The 2009 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Mike Price. The Miners played their home games at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. The Miners finished the season 4–8 and 3–5 in Conference USA play. UTEP averaged 29,010 fans per game. Recruiting UTEP's class of 20 players includes 14 who are graduating from Texas high schools in 2009. The most notable of these players is Darren Mickens, the nephew of NFL cornerback Ray Mickens. Schedule Game summaries Buffalo Sophomore quarterback Zach Maynard threw for 159 yards in his first career start, leading Buffalo to a 23–17 win over UTEP in the season opener for both schools on Saturday in the Sun Bowl. Maynard's 42-yard pass to Naaman Roosevelt with 12:13 remaining in the third quarter gave the Bulls a 23–7 lead that the Miners couldn't overcome – although they did come close. UTEP chipped away, cutting the deficit to 23–14 on a 17-yard scoring run by James Thomas with 7:37 remaining in the third period, then 23–17 on a 31-yard field goal by Logan Barrett with 5:45 to play. The Miners got the ball back following a defensive stop and drove 60 yards to the Buffalo 20-yard line with under a half–minute remaining. Trevor Vittatoe hooked up with Thomas for the apparent tying score with 14 seconds left, but the play was nullified due to a holding penalty on offensive lineman Rod Huntley. Making matters worse, offensive lineman Lance Evbuomwan was charged with unsportsmanlike conduct for celebrating the touchdown, backing up the Miners to the 42-yard line. Vittatoe's final two pass attempts – both intended for Kris Adams – fell incomplete and the Bulls escaped El Paso with a victory. In a twist of fate, UTEP's defense – much maligned over the last three seasons – kept the Miners in the game on a night when the offense struggled. The Bulls were held to only 309 yards on 61 plays. But the Miners weren't sharp offensively – particularly in the first half – and were whistled for 12 penalties totaling 101 yards. Dropped balls, bad exchanges and a botched catch on a kickoff were among the culprits that did in the Miners. Trevor Vittatoe completed 27 of 45 passes for 233 yards for the Miners, but did not