Duke Keith

Those incurable gossips on social media had already poured milk over the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl's big reveal well before FSU and ASU were announced.

But, for Tuesday’s temper or Saturday’s soreness, the irritant was the same: UTEP isn’t making shots.

A must-win.

New Mexico State head coach Chris Jans said it.

After the Aggies capitulated to George Mason in the championship game of the Cayman Island Classic, he knew it.

NMSU had to beat the UTEP Miners.

Sebastián Velasquez scoring an 83rd minute game-winning penalty? A perfectly logical conclusion for Locomotive FC.

Everything before that?

Nuts.

A place that would bear the scars of racism’s dumb bludgeon became a bouquet of human expression. Next to the Hooters. That's El Paso. No emotional zoning laws.

But numbers don’t change, they just hang around like the one bulb in the copy room that’s been flickering for eight years.

Locomotive FC left it late again, but not too late. You’ll pardon Mark Lowry for hoping this also describes El Paso’s season and not just their last few games.

It looks as if Locomotive FC has gone from being able to refer plenty of work to The Orthodontist to having signed up for Invisalign.

Leaving Las Vegas with more than what you brought is always a good thing.

El Paso Locomotive FC did a very good thing Saturday night.

You come to a Miners game having slipped into your most comfortable jaundiced expectations and suddenly discover no one is wearing those anymore.