Preview and prediction: UTEP Miners vs. Jacksonville State Gamecocks

UTEP and Jacksonville State will meet for the first time on the gridiron when the two square off on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 5:30 pm ET at Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

Jacksonville State head coach Rich Rodriguez enters his second year leading the program and his 26th year as a head football coach. Rodriguez has a team with some depth going into the Gamecocks first FBS season.  They return 16 starters, nine on offense and seven on defense. Seventh-year senior quarterback Zion Webb is one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in CUSA and will lead the Gamecocks against UTEP.

The 2023 Miners could be the most athletic team in the Dimal era. Head coach Dana Dimel is in his sixth year: 17-40, and 12th year overall: 47-79. With nine starters back on offense and seven on defense, UTEP feels like its bowl game-or-bust season in 2023, particularly in a new-look Conference USA.  If the Miners go to a bowl game this year it would be only the second time in the history of the program that UTEP was selected for two bowls out of a three-year span.

UTEP’s defensive strength will be stopping the run. In fact, the Miner’s offensive and defensive lines are some of the strongest in the conference.

Jacksonville State is a run-heavy offense and should be while they transition to FBS play over the next few seasons. Look for this to be a low-scoring game that UTEP wins in a slugfest that watches the Miners grind out a defensive win.

Prediction: UTEP 24 – Jacksonville St 20