Quarterbacks: Texas-El Paso sophomore Jordan Palmer certainly has the pedigree -- he is the younger brother of former Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer -- but it remains to be seen whether he has the skills. Last season Palmer completed less than 50 percent of his passes (49.5 percent) and threw more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (seven). ASU senior Andrew Walter returns as one of the best signal callers in the nation. After his second consecutive 3,000-yard season last year, Walter is ready to continue to shred opposing secondaries, especially the Miners'. Huge edge for ASU.
Running backs: UTEP has one of the strongest runners in all of the Western Athletic Conference with senior tailback Howard Jackson. Last season, Jackson gained 1,146 yards while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Junior Matt Austin was solid as a backup, gaining 456 yards. The Sun Devils have a wealth of talent, depth and potential at the position, but have not had quite the numbers the Miners' backs have. Last year, sophomore Loren Wade set a school freshman rushing record with 773 yards. Junior Hakim Hill is also ready to add to his total of 452 yards from a year ago. Edge even.
Receivers: The Miners' receiving corps did not have a single player who caught for 500 yards last season, although both their starters are returning. But as of now, that's not saying much. Last season, sophomores Chris Marrow and Johnnie Lee Higgins caught for 467 and 362 yards respectively. Sun Devil junior Derek Hagan returns as one of the more accomplished receivers in the nation as he was the sixth Sun Devil to catch for over 1,000 yards in a season last year. Speedsters sophomore Terry Richardson and Rudy Burgess could be in for big games against UTEP's suspect defense. Big edge for ASU.
Offensive line: Only two starters return on the Miners' offensive line. Depending on how you look at it, that may not be a bad thing considering the unit gave up a whopping 38 sacks last season. They must help Jackson, or the game could be over quickly. The Sun Devils will eventually have four players with extensive starting experience, although senior center Drew Hodgdon will be out for at least the first two games with a fractured foot. Still, the Sun Devils have depth on a unit that gave up only 25 sacks last season. They must help to improve the running game, though. Solid edge for ASU.
Defensive line: The Sun Devils enter the game thin throughout this unit personnel-wise, but the Miners may be even thinner talent-wise. Last season the UTEP front four combined for just 5.5 sacks. Although junior tackle Chris Mineo certainly had his moments last season as he registered 70 tackles while playing inside. The Sun Devils will be without senior tackle Gabe Reininger, who is still recovering from a sprained knee. Converted linebacker Jordan Hill will start in his place. Look for solid returning starters, senior tackle Jimmy Verdon, senior end Ishmael Thrower and sophomore end Kyle Caldwell to pad their stats during this game. Slight edge for ASU.
Linebackers: This unit has been a silver lining the last few seasons for an otherwise dreary defense for UTEP. Senior middle linebacker Robert Rodriguez is a monster, as he is sixth on the NCAA's active career tackles list for tackles -- he had 135 last season. Junior Thomas Howard tallied 118 tackles last year as well. ASU returning starters junior Jamar Williams and senior Justin Burks often struggled last season but should be much more comfortable in the team's new 4-3 defense. Look for newcomer Dale Robinson to be a beast. Edge even.
Secondary: This unit has not been the strength of either team in recent years. But UTEP has seemingly had a harder go of it, as it gave up 3,347 passing yards last season. Senior cornerback Adrian Ward leads the Miners, as he collected 39 tackles and three picks last season. Sophomore strong safety Joe Fleskoski returns after totaling 88 tackles as a freshman last year. ASU is badly depleted for their opener. Not only is senior cornerback R.J. Oliver out for the year, but senior safety and co-captain Riccardo Stewart will be held out because of a soar shoulder. Hopefully, senior cornerback Chris McKenzie will be able to hold down the fort against a weak Miners passing game. Edge even.
Overall: UTEP has traditionally been a weak link of Division I football, although the addition of new head coach Mike Price can certainly change things up. Still, any turnaround in the program will not happen in Price's first game. The Miners are still a WAC team, and ASU does have Pac-10 caliber talent. Plus, the Sun Devils will be careful not to stumble in this early-season tilt against a "lesser" team, as they did last year. Throw in the fact they are at home, with the heat in their favor, and the Sun Devils should come out on top 38-14. Edge ASU.
Reach the reporter at Christopher.Drexel@asu.edu.
