Louisiana Tech Head Coach Skip Holtz Preparing for Physical UTEP
On Saturday, UTEP will travel to Ruston, Louisiana to play the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Both teams are 1-3, but the Miners have not played well since the first game of the season. The Bulldogs, meanwhile lost to Arkansas by one point and Middle Tennessee by just four points. They were a couple of plays away from being 3-1 instead of 1-3.
Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz met the media and spoke about the Miners. His biggest concern is UTEP's physical style of play and star running back Aaron Jones.
"They are a physical football team, one of the more physical football teams that we have played, Holtz said in his weekly press conference. "As an offense they have the number three rusher in the entire country in Aaron Jones. He is explosive. He is averaging 150 yards per game. He was an all-conference player two years ago before he got injured. He is definitely the best tailback that we have gone against. He is averaging 7.5 yards per carry. He is one of the better running backs in the entire country. I think he is an explosive player. Their offensive line is very big. Sean was an offensive lineman and his football team portrays that. They are going to find a way to run the ball. They are going to play five or six linemen with two tight ends. They are going to get big. They are going to maul you and hit you in the mouth. They are going to play a physical brand of football. We are going to have to change our mindset if we have any desire to be successful as a defensive football team against this high-powered explosive rushing attack we are about to play this week.”
Holtz is also concerned about UTEP's ball control and remembers last year's 17-15 win over the Miners at the Sun Bowl when his team had only 50 snaps in the entire game. He called his team a work in progress and stressed that they need to approach Saturday's game as winners. Las Vegas agrees, since they have the Bulldogs as 18.5 point favorites over the Miners.