FACTS & STATS: Site: Sun Bowl Stadium (52,000) -- El Paso, Texas. Television: None. Home Record: NMSU 0-0, UTEP 0-1. Away Record: NMSU 0-1, UTEP 0-1. Neutral Record: NMSU 0-0, UTEP 0-0. Conference Record: NMSU 0-0, UTEP 0-0. Series Record: Texas-El Paso leads, 49-34-2.

GAME NOTES: The New Mexico State Aggies head down I-10 to take on the rival Texas-El Paso Miners in non-conference action Saturday night at the Sun Bowl. The Aggies got their first action of the season last weekend at Nebraska, although they fell, 38-7. Their original season-opener against Nicholls State got postponed due to Hurricane Gustav. Head coach Hal Mumme summed up the loss when he said, "We looked like we were playing our first game, (Nebraska) looked like a very good team playing (its) third game." As for the Miners, they've more or less been man-handled in each of their two contests, losing by a combined 84-30. They had a bye last weekend, which coach Mike Price used to re-emphasize fundamentals to his players. This will be the second of three straight home games for UTEP. The Miners won last year's meeting, 29-24, and now hold a 49-34-2 edge in the all-time series with the Aggies.

New Mexico State had its first drive against Nebraska end in a blocked field goal, which effectively set the tone for the rest of the game. Quarterback Chase Holbrook looked fairly poised on that drive, but he struggled for much of the game, often missing open receivers. He finished with 142 yards and two interceptions. The Aggies' offense was shut out for three quarters, until a fumble recovery handed them a gift-wrapped first down at the Nebraska three- yard line in the fourth quarter. Marquell Colston punched it in for the teams only score.

Following the loss, coach Mumme said he and his coaching staff didn't have an opportunity to iron out the wrinkles of their new 3-3-5 defense before taking on an opponent the caliber of Nebraska. One positive, without question, was the play of free safety Derrick Richardson, who recorded a career-high 17 tackles. A lot of that had to do with Richardson being left free, although a lot also had to do with the Nebraska running backs breaking into the secondary at will. The Aggies need to shake off the rust quickly, and get settled into their new scheme. Nebraska managed a whopping 553 yards of offense.

The UTEP offense has yet to get things going after two games. In their 42-13 loss to 10th-ranked Texas, the Miners punted on five drives, and had to settle for field goal attempts on four more. However, two of those field goals were off the mark. Quarterback Trevor Vittatoe went 25-of-46 for 267 yard and a touchdown. He steered clear of interceptions, but he also missed a few big throws. The offense moved the ball well early, even taking a 6-0 lead late in the opening quarter. But the lack of touchdowns soon came back to bite the Miners. Coach Price spent the extra week of practice focusing on finishing drives.

UTEP hadn't played Texas in 75 years and, given the ease with which the Longhorns moved the ball, they may not want to play for another 75. After punting on their first drive, the 'Horns answered with touchdowns on their next four possessions. UT quarterback Colt McCoy picked apart the Miners secondary for four TD passes before his day was over. For the most part, he had way too much time to operate in the pocket. UTEP managed only one sack and two quarterback hurries, as the Longhorns averaged 14.1 yards per completion. It will be interesting to see if the Miners were able to make adjustments in the passing game during the bye week.

The Aggies, with only one game under their belts, appear to be still feeling things out, especially with a newly installed defense. Meanwhile, UTEP has been game tested against one of the most notorious programs the game has to offer. Look for a rebound game from a Miners team that has had a couple of weeks to sort things out.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Texas-El Paso 27, New Mexico State 16

Saturday, September 20th, 9:05 p.m. (et).