This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you’ll be able to go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/sports/college/utep/2025/10/10/utep-miners-football-coach-scotty-walden-wants-his-team-to-have-fun/86626750007/
and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us
UTEP coach Scotty Walden scouts Sam Houston
UTEP coach Scotty Walden scouts Sam Houston
- UTEP’s coach Scotty Walden is encouraging his workforce to “play free” and discover pleasure within the sport to repair the struggling offense.
- The beginning quarterback place for the upcoming sport towards Sam Houston stays undecided between Skyler Locklear and Malachi Nelson.
- Coach Walden took duty for an error on the Conference USA harm report relating to tight finish Judah Ezinwa.
- UTEP is making ready to face a difficult Sam Houston workforce, with a concentrate on containing their dual-threat quarterback, Hunter Watson.
UTEP is making an attempt the kitchen sink method to fixing its offense, from juggling quarterbacks to juggling all the 11-man lineup, to enjoying quicker, to dialing in on what they do finest.
As the Miners get able to play 0-6 Sam Houston Oct. 15 seeking to enhance on their very own 1-5 file that now features a four-game dropping streak the place the offense has been poor, coach Scotty Walden has one other concept. Instead of zooming on play calling, he needs to zoom out in method and perspective.
The drawback as he sees it is not that his guys, somewhat the other, that they care a lot it is handcuffing them.
UTEP coach Scotty Walden: ‘Play free’
“One thing I talked to our guys about, I want them to find the joy in playing again,” Walden stated at his weekly information convention to kick off Sam Houston week. “Losing’s hard. Sometimes you can get fixated on results, results, results, you forget the reason why you play the game.
“That’s a reminder for me, why I coach the sport. I had a blast (at follow Friday) being across the guys, getting misplaced in that. That’s what we have to do: Get misplaced, discover the enjoyment, then lower it unfastened and play on sport day.
“I see a lot of young players putting pressure on themselves who don’t need to. As coaches we need to facilitate an environment that lets them play free and that starts with me.”
Walden stated getting some sort of an explosive play early within the sport would assist. UTEP has performed from behind all through its four-game dropping streak and the offense has not prospered.
“That’s one of the focal points I talked with the team about,” Walden stated. “As the pinnacle coach, I’ve to have them able to play popping out of the tunnel.
“We should loosen up and let the sport come to us. It’s understanding, when we’ve got these alternatives, it is extra psychological than anything. It’s the idea that we will go make that play.
“When one guy makes one it spreads like wildfire. We need one early.”
Who will likely be QB1? To be decided
So who will likely be take the primary snap as UTEP appears for that large play? Walden stated the beginning quarterback place will likely be evaluated over the subsequent 5 days, however he additionally supplied that Skyler Locklear, who began towards Liberty on Oct. 8 received the workforce’s Luke Laufenberg Hustle Award.
He additionally identified that Locklear and Malachi Nelson, who rotated in at a number of factors and performed nearly half the sport, mixed for 4 missed assignments, a radical enchancment from earlier weeks.
Of Locklear successful the Laufenberg award, Walden stated, “It was him willing us to go score a touchdown late in that game and to extend plays with his feet. His individual effort was unbelievable.
“I believed Malachi performed so much cleaner. His eyes had been in the precise spot.”
Walden then went on a few good check-down Nelson needed to convert a primary down.
“I confirmed (the workforce) that clip,” Walden said. “When we’re all 11 on the identical web page, executing what we have follow all week, we will rating on anyone. We should hone in on that execution.”
One factor when Walden is making his decision is the ability of Locklear to run the football. Despite playing about half the game against Liberty, he led the team in rushing with 58 yards on eight carries.
“It does consider,” Walden said. “Any time the protection has to defend all 11, you are making life laborious on them. … Skyler is a extra pure runner and he did an important job of that on sport day in extending performs. When you need to make the protection defend all 11, it make you more durable to defend.”
So who will start at Sam Houston?
“It will likely be intense, aggressive practices this week and the cream will rise to the highest,” Walden said. And then “after we’re not enjoying effectively on offense, strive anyone else.”
UTEP deals with injury report snafu
Also up in the air is the status of tight end Judah Ezinwa. There was a last second decision that he could play last week, he’ll be a game-time decision moving forward, but UTEP had him on their injury report as out for Liberty.
This is the first year Conference USA is doing injury reports, and his incorrect listing on that report is subject to a reprimand from the conference. Both Walden and the conference indicated they discussed the issue, and Walden took the blame for making a mistake on the injury report.
“We’ve obtained nothing to cover,” he stated.
Scotty Walden scouts Sam Houston State
Walden thinks UTEP will need everyone it can muster to beat a Sam Houston team that almost won its first game Thursday night. The Bearkats lost 29-27 to defending CUSA champion (but currently struggling a bit) Jacksonville State on a last-play 52-yard field goal.
Sam Houston is in its first year under coach Phil Longo, who was offensive coordinator at Wisconsin last year.
“He’s among the finest offensive minds on the market,” Walden said. “The scheme that he runs is tough to defend as a result of whereas they’ve air-raid rules, he’ll run the ball, he’ll RPO (run-pass possibility) you, he’ll quarterback run you. He’s a wise offensive thoughts and he is obtained these guys enjoying laborious.
“They’ve been close. They run and hit on defense. The thing that makes their team run is (quarterback) Hunter Watson. That dude is a winner. He almost willed them to victory last night. He runs physically, he’s a true dual threat, he’s the guy we have to hone in on on defense.”
That would be the high activity for UTEP’s protection Wednesday in Houston.
Bret Bloomquist might be reached at [email protected]; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you’ll be able to go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/sports/college/utep/2025/10/10/utep-miners-football-coach-scotty-walden-wants-his-team-to-have-fun/86626750007/
and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us
