CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

2015 UTEP

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

Schedule and results

UTEP in 2015, game by game: lost at No. 18 Arkansas 13–48; lost at Texas Tech 20–69; won at New Mexico State 50–47; won vs. Incarnate Word 27–17; lost vs. UTSA 6–25; lost at Florida International 12–52; won vs. Florida Atlantic 27–17; lost at Southern Miss 13–34; won vs. Rice 24–21; lost at Old Dominion 21–31; lost vs. Louisiana Tech 15–17; won at North Texas 20–17+10−49Lost 13–48 at No. 18 Arkansas-35No. 18 ArkansasLost 20–69 at Texas Tech-49Texas TechWon 50–47 at New Mexico State+3New Mexico StateWon 27–17 vs. Incarnate Word+10Incarnate WordLost 6–25 vs. UTSA-19UTSALost 12–52 at Florida International-40Florida Interna…Won 27–17 vs. Florida Atlantic+10Florida AtlanticLost 13–34 at Southern Miss-21Southern MissWon 24–21 vs. Rice+3RiceLost 21–31 at Old Dominion-10Old DominionLost 15–17 vs. Louisiana Tech-2Louisiana TechWon 20–17 at North Texas+3North Texas
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 5at18ArkansasL 13–⁠4825%
Sep 12atTexas TechL 20–⁠6936%
Sep 19atNew Mexico StateW 50–⁠4762%
Sep 26vsIncarnate WordW 27–⁠1782%
Oct 3vsUTSAL 6–⁠2565%
Oct 10atFlorida InternationalL 12–⁠5243%
Oct 24vsFlorida AtlanticW 27–⁠1758%
Oct 31atSouthern MissL 13–⁠3433%
Nov 6vsRiceW 24–⁠2141%
Nov 14atOld DominionL 21–⁠3144%
Nov 21vsLouisiana TechL 15–⁠1723%
Nov 28atNorth TexasW 20–⁠1754%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat North Texas 20–⁠17; unranked in the final AP poll; tied for 6th in the Conference USA.

In program history: The 47th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 94 on file).

Record
5–⁠7
Conference
3–⁠5 tied for 6th in Conference USA
AP final
Unranked
Points
248–⁠395
Coach
Sean Kugler
Elo
1360 −94 this season
SP+ rating
-19.5 No. 123 of 128; offense No. 116, defense No. 115, special teams No. 78
SRS
−20.9 No. 124 of 128 in FBS
Returning
34% of last season’s EPA, No. 113 of 128
Recruiting class
No. 128 roster talent No. 125 in FBS
Offensive coordinator
Patrick Higgins
Defensive coordinator
Scott Stoker
Offense
Pro spread
Defense
3–⁠3–⁠5

How good, play by play

  • Offense113th of 128
  • Defense111th of 128
  • Offense, opponent-adjusted126th of 128
  • Defense, opponent-adjusted115th of 128
EPA per playSuccessExplosivenessFBS rank
Offense-0.0639%1.08113th of 128
Defense0.1942%1.39111th of 128
Opponent-adjusted-0.07 off
0.17 def		36% off
43% def		—126th off
115th 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
Offense2.5own 281% allowed
Defense3.6own 302% 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.

Leaders

Passing yardsMack Leftwich QB1,228 yds
Passing touchdownsMack Leftwich QB9 TD
Rushing yardsJeremiah Laufasa RB381 yds
Rushing touchdownsLaQuintus Dowell RB2 TD
Receiving yardsJaquan White WR494 yds
Receiving touchdownsJaquan White WR7 TD
InterceptionsDashone Smith DB1 INT

Top recruits in the 2015 class

Kalon Beverly CB★★★No. 1880
Kavika Johnson DUAL★★No. 2463
Josiah Gray OG★★No. 2813
Ruben Guerra OT★★No. 3192
Cole Ford TE★★No. 3192

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

The 2015 class by position

SignedStarsRating
Quarterbacks12.00.783
Running backs12.00.743
Receivers12.00.758
Offensive line52.00.755
Defensive line32.00.750
Linebackers32.00.752
Defensive backs32.30.772
Athletes and specialists12.00.753
Whole class182.10.757

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 113

The 2015 roster

113 players, with numbers, heights, hometowns and each player’s 2015 line; 30 have a stat line. See the roster

2015 Conference USA standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Western Kentucky8–⁠012–⁠224
Southern Miss7–⁠19–⁠5
Marshall6–⁠210–⁠3
Louisiana Tech6–⁠29–⁠4
Middle Tennessee6–⁠27–⁠6
Rice3–⁠55–⁠7
Old Dominion3–⁠55–⁠7
Florida International3–⁠55–⁠7
UTEP3–⁠55–⁠7
UTSA3–⁠53–⁠9
Florida Atlantic3–⁠53–⁠9
North Texas1–⁠71–⁠11
Charlotte0–⁠82–⁠10

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