The UTEP Miners suffered a disappointing 31-25 home loss to the ULM Warhawks on Saturday night at the Sun Bowl, a game that showcased both flashes of offensive firepower and costly mistakes that ultimately proved too much to overcome.
UTEP opened the game with promise, marching deep into Warhawks territory on their opening drive. But after stalling at the ULM 4-yard line, the Miners elected to go for a touchdown on fourth down and came up empty. The gamble backfired just two plays later when ULM running back Dorian Lewis ripped off a 72-yard run, setting up a quick touchdown pass from quarterback Aiden Armenta, giving the Warhawks a 7-0 lead.
The Miners answered immediately when quarterback Malachi Nelson connected with Trevon Tate for a 73-yard touchdown strike, evening the score at 7-7. But that would be the last time UTEP was even with ULM for the rest of the night.
The Warhawks reeled off 24 unanswered points spanning the late first quarter through the early third. Braylon McReynolds’ 40-yard touchdown run gave ULM a 14-7 edge, followed by a field goal and a 37-yard touchdown pass from Armenta to Jonathan Biggs. By halftime, the Miners trailed 24-7 and were struggling to find answers on both sides of the ball.
Things worsened on UTEP’s opening drive of the second half when head coach Scotty Walden elected to go for it on 4th-and-3 from the Miners’ own 27-yard line. A dropped pass turned the ball over on downs, and six plays later ULM quarterback Hunter Herring punched in a 1-yard touchdown run, stretching the Warhawks’ lead to 31-7 with 3:20 left in the third quarter.
From there, the Miners mounted a furious rally. Carlos Arreola drilled a 23-yard field goal to make it 31-10. Nelson then heated up, finding Wondame Davis Jr. on back-to-back touchdown drives, first a 44-yard score, followed by a 20-yard strike. After converting a two-point attempt on the first touchdown, UTEP had trimmed the deficit to 31-25 with just over three minutes remaining.
The Miner defense delivered when it mattered, forcing ULM into a punt to set the stage for a potential comeback. Twice Nelson had the ball in his hands with a chance to lead a game-winning drive, but both possessions ended in interceptions, sealing the Warhawks’ victory.
Nelson finished the night with 404 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, a performance that highlighted both his immense potential and his growing pains as a first-year starter.
For UTEP (1-3) the loss was a frustrating missed opportunity to capture momentum heading into conference play. Now the Miners must regroup quickly as they prepare to open CUSA competition at home against a surging Louisiana Tech team riding a two-game winning streak.
Story by Chris Gomez