL TEAMS
UTEP made dramatic strides in the return area in 2001, ranking 28th nationally in punt returns (11.0 average) and 30th in kickoff returns (22.5 average).
The improvement was largely because of Fenner and Jackson. Fenner rated 13th in the country in punt returns (13.2) and 31st in kickoff returns (24.5).
"Jahmal and Howard both have a chance to take it back every time they touch the ball,’’ Nord said.
Sherman Austin and Cooks will also be involved in the kicking game.
RECRUITING CLASS
UTEP coaches 22 players on national signing day in February.
"It’s really important that we recruit kids with character, because we’re looking for success over the long haul," Nord said. "We needed to get a bunch of givers. This is a good group, with a lot of speed and a lot of size."
The group features four Texas Top 300 players, according to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine—defensive back Nate Draughon (5-9, 160) from South Garland High School in Garland, Texas; wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. (6-0, 175) from Sweeny (Texas) High School; linebacker Cory Vavala (6-2, 195) from St. Anthony Catholic High School in San Antonio; and defensive end Joe Ward (6-4, 210) from Madison High School in Houston.
Draughon played cornerback as a sophomore, and defensive back and running back as a junior and senior. He had 33 carries for 201 yards and six touchdowns as a senior, and also recorded 14 catches for 143 yards. On defense he registered 36 tackles, five tackles for losses, three sacks, three pass break-ups, two interceptions and a blocked field goal. Draughon set a school record with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and averaged 55.5 yards on kick returns
Higgins was his team’s offensive most valuable after collecting 48 catches for 918 yards and 10 touchdowns. Vavala led his team in tackles his sophomore, junior and senior years. Ward was a finalist for defensive player of the year in Houston.
In addition, quarterback Jordan Palmer (6-5, 210) from Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School, a top-150 player in the state of California by SuperPrep , also signed. Palmer threw for 1,300 yards with 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions as a senior. He also saw action at wide receiver as a junior. Mission Viejo High was 14-0 in 2001, winning the CIF championship and the Southern section of Division II. The team was rated third in the state and 17th in the nation.
Wide receiver Joe West (6-3, 193) from Garland Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, Texas, was rated the 75th-best player in Texas by SuperPrep entering the 2001 season.
Wide receiver Chris Marrow (5-10, 17), the Co-District 1-5A Most Valuable Player at Franklin High School in El Paso last season, stayed in town to play for the Miners.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
UTEP’s 2002 schedule is demanding with seven road games, including trips to Kentucky and Oklahoma, as well as the renewal of an 88-year old rivalry against New Mexico State. The Miners will open a season at home for just the second time in the last 10 years, playing host to Sacramento State on Aug. 31.
The schedule is set up for success, as UTEP hosts four of the WAC’s top six teams from last season.
In order for the Miners to be successful in 2002, consistency must be found at quarterback and depth at wide receiver. Nord is also looking for strength in numbers to emerge at cornerback and free safety.
