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The Rice Thresher
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by Jose Luis Cubria thresher editorial staff
Tomorrow, the Owls get a shot at revenge. Rice visits the University of Texas at El Paso tomorrow for a critical Western Athletic Conference clash. The game will be played at UTEP's Sun Bowl, with kickoff scheduled for 8:05 p.m. CDT. The game will have huge WAC Championship implications since the Miners (7-2, 6-0 WAC) find themselves alone at the top of the conference standings and in the driver's seat for their first conference title since 1956. The Owls (3-6, 2-4 WAC) say they would just like to win the game for themselves. But there's no doubt their minds will also be on the events of Nov. 19, 1999 at Rice Stadium. With a share of the conference championship, a winning season and a shot at a bowl game all on the line for Rice, the Owls watched as UTEP made up a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to steal a 30-29 victory. The painful defeat killed all hope of a conference title or postseason bowl game, forcing them to spend all winter, spring and summer pondering the what-ifs. But now, nearly a year later, the roles are reversed. When San Jose State University upset previously unbeaten Texas Christian University last weekend, the Miners took sole possession of first place in the WAC. A win over Rice and a win next week against No. 17 TCU would give UTEP the outright WAC championship and a guaranteed bowl bid, quite a turnaround from last year's 5-7 mark. Although they've got more important things on their mind, the Owls would certainly enjoy giving the Miners payback. "We wouldn't mind being the spoiler, but we've got more things to worry about," junior linebacker Dan Dawson said. "I think everybody's just thinking that we need another win. The best we can do now is 5-6, and that's all we're worried about." According to head coach Ken Hatfield, the importance of last year's game - when UTEP drove 78 yards in 1 minute, 17 seconds to score the winning touchdown - goes even further. "I think of a lot of where they are today is because of that last drive against us last year," Hatfield said. "To come from behind and somehow win that game, ... win late and win on the road. When you end a season like that it gives you a lot of confidence going into the next year." If there's one thing Rice learned about UTEP last year it was that the Miners have an explosive offense. That hasn't changed, especially since Gary Nord, last year's offensive coordinator, is now the head coach. UTEP ranks in the top 30 nationally in both scoring offense (33.7 points per game) and total offense (415.7 yards per game). Though not nearly as good on the national scene, the Miner defense is statistically one of the top two or three in the conference. In other words, the Miners are for real and the Owls know they'll have to be ready tomorrow. "They're real good," Dawson said. "You don't go 7-2 without being any good. Obviously, they've got a lot of talent. I'm ready to get after them." Rice doesn't have nearly as much at stake as UTEP. But Dawson said the Owls can still accomplish a lot with wins tomorrow and in next week's season finale at the University of Nevada. "Once I realized that we couldn't go to a bowl or win the WAC, I did start thinking about finishing strong," Dawson said. "In the past we've always been good in the middle but bad in the beginning and end. "I hate to say that we need to build for next year because these seniors still have two games left to play. But I think to win against a good UTEP team and then to win on the road against Nevada would really help for next year. I think ending well could do a lot for our future." Injuries will again be a factor for the Owls, especially on the defensive line. Three of Rice's top five defensive linemen could be unavailble tomorrow. Two, junior B.J. Forguson and senior Jarrett Erwin, are already out of the year with injuries. And sophomore Brandon Green, the team leader in sacks, missed last week's game with an injury and his status for tomorrow is still questionable. The lack of depth will be especially critical because UTEP quarterback Rocky Perez is the No. 6-rated passer in the country. "The main rushers aren't there, so you have to defend better in the secondary," Hatfield said. "[He] is just so darned accurate. That's what's so good about him."
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