UTEP Can Win with a Two Quarterback Offense

For the last few weeks, every Miner fan has been wondering the same question: which quarterback will be the starter for the 2018 season? New UTEP head coach Dana Dimel has allowed the competition between senior Ryan Metz and junior newcomer Kai Locksley to last for all of fall training camp. In fact, the two quarterbacks are planning to split time on Saturday against Northern Arizona.

At this point, the race is too close to call and either player has the opportunity to emerge as UTEP's regular starting quarterback for 2018.

"As far as the rotation of the quarterbacks goes for this game, right now I haven’t made a decision on who’s going to start the game," Coach Dimel said at his weekly press luncheon. "That’s still a work in progress with what we’re doing right now. After Thursday’s practice is when I will make up my mind for who will be the starter for the first series. That won’t be the starter, they’ll just be the player to take the first series. That’ll be based on how our game plan starts to come together, what plays we move up to our top plays and which quarterback that’ll match. Our plans are for both of the quarterbacks to play in the first ball game."

However, what if both Metz and Locksley play well against Northern Arizona? UTEP could have a big advantage playing both quarterbacks each week. Opposing defenses would have to game plan for two entirely different types of players and the offenses they would run. Metz has all the experience for the Miners since the El Paso native has been the starter for potions of the last three seasons. Locksley brings a style that is more conducive to what Dimel ran at Kansas State and he has never been given an opportunity to play quarterback at the Division 1 level. I think the best case scenario is that both players make the decision for a permanent starter so difficult, that they continue to share the position and make UTEP a multi-dimensional offense that becomes a nightmare for their opponents each week.