ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

With all due respect to UTEP, this is ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s “get rightâ€� game. It’s the Wildcats’ last opportunity to fine-tune, sharpen and polish their play before the Pac-12 grind begins. (That grind, by the way, currently includes seven opponents ranked in the AP Top 25.)

In an unexpected twist, the area that’s been just OK so far is the UA offense. Quarterback Jayden de Laura’s turnovers have been well-documented. His improvement as a runner has been noteworthy. The fact that he leads ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in rushing through two games is odd, certainly not by design and should be a distant memory by 11:30 p.m. Saturday. I fully expect the Wildcats to get their run game going against the Miners — with running backs doing most of the running.

My preseason prediction for this game was ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ 42, UTEP 21. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Wildcats cooked up a 50 Burger.

Take that for data!

Jacob Cowing’s average per catch is 6.9 yards. That feels extraordinarily fluky. Especially when you consider that his 10 catches for 69 yards include 30- and 17-yard gains. That means his other eight grabs have netted 22 yards. Say what now?

Even if you convert the 12-yard loss he was tagged with after fumbling at Mississippi State into a catch for no gain, those eight receptions would be worth only 34 yards.

Cowing’s average per catch last season of 12.2 yards was markedly lower than his 18.4-yard average in three seasons at UTEP. That’s a product of different usage (his average depth of target is significantly lower here) and tougher competition.

But 6.9 is extreme. Look for Jedd Fisch to draw up some plays to spring Cowing for big gains against his former teammates.

(Rincon) Market report

Going up: Uiagaleleis

The Pac-12 features three prominent members of the Uiagalelei football family. DJ is the starting quarterback at Oregon State; his brother, Matayo, is a freshman defensive end at Oregon; and their cousin, Ta’ita’i, is a second-year defensive lineman at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. All three are thriving. DJ has rediscovered his form after flaming out at Clemson, accounting for eight touchdowns (and zero turnovers) in two games with the Beavers. Matayo is tied for second among Ducks defenders with four defense stops, . And Ta’ita’i has five tackles, two TFLs (one sack) and a blocked field goal for the Wildcats.

Going down: Chip Kelly’s gamesmanship

UCLA freshman quarterback Dante Moore, a five-star recruit, , throwing for 290 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters. He confirmed what’s obvious to everyone — that he deserves to be the Bruins’ undisputed starter. Everyone, that is, except irascible UCLA coach Chip Kelly. Despite being given multiple opportunities to do so, Kelly as the Bruins’ starter. Maybe he’s just messing with his frenemy, L.A. Times beat reporter () Ben Bolch. Or maybe it’s just Chip being Chip. Either way, it’s tiresome.

A question from

“Do you worry for the RB room after this year with (Michael) Wiley leaving? Can we lean on Jonah (Coleman) to be a 3rd-down back?� — @LoudenMontoya, via X/Twitter

Although Wiley is an excellent and underrated player, I have no concerns. Coleman will be a true junior next season and is capable of being much more than a third-down back. I’m confident he could handle 15 carries a game if given the opportunity.

Rayshon “Speedy� Luke also could have an expanded role next season. And current freshman Brandon Johnson, on track to redshirt, has plenty of football ahead of him.

Meanwhile, anticipating the losses of Wiley and DJ Williams, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has two running backs in its — four-star prospect Jordan Washington and three-star Adam Mohammed.

In short, the RB room is in fine shape.

Threads

Normally we talk about uniforms in this space. Today, the topic is sunglasses. In case you somehow missed it, Colorado State coach Jay Norvell, whose team visits Colorado on Saturday, during his weekly radio show: “When I talk to grownups, I take my hat and my glasses off. That’s what my mother taught me.� That was, of course, a reference to CU counterpart Deion Sanders, who often is seeing wearing a hat and sunglasses. Sanders then turned the quip into bulletin-board material in a video posted to YouTube. If the “Coach Prime� experience feels a bit (a lot?) like professional wrestling, consider this: The guest picker on ESPN’s “College GameDay� in Boulder this week is Dwayne “The Rock� Johnson.

What he said ...

“I think it’s more about trust with Jayden, more than anything else. If he believes that you believe in him, he’s not going to let you down and he’s going to be in a spot where he’s going to be able to go out there and play.� — Fisch

... what he meant

“This is the third question you’ve asked about Jayden during this press conference, and I’m not going to bite. I’m not going to throw the kid under the bus. You have to understand: Everyone is different. Everyone needs to be coached differently. I needed to support him during the Mississippi State game to get the best out of him. Capiche?"

The other side

Via Bret Bloomquist, :

As UTEP heads to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ as a heavy underdog, they have a trail of film on what they need to fix.

The second half in particular of the 38-7 loss to Northwestern was a microcosm of what is keeping the Miners from being better. They got thrashed in turnovers, buried with penalties and couldn’t turn big plays.

A team that is tied for sixth nationally in first downs is 121st in scoring and 124th in turnover margin, dooming numbers that were pounded home against them in the scoreless, turnover-riddled second half against Northwestern.

Pick to click (aka #fadelev)

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ opened as a 16.5-point favorite, and the line was 17.5 as of this writing. That seems a little light. Dana Dimel has the Miners in a better place since they last faced the Wildcats in 2017. But UTEP also just got outscored 31-0 in the second half against Northwestern, which hadn’t won a game on U.S. soil since 2021. Meanwhile, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is outgaining its opponents by 2.8 yards per play. That’s a telling sign.

(season record: 1-1)

One last thing

I expect the attendance for the UTEP game to be the lowest of the season. But it’s all relative.

If it ends up in the 44,000 range, as Fisch suggested, that’d be the second-highest figure for a nonconference home game since the 2018 opener vs. BYU.

I expect close to capacity for the rest of the home slate, which features one marquee opponent after another: No. 8 Washington, No. 16 Oregon State, No. 24 UCLA and No. 12 Utah.

Nothing would please Jedd more than an overflowing Fisch Bowl.