EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Scotty Walden era begins Saturday afternoon when the University of Texas El Paso Miners take on the Big Ten team Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium.

The Miners and Cornhuskers are scheduled to kick off at 1:30 p.m. at the 82,000-capacity Memorial Stadium at Tom Osborne Field in Lincoln, NE

Miners fans can watch the debut game of the Walden era on KFOX14, with Jason Benetti calling the game live and Brock Huard providing analysis.

Meanwhile, the game will also be broadcast on 95.5 FM KLAQ with “The Voice of the UTEP Miners” Jon Teicher covering the action in his forty-fourth season in the booth, while former UTEP wide receiver Cole Freytag will color for the third year with Teich.

Saturday marks the first time UTEP visits Cornhusker State.

Walden, who was named UTEP’s twenty-seventh head coach of the American football team on December 4, earned the honor as the third coach since 1965 to begin a career in El Paso against a major league opponent.

“We have a big test against a Power Four opponent in Nebraska. I have a lot of respect for (Nebraska head coach) Matt Rhule and his program,” Walden said. “(Nebraska) is extremely physical on offense and runs the ball downhill. Defensively, it’s going to be by far — in my opinion — I’d be shocked if we play a better defense than we did in the first game. (The defensive unit) has eight starters and it’s by far the most diverse defense I’ve played against.”

UTEP returns eight starters on offense and defense as it adds more than 60 new student-athletes to its 2024 roster.

The Miners scored three and nine points during their 2023 season, as the Dana Dimel era came to an end after a loss to No. 22 Liberty to end the season.

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The Miners’ “Blue Blaze” offense will have a tough task ahead of it, as Nebraska allowed just over 18 points per game during head coach Matt Rhule’s first season at the helm and the system of El Paso-born defensive coordinator Tony White. The Cornhuskers finished 5-7 in 2023.

“People say (Nebraska’s defense) is a 3-3 stack, and some people think they’re going to put together a weird stack — it is, no sir, it’s not,” Walden added. “It’s going to be four down in a heartbeat. It’s going to be a one-high, two-high, and Tony White, the defensive coordinator there, is a great football coach and he’s from El Paso. I just wanted to emphasize that. It’s great to see El Pasoans do great things. He’s doing a great job on that side of the ball and we’ve got a big job cut out for us.”

Leading the defense for the Miners is senior Bandit Maurice Westmoreland, who returns as the team’s all-time sack leader with 7.5 from a year ago. Senior CB AJ Odums is also a key returner for the Miners, tying for the team lead with eight pass breakups in 2023. Multiple defensive transfers signed the dotted line as a pair of defensive backs followed Walden from Austin Peay to the Sun City. Senior Spur Kory Chapman and redshirt sophomore S Xavier Smith were key players in defensive coordinator JJ Clark’s scheme with the Govs last year.

On the offensive end, the Miners had limited returnees. However, a key player returned when redshirt junior QB Cade McConnell opted to play under Walden’s offense. McConnell started six games for the Miners after beginning the 2023 season as the fourth quarterback. Joining McConnell in the QB room is redshirt sophomore QB Skyler Locklear, who transferred from Austin Peay. The offensive line will be revamped after the departure of key players. The O-line will help open holes for returning redshirt freshman RB Ezell Jolly and All-United Athletic Conference redshirt junior RB Jevon Jackson (1,373 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs in ’23).

Walden still hasn’t named a starting quarterback, but McConnell and Locklear battled it out for the top spot in the QB rankings during fall camp.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to — if (the league) is close — playing two guys (quarterbacks). It’s been a quarterback battle and it’s been close,” Walden said. “Sometimes we’ve had guys play two guys in the first two games. Or if it’s the first three games, so be it. We’re going to do everything we can to find the right guy behind center. And in college football, you don’t get preseason games. So that makes it tough. I can do everything I can to evaluate (the two quarterbacks) in exhibition games, but until I get them in front of 100,000 people, it’s going to be a great test. And there’s no better test than playing at Nebraska.”

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