UTEP Miners: By the Numbers

Taking a dive into the numbers that could be decisive when the No. 9-ranked Oklahoma Sooners host the UTEP Miners on Saturday.

NORMAN — Finally, the 2022 football season is here.

Brent Venables will make his long-awaited head coaching debut for the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday as OU once again hosts the UTEP Miners (0-1).

It’s been an offseason of chance for the No. 9-ranked Sooners, as new faces litter both the roster and the coaching staff in Norman.

But all of that will be pushed to the side when toe meets leather at 2:30 p.m. inside Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

While Oklahoma is going to be squaring off against an opponent for the first time, the Miners limp into Norman after getting handed a 31-13 loss to the North Texas Mean Green in Week 0 action.

Here’s a look inside the numbers that could shape OU’s season opener:

97

UTEP head coach Dana Dimel is a former offensive lineman, making the trenches a major point of emphasis for his Miners :: Gaby Velasquez / El Paso Times-USA Today Network

UTEP brought plenty of stability back from last year’s team along the offensive line.

The starting five up front for the Miners have combined to make 97 career starts, forming an experienced group that allows UTEP head coach Dana Dimel to get creative with the looks he throws at opposing defenses.

“They’re very, very multiple (on offense),” Oklahoma defensive coordinator Ted Roof said on Monday. “They play in basically five personnel groupings they play the game in. So they have everything from A to Z to prepare for. (It’s) understanding that and how you build a game plan to make sure our guys are ready for the versatility that they have.”

Reggie Grimes and Ethan Downs are slated to make the start at defensive end for the Sooners, two new starting pieces to a defensive front seven that lost a lot of talent to the NFL from last season.

UTEP’s ability to work through different formations will be an early mental test for OU’s new-look defensive line and Venables’ linebacking corps on Saturday.

Returning production doesn’t necessarily equal great play, however.

In the Miners’ opener last week, North Texas held UTEP to 107 rushing yards and the Mean Green were able to get to quarterback Gavin Hardison on one occasion for a sack.

5.7 

The North Texas rushing attack had plenty of success last Saturday against UTEP, totaling 163 yards on the ground :: Gaby Velasquez / El Paso Times-USA Today Network

The defensive side of the ball is where UTEP had most of their problems against North Texas.

Seth Littrell’s Mean Green averaged 5.7 yards per play against the Miners, a big step up from last year’s production.

In 2021, North Texas ranked 86th in the country in yards per play against FBS opponents, averaging 5.2 yards a snap.

By comparison, last year’s Oklahoma offense ranked sixth in the country, totaling 6.5 yards per play against FBS opponents.

The Mean Green rushed for 163 yards against UTEP, with the most impactful runs coming on third downs as the Miner defense was unable to get off the field.

OU’s new-look offense under new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel should be set up for success on Saturday against a porous Miner defense.

71

Brent Venables' Clemson defenses were among college football's elite, something fans in Norman hope the former defensive coordinator brings back to the Oklahoma defense  / Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Venables’ defensive revolution will face its first test Saturday, and an area where the Sooners need to make dramatic improvements is on third down defense.

Last year, OU finished with the No. 71-ranked third down defense versus FBS opponents, allowing conversions on 39.75 percent of third downs.

Oklahoma’s inability to get off the field on third down, especially early in the season, resulted in long, methodical drives from opposing offenses that limited the number of possessions for both teams.

UTEP struggled to execute on those high-leverage downs a week ago, converting 39 percent of opportunities on third down.

The OU defense is likely to be a work in progress through most of September as the players get accustomed to the flow of the game under Venables and Roof, but the Miners should allow the Sooners to have plenty of success on third downs in Game 1.

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