UTEP Miners is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Texas at El Paso, and they have also been referred to as the Miners, UTEP, or simply El Paso. After the departure of four members of the Western Athletic Conference including UTEP in 2005, in which all four beceme members in the same coference, the Miners joined Conference USA as a part of the West Division.
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UTEP's colors are orange and blue and the mascot is a miner named Paydirt Pete. The athletic director for the Miners is Bob Stull. They play their home football games at the 51,500 capacity Sun Bowl Stadium which is located in El Paso, TX, and will begin its next season in 2008 with Mike Price at the helm for his 5th season at UTEP. Their first game was played in 1927, and the team currently compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and were recently the Conference USA team to beat for the 2008 season. Texas Tech defeated the University of Texas at El Paso, with 45-31. UTEP answered with an eight-yard pass from Trevor Vittatoe to Jeff Moturi for a touchdown, and successfully made the PAT to tie the game. The next score also came from UTEP, giving them the lead on a 41-yard-pass from Vittatoe to Joe West, followed by a point after. They scored a third time before the end of the first quarter. Texas Tech defense held UTEP scoreless in the game's final quarter while the offense added 14. On the final score, running back Shannon Woods rushed up the middle for a two-yard-touchdown, and Texas Tech made the PAT to close the game out with a 45-31 lead.