| 130. UTEP Miners |
| #14 in Conference USA |
Last year in my UTEP write up, I mentioned how usually the bottom of this list included massive shuffling, as the teams that went for it with a lot of seniors, and were bad, but not terrible, fall to the bottom, while some teams go young, are horrible, but project better going forward. I then noted that UTEP was the rare exception that finished at the bottom of the Massey composite rankings in 2017, but I was keeping them there in 2019*. The asterisk is because technically they were #129 of 129 returning FBS programs, but I slid FBS newcomer Liberty in below them by default. The Miners did not disappoint, going 1-11, and finishing again dead last in the Massey composite rankings. Now, I can truly say this has never happened, but I still see no reason to move them up. They are cemented right now as the worst program in the FBS, and don’t seem particularly committed to any youth movement. In 2017 it made some sense, Sean Kugler, in Year 5, was clearly on the hot seat, and needed to keep his job. Why Dana Dimel didn’t last year is anyone’s guess. He did make a change at quarterback, going with JUCO transfer Kai Locksley, a one time Texas Longhorn, and son of new Maryland head coach Mike Locksley. But to show you where his confidence level in him is, he tried to bring in Alex Delton from Kansas State as a grad transfer, who played under Dimel there. Delton committed to the Miners, then changed his mind and went to TCU. That shouldn’t be awkward or anything for the coach-quarterback relationship to know he tried to replace you, had your replacement, then it fell through. The bigger issue is a defense that was stocked with seniors a year ago and still finished 3rd worst in Conference USA, allowing 32.8 ppg. The four leading tacklers are all gone. Nobody who received any postseason honors returns. The hope is that the turnover margin has to swing at least a little bit, their -17 turnover differential was tied with Connecticut for worst in the nation. Usually that corrects itself somewhat. That’s probably the best bet for UTEP to rise up, after a combined 1-23 record over the past two seasons.
| KEY PLAYERS |
| QB Kai Locksley, Senior |
| RB Quardraiz Wadley, Senior |
| G Bobby DeHaro, Sophomore |
| . |
| LB Sione Tupou, Sophomore |
| CB Justin Rogers, Senior |
| P Mitchell Crawford, Senior |
| 129. Old Dominion Monarchs |
| #13 in Conference USA |
Where did it go wrong for the Monarchs? The program relaunched in 2009 after a nearly 70 period, and by Year 3 they were a top 10 FCS team, reaching the FCS Elite 8 in their fourth year, their final year in that division. By 2016, their third year in Conference USA, they were 10-3, co-division champs, and played in a bowl game. It seemed like a program that was going to firmly entrench itself in the upper echelon of the conference. Since then they’ve had back to back losing campaigns, and have lost 7 of their last 9 conference games. Somehow they managed to go 4-8 last year, in a year where they beat Virginia Tech. Not that the Hokies were their usual selves last year, but this was an Old Dominion team that was 0-3 at the time, and had opened the season with a 42 point loss to Liberty...who was playing their first ever game as an FBS team. 4-8 was with a roster that returned 15 starters, and started 13 seniors. So where does it go from here? Well the quarterback position looks set, with the return of senior all-conference player Blake LaRussa. Except not, as he has decided to retire from football to enter the seminary. The only position of certainty entering 2019, is now perhaps the biggest hole on the roster. It means Old Dominion likely turns back to Steven Williams, who started for the program in 2017, and the beginning of 2018, before the job was handed over to LaRussa. They did also add former Michigan State quarterback Messiah deWeaver, by way of JUCO. Old Dominion can’t afford much of a slip on offense with the defense they’ve fielded. They lose 8 starters from a unit that gave up a conference worst 471.4 ypg, particularly awful against the run, where they allowed 216.4 ypg on 5.2 ypc, both also league worsts. Just to make things tougher, the Monarchs have road games at both Virginia and Virginia Tech in September, and in conference play all four of UAB, Middle Tennessee, Marshall and FIU, the top four teams from 2018, and all on the road.
| KEY PLAYERS |
| RB Kesean Strong, Senior |
| T Isaac Weaver, Junior |
| G Tony Barnett, Senior |
| . |
| LB Lawrence Garner, Junior |
| LB Jordan Young, Junior |
| CB Geronda Hall, Sophomore |
