UTEP Miners Battle Sam Houston Bearkats in Crucial Showdown

HOUSTON, Texas — The UTEP Miners (1-5) face the winless Sam Houston Bearkats (0-6) in a pivotal Conference USA matchup this Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Shell Energy Stadium and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

UTEP is coming off a difficult 19-8 loss to Liberty, marking their fourth consecutive defeat. Meanwhile, Sam Houston lost a close game against Jacksonville State, falling 29-27 on October 9. With both teams searching for momentum, this matchup is critical for their seasons.

The Miners enter the contest as 2.5-point favorites. The total points over/under is set at 47.5, according to SportsLine consensus. UTEP’s top receiver, junior Kenny Odom, leads the team with 26 receptions totaling 300 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Defensively, senior safety Udoka Ezeani has 26 total tackles, along with team-highs in sacks (4) and forced fumbles (2). Senior linebacker Micah Davey leads with 63 tackles, showcasing the defensive strength that UTEP will need to rely on against Sam Houston.

On the offensive side, senior quarterback Hunter Watson has demonstrated dual-threat capability with 754 passing yards and 208 rushing yards this season, adding six total touchdowns. In his last performance, he completed 12 of 19 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns against Jacksonville State.

For the Bearkats, senior defensive back Emon Allen has logged 26 tackles, two interceptions, and a defensive touchdown, providing crucial support to a struggling defense. The team has recorded a 1-1 against the spread as home underdogs this season.

The SportsLine model projects the game to finish under the total points, estimating only 44 combined points. As the teams prepare for this crucial game, fans and analysts alike are eager to see if either UTEP or Sam Houston can break their current losing streak.