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HBU Huskies (0-0) at UTEP Miners (0-0)
Saturday, Aug. 31 – 7 p.m. CDT
Sun Bowl – El Paso, Texas
 
Listen: KMME Digital Radio / HBUHuskies.com (Lonnie King)
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: utepminers.com
Game Notes
 
EL PASO, Texas - HBU kicks off the 2019 campaign against FBS and Conference USA foe UTEP Saturday at 7 p.m. CDT at the Sun Bowl.
 
Head coach Vic Shealy's Huskies (0-0) return 17 starters, nine on offense and eight on defense, this year. Junior quarterback Bailey Zappe, who has started 21 of 22 games during his HBU career, tied for the Southland Conference lead and tied for 12th nationally with 23 touchdown passes in 2018. Sophomore receiver Jerreth Sterns led the league with 68 receptions for 684 yards and four touchdowns. Junior running back Dreshawn Minnieweather led HBU with 528 rushing yards and scored a school single-season record six touchdowns.
 
Defensively, junior linebacker Caleb Johnson ranked fifth in the Southland with 9.2 tackles per game, totaling 102 on the season and tying for the league lead with four fumble recoveries. Senior linebacker Taylor Holmes has been granted a sixth year of eligibility after missing the 2017 and 2018 seasons with injuries, while the middle linebacker spot should be filled by sophomore Brennan Young, who averaged 8.5 tackles over his last six games as a freshman. Senior defensive end Andre Walker is the Huskies' all-time sacks leader with 11.5, while sophomore Segun Ijiyera, who missed the 2018 season with an injury, will line up on the opposite side.
 
The Huskies have a new kicker in freshman Gino Garcia and a new punter in junior transfer Blake Patterson. Junior LaDarius Dickens and senior Gamar Girdy Brito are back as the primary kick returners, while Sterns and freshman Branden Walker will handle punt return duties.
 
UTEP finished with a 1-11 record in head coach Dana Dimel's first season in 2018. Quarterback Brandon Jones appeared in six games, throwing for 673 yards and four touchdowns. Treyvon Hughes is the Miners' leading returning rusher with 320 yards and a score. Tre'shon Wolf is the team's leading returning receiver with 10 catches for 144 yards last year.
 
Sione Tupou is UTEP leading returning tackler with 60, while Justin Rogers had 53 and an interception.
 
The Miners lead the all-time series against the Huskies, 1-0. UTEP claimed a 42-10 victory over HBU on Nov. 5, 2016. HBU is 0-5 all-time against FBS opponents.