CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

2014 UTEP

7–⁠6 (5–⁠3 Conference USA), coached by Sean Kugler.

Schedule and results

UTEP in 2014, game by game: won at New Mexico 31–24; lost vs. Texas Tech 26–30; won vs. New Mexico State 42–24; lost at No. 25 Kansas State 28–58; lost at Louisiana Tech 3–55; won vs. Old Dominion 42–35; won at UTSA 34–0; won vs. Southern Miss 35–14; lost at Western Kentucky 27–35; won vs. North Texas 35–17; lost at Rice 13–31; won vs. Middle Tennessee 24–21; lost vs. Utah State 6–21+34−52Won 31–24 at New Mexico+7New MexicoLost 26–30 vs. Texas Tech-4Texas TechWon 42–24 vs. New Mexico State+18New Mexico StateLost 28–58 at No. 25 Kansas State-30No. 25 Kansas StateLost 3–55 at Louisiana Tech-52Louisiana TechWon 42–35 vs. Old Dominion+7Old DominionWon 34–0 at UTSA+34UTSAWon 35–14 vs. Southern Miss+21Southern MissLost 27–35 at Western Kentucky-8Western KentuckyWon 35–17 vs. North Texas+18North TexasLost 13–31 at Rice-18RiceWon 24–21 vs. Middle Tennessee+3Middle TennesseeLost 6–21 vs. Utah State-15Utah State
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Aug 30atNew MexicoW 31–⁠2440%
Sep 6vsTexas TechL 26–⁠3032%
Sep 13vsNew Mexico StateW 42–⁠2461%
Sep 27at25Kansas StateL 28–⁠5817%
Oct 4atLouisiana TechL 3–⁠5529%
Oct 11vsOld DominionW 42–⁠3554%
Oct 25atUTSAW 34–⁠033%
Nov 1vsSouthern MissW 35–⁠1469%
Nov 8atWestern KentuckyL 27–⁠3538%
Nov 15vsNorth TexasW 35–⁠1760%
Nov 21atRiceL 13–⁠3128%
Nov 29vsMiddle TennesseeW 24–⁠2158%
Dec 20Bowls & playoffvsUtah StateNew Mexico BowlL 6–⁠2127%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Utah State 21–⁠6 in the New Mexico Bowl; unranked in the final AP poll; tied for 3rd in the Conference USA.

In program history: The 27th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 94 on file).

Record
7–⁠6
Conference
5–⁠3 tied for 3rd in Conference USA
AP final
Unranked
Points
346–⁠365
Coach
Sean Kugler
Elo
1431 +83 this season
SP+ rating
-12.0 No. 108 of 128; offense No. 96, defense No. 112, special teams No. 61
SRS
−5.9 No. 87 of 128 in FBS
Returning
69% of last season’s EPA, No. 42 of 125
Recruiting class
No. 118
Offensive coordinator
Patrick Higgins
Defensive coordinator
Scott Stoker
Offense
Pro spread
Defense
3–⁠3–⁠5

How good, play by play

  • Offense96th of 128
  • Defense100th of 128
  • Offense, opponent-adjusted117th of 128
  • Defense, opponent-adjusted94th of 128
EPA per playSuccessExplosivenessFBS rank
Offense0.0841%1.0496th of 128
Defense0.2041%1.33100th of 128
Opponent-adjusted0.06 off
0.20 def		38% off
42% def		—117th off
94th def
How these are measured

Play-weighted averages over games against FBS opponents; raw numbers, not adjusted for the strength of the opponent. EPA (expected points added) measures how much each play changed the expected score; success rate counts plays that kept the offense on schedule; explosiveness is the average EPA on successful plays. Lower is better on defense. Ranked by EPA per play among teams that were FBS that season. The opponent-adjusted row (offense / defense) is CollegeFootballData.com’s WEPA, which accounts for who each team played.

Drives and havoc

Points per trip inside the 40Average startHavoc
Offense3.3own 312% allowed
Defense3.6own 312% caused

A trip inside the 40 is a drive that reaches the opponent’s 40-yard line; points per trip is how many it scored on average (allowed, on defense). Average start is where drives began (the defense’s line is where its opponents started). Havoc is the share of plays ending in a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, an interception or a pass broken up. From CollegeFootballData.com.

Player leaders are hidden for this season: our source’s player stats for UTEP are missing players (they add up to less than 85% of the team’s passing or rushing yards).

Top recruits in the 2014 class

Treyvon Hughes RB★★★No. 930
Joseph Kraemer WDE★★★No. 1624
David Hamm ATH★★★No. 1841
Jason Fao DT★★No. 2054
Nik Needham CB★★No. 2166

247Sports composite rankings via CollegeFootballData.com; national rank in the class.

The 2014 class by position

SignedStarsRating
Running backs22.50.814
Receivers42.00.747
Offensive line42.00.736
Defensive line52.20.760
Linebackers12.00.786
Defensive backs32.00.769
Athletes and specialists13.00.800
Whole class202.10.763

High-school signees by position group, with their average stars and 247Sports composite rating (out of 1), via CollegeFootballData.com. Athletes are signees with no set position.

Roster 115

The 2014 roster

115 players, with numbers, heights, hometowns and each player’s 2014 line; 34 have a stat line. See the roster

2014 Conference USA standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Marshall7–⁠113–⁠123
Louisiana Tech7–⁠19–⁠5
Rice5–⁠38–⁠5
UTEP5–⁠37–⁠6
Middle Tennessee5–⁠36–⁠6
Western Kentucky4–⁠48–⁠5
UAB4–⁠46–⁠6
Old Dominion4–⁠46–⁠6
Florida International3–⁠54–⁠8
UTSA3–⁠54–⁠8
North Texas2–⁠64–⁠8
Florida Atlantic2–⁠63–⁠9
Southern Miss1–⁠73–⁠9

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.