Don’t look now, but UTEP football coach Sean Kugler’s genius is showing.
Kugler was an offensive lineman, and a great one, at UTEP. Later he worked as offensive line coach with the Detroit Lions, Boise State, the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburg Steelers. Boy, did he learn his specialty well.
His blocking schemes with the Miners are so out of this world they baffle opponents to the point where they don’t know what’s coming next. Put that together with talented running backs like speedy, shifty Aaron Jones, who can squeeze through a space the size of a keyhole, and power runner Nathan Jeffery and the offense is sheer dynamite.
So no wonder the Miners are off to a good start this season. They’re 2-1 and easily could have been 3-0. They won at University of New Mexico, gave Texas Tech all it wanted in a 4-point loss and manhandled New Mexico State.
YES, YES, I know. It’s early in the season. And the Miners still have a long row to hoe – and a few things to fix. But hey, the defense seems much improved, too, and the team has really been fun to watch so far. It’s certainly raised the hopes of Miners fans to new heights.
Sadly, we won’t be able to watch the Miners at home for a month. They’re off this Saturday then play at Kansas State and at Louisiana Tech the next two Saturdays. We’ll welcome them back Oct. 11 against Old Dominion.
But what a homecoming that will be. UTEP is celebrating its 100th anniversary and Oct. 11 is Homecoming Week. The Miners may lose at Kansas State but have a chance of beating Louisiana Tech and coming home with a winning record. That’ll make homecoming an even happier event.
TRIVIA QUESTION: Recently I asked you to name the winningest Major League pitcher of all time. A lot of you guessed it was Cy Young with 511 victories from 1890 through 1911. Now can you tell me who is the winningest pitcher in the modern era? The modern era is usually considered to begin after World War II. The answer may surprise you. Answer at end of column.
WHAT A GREAT weekend for El Paso football fans last week. All three of our favorite teams – UTEP, Notre Dame and the Dallas Cowboys — won. The most surprising thing of all was the Cowboys showing up running the ball against the Tennessee Titans. I never thought I’d see the day, but maybe that’s the answer to their problems. And it might even help their passing game.
NOLAN RICHARDSON told several jokes when he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last month, but the following joke is so good it’s being picked up by others and repeated around the country.
Richardson recalled that when he was in El Paso in 1978 he turned on the radio to listen to the basketball game between New Mexico State and Indiana State. He says he kept hearing the announcer say that Larry Bird did this and did that and did this and did that. Bird seemed to be everywhere. Richardson said that he thought, “Damn, that Larry Bird must be some ‘brother.’”
Richardson looked in the newspaper the next day and says he was shocked when he saw Larry Bird’s photo.
The crowd roared with laughter.
Larry Bird is white.