Image via the El Paso Times
Texas Southern’s road trip to El Paso turned into a second-half nightmare Saturday night.
The Tigers fell to UTEP 51–10 at the Sun Bowl as the Miners scored 44 consecutive points after Texas Southern grabbed a 10–7 lead early in the second quarter.
Texas Southern opened the season with a 42–30 victory over North Carolina Central but has now dropped consecutive games to Prairie View A&M and UTEP. The Tigers enter the next stretch of their schedule at 1–2 overall and 0–1 in SWAC play.
Tigers Strike First
UTEP wasted little time getting on the scoreboard.
Quarterback EJ Colson Jr. connected with Kam Thomas for an 83-yard touchdown on UTEP’s first offensive play, giving the Miners a 7–0 advantage.
Texas Southern answered with a long scoring drive of its own.
Athean Renfro Jr. finished a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown run, tying the game at 7–7 with 4:55 remaining in the first quarter.
The Tigers then moved ahead in the second quarter when Miguel Arana III drilled a 43-yard field goal, putting TSU in front 10–7.
That lead, however, would be short-lived.
UTEP Takes Control
Colson answered with a 3-yard touchdown run to put UTEP back ahead 14–10.
With 37 seconds left before halftime, Colson found Cash Cheeks for a 13-yard touchdown, giving the Miners a 21–10 halftime advantage.
The third quarter completely changed the game.
Cheeks recovered a fumble in the end zone for another UTEP touchdown, and Colson later connected with Carver Cheeks for a 13-yard score.
Tavorus Jones then broke loose for a 33-yard touchdown run as UTEP extended its advantage to 42–10.
The Miners added a 35-yard field goal from Carlos Arreola in the fourth quarter before Raymond Moore III closed the scoring with a spectacular 79-yard touchdown run.
UTEP finished the game with 44 unanswered points.
Texas Southern Individual Stats
Cam’Ron McCoy — QB
- 85 passing yards
- 1 interception
- Also contributed as a runner
McCoy struggled to generate consistent offense against the UTEP defense as Texas Southern managed only 211 total yards.
Athean Renfro Jr. — RB
- 45 rushing yards
- 1 rushing TD
- 28 receiving yards
- 73 total yards
Renfro provided Texas Southern’s biggest offensive spark, including the 16-yard touchdown that tied the game in the first quarter. CBS Sports lists him with 45 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Miguel Arana III — K
- 43-yard field goal
- 1 field goal made
Arana’s second-quarter field goal temporarily gave the Tigers a 10–7 advantage.
UTEP’s Offensive Standouts
EJ Colson Jr. — QB
- 14-of-21 passing
- 239 passing yards
- 4 passing TDs
- 49 rushing yards
- 1 rushing TD
- 5 total touchdowns
Colson was the game’s dominant offensive player. He accounted for 288 yards of total offense and five touchdowns.
Tavorus Jones — RB
- 104 rushing yards
- 16 carries
- 1 rushing TD
- 33-yard touchdown run
Jones became the first UTEP running back to crack the 100-yard mark in the game, breaking the Tigers’ defense with his 33-yard scoring run.
Kam Thomas — WR
- 83-yard touchdown reception
Thomas gave UTEP the early lead with an 83-yard touchdown on the Miners’ opening offensive play.
Cash Cheeks — WR
- 2 touchdowns
- 13-yard receiving TD
- Fumble-recovery TD
Cheeks’ fumble recovery in the third quarter was particularly damaging because it came immediately after Texas Southern failed to stop UTEP’s offensive momentum.
Carver Cheeks — WR
- 13-yard touchdown reception
Carver Cheeks added another touchdown reception during UTEP’s third-quarter explosion.
Raymond Moore III — RB
- 79-yard rushing TD
Moore’s 79-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds remaining put an exclamation point on the Miners’ 51-point performance.
Team Statistics
| Category | Texas Southern | UTEP |
| Points | 10 | 51 |
| Total Offense | 211 | 491 |
| Passing Yards | 99 | 239 |
| Rushing Yards | 110 | 252 |
| Total Plays | — | — |
| Passing TDs | 0 | 4 |
| Rushing TDs | 1 | 2 |
| Turnovers | — | — |
UTEP’s 491 total yards represented a massive advantage over Texas Southern’s 211. The Miners produced 252 rushing yards and 239 passing yards, while holding the Tigers to only 99 passing yards.
Scoring Summary
| Quarter | Texas Southern | UTEP |
| 1st | 7 | 7 |
| 2nd | 3 | 14 |
| 3rd | 0 | 21 |
| 4th | 0 | 9 |
| Final | 10 | 51 |
UTEP Scoring Plays
- 1Q: Kam Thomas — 83-yard TD reception
- 2Q: EJ Colson Jr. — 3-yard rushing TD
- 2Q: Cash Cheeks — 13-yard TD reception
- 3Q: Cash Cheeks — fumble recovery TD
- 3Q: Carver Cheeks — 13-yard TD reception
- 3Q: Tavorus Jones — 33-yard rushing TD
- 4Q: Carlos Arreola — 35-yard FG
- 4Q: Raymond Moore III — 79-yard rushing TD
Texas Southern Scoring Plays
- 1Q: Athean Renfro Jr. — 16-yard rushing TD
- 2Q: Miguel Arana III — 43-yard FG
The Turning Point
The biggest story wasn’t Texas Southern’s inability to score early.
It was what happened after the Tigers took a 10–7 lead.
UTEP responded with 44 consecutive points, including three touchdowns in the third quarter alone. The Miners’ ability to generate explosive plays — highlighted by the 83-yard pass and 79-yard run — overwhelmed the Tigers’ defense.
For Texas Southern, the loss comes one week after Prairie View A&M scored 28 points in the third quarter during a 52–14 victory over the Tigers. TSU was held to 102 passing yards in that game as well.
What’s Next for Texas Southern?
The Tigers now have time to regroup before returning to action.
Texas Southern’s next game is September 26 at Alcorn State.
The Tigers will look to stop a two-game losing streak and get back on track in SWAC play.
Final: UTEP 51, Texas Southern 10.
