Miners bask in limelight
Matthew Aguilar
El Paso Times
Mark Lambie / El Paso Times
UTEP linebacker Thomas Howard filmed a promo for ESPN GameDay on Wednesday at the Miners' practice.
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Up next
What: Rice (3-5, 2-3 ) vs. UTEP (6-2, 4-1) in a Western Athletic Conference game
When: 7:05 p.m. Nov. 13.
Where: Sun Bowl Stadium.
Radio/ TV: KROD-AM (600)/no TV.
Tickets: 747-5234.
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It took UTEP offensive lineman Jose Garcia a few takes, but the junior from San Antonio finally nailed it.
"You're watching Gameday on ESPN from UTEP," he said, pointing menacingly at the camera.
Garcia, fellow lineman Ben Graniello and linebacker Thomas Howard filmed the teasers Wednesday for an ESPN GameDay feature story on the Miners expected to air this weekend. And it was a chance for the often- underappreciated linemen to bask in some of the national limelight generated from being the turnaround story of the year.
"I'm a lineman; I don't get too much publicity," Garcia said, smiling. "I don't have to worry about talking on TV too much."
Linemen, linebackers, quarterbacks -- it doesn't matter. Everybody is getting attention now that UTEP is in the Associated Press top 25 after three consecutive two-win seasons. Previously regarded as the perennial losers of the college football world, the Miners now are a national hit after an unexpected 6-2 start and a second-place standing in the Western Athletic Conference.
And, oh yeah, it happens to be Mike Price's first year as head coach after that infamous stint at Alabama. So, no matter what angle a national medium happens to take -- turnaround, overachievement, redemption -- it's the can't-miss, feel-good story of the year.
"I would say it would be a great story even if (coach Price) wasn't here," said USA Today college football reporter Kelly Whiteside, who also was in El Paso Wednesday for a story about the Miners. "You have two wins, two wins, two wins, then (a winning season). When you add coach Price, the story gets even better."
Whiteside said the Miners first began to gain the attention of editors at USA Today after the Oct. 9 victory against Fresno State in Fresno. And last week, USA Today ran a short story as something of a preview of this bigger piece by Whiteside.
Ironically, the last time Whiteside -- who was interviewed by local media Wednesday -- went before cameras at a practice was spring training 2003. That's when Price was the new head coach at Alabama.
Meanwhile, ESPN GameDay's piece is expected to air Saturday.
"You have to give (ESPN GameDay analyst) Kirk Herbstreit credit: He gave (Mike Price) one year," said ESPN GameDay's Tom Rinaldi, who is doing the piece on UTEP for GameDay. "He said, 'Give him this year, and next year UTEP will be heard from.' But even he was a year off."
Rinaldi said he was sitting in an editorial meeting when the subject of UTEP first came up. He was for it from the start.
"I would say that UTEP is the easiest no-brainer story of the year," he said. "It's a marriage of a personal story and a program story, and that's a national story."
"Just (that they) overcame the history of the futility of the program, and that they could improve at this rate (is a story). If we hadn't come now, we'd be late."
Rinaldi also thinks Price will stick around longer than a year.
"I would be absolutely stunned if he left after a year," Rinaldi said. "That he would walk out on the school that gave him a second chance that he wanted so badly? If success needs opportunity, then opportunity requires loyalty. Not forever. But for more than a year. I think coach Price would agree."
Whiteside thinks, if Price does stick around for a few years, it could make a long-lasting impression.
"Of course, he has to keep winning," she said. "But given the guy that he is and his reputation, (the national respectability) can only grow. Because of seasons like this, you won't have people saying, 'Where's El Paso?' Successful college programs put people on the map."
The players certainly like the attention.
"It's awesome," said receiver Chris Marrow, one of three players interviewed for the ESPN GameDay piece. "To go from 2-11 to 6-2, that deserves attention. It's great to hear (from the national media)."
Said Garcia: "We didn't expect ESPN in our neck of the woods. Our name is getting out there."
Howard couldn't stop smiling after his turn at the camera.
"It's exciting; I can't wait to tell all my family and friends," he said. "I'm going to call them and tell them to watch. It's a great feeling."
Matthew Aguilar may be reached at maguilar@elpasotimes.com; 546-6166.
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