UTEP Notes: Adams named C-USA player of week

Kris Adams helped Trevor Vittatoe make quite a bit of program history Saturday night, but Monday was his turn to feel the spotlight.

Adams, a senior receiver, was named the Conference USA player of the week for his performance in a 44-24 victory against Rice. He caught five passes for 134 yards and three touchdowns.

Adams actually got off to a bad start, dropping a bomb on the first play (it would have been a difficult catch), then dropping a potential fourth-down conversion to kill the third drive.

From there on he was dominant.

"Everybody struggles at some point," Adams said. "It's good to know Trevor has the confidence in me to keep coming back to me. I was struggling at the beginning and games in the past when I did that I never came back from it. I kept going at it, kept working."

His final catch was a 73-yard touchdown on a new route UTEP put in for the game.

"Very unusual to say the least," coach Mike Price said. "He faked a corner route, then faked going to the post, weaved back to a corner then ran to the post. That's how much time Trevor had on that play."

The one thing Adams wasn't as good at was his prognostication skills, but just barely.

"In the pregame, Kris was warming up and said, 'You're going to throw four touchdowns, three of them to me,'" Vittatoe related. "I was, 'Whatever.'"

Vittatoe did not throw a fourth touchdown pass.

Injuries

Price said seven players didn't play that played in the New Mexico game, but some should return this week.

Tackle Will Osolinsky (neck) is ready to go, as are safety Brandon Miller (ankle) and returner Marlon McClure (shoulder). Center Eloy Atkinson (ankle) is possible.

Linebacker Anthony Morrow is most likely to come back in two weeks. Center Tanner Cullumber (knee) could be another two or three weeks. Isaac Tauaefa is out for the year (knee).

That also is the likely fate of linebacker Greg Hollemon (knee), who was hurt on a kickoff return Saturday.

Hollemon's injury was unrelated to the ejection of Rice's Justin Allen on the same play.

Additions

Price took a moment at Monday's news conference to laud the play of four junior college transfers: Punter Ian Campbell (a 50.5-yard average against Rice), cornerback/returner Travaun Nixon, kicker Dakota Warren and goal-line tailback Leilyon Myers, who has the last three rushing touchdowns.

"We did a pretty good job in JUCO recruting," Price said.

Not crowded

The homecoming attendance was announced as a season-low 28,955, but Price was diplomatic about it.

"The people who were here were fantastic," Price said. "You could feel a lot of spirit, a lot of enthusiasm. It looked like more than 29,000."

When pressed on why a team that came in with a 4-1 record couldn't draw better on a perfect weather night at homecoming, Price said, "I'll have to do a little research. What goes on between the white lines on the field is what I'll address first. I'd like to have a party in two weeks for the 29,000 who were there."

Odds and ends

UTEP's 44-point effort against Rice marked just the third time in the modern era (1965 to present) that the Miners scored 40 or more points without forcing a turnover. A safety does not count as a turnover. ... UTEP's five opponents are a combined 5-23 (three of the five victories are from Houston). The next three opponents are a combined 4-11 and the last three are 11-6. ... The Miners are up to eighth nationally in third-down conversion percentage at 52.9 percent. That is tops in Conference USA.

Bret Bloomquist may be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; 546-6359

Catch the actionWhat: UTEP vs. UAB in a Conference USA football game.When: 2 p.m. MDT Saturday.Where: Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.Records: UTEP is 5-1, 2-1 in C-USA; UAB is 1-4, 0-2.On air: KOFX 92.3-FM.Last week: UTEP beat Rice, 44-24; UAB lost to Central Florida, 42-7.