Prediction, Game Preview, and Odds for Sam Houston vs. UTEP

For very different reasons, now is a good time to be on either team.

The second season for Sam Houston in the FBS has been great so far. They are 4-1, and their win over Texas State was shocking.

Now that WKU and Liberty are going to Huntsville, the powerful Bearkats look like they could be a factor in the Conference USA race.

As of now, UTEP is 0-4 under Scott Walden, but in 2026, it will be a part of the Mountain West, which will lift its level. Along with Southern Utah, Nebraska, Liberty, and Colorado State were the other three teams that lost. All of them did so on the road.

Sam Houston vs UTEP Preview

Sam Houston vs UTEP How to Watch
Date: Thursday, October 3, 2024
Game Time: 9:00 pm ET
Venue: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
How to Watch: CBS Sports Network
UTEP (0-4), Sam Houston (4-1)

Why Sam Houston Will Win

Handle. It all starts with Sam Houston’s style, which does not necessarily slow things down but controls the speed. Each game, the team has the ball for more than 33 minutes.

The offense is well-balanced, but the running game has taken over, gaining 257 yards or more in each of the last three games. There are a lot of great choices for quarterback Hunter Watson.

UTEP has one of the worst run defenses in the country, is having trouble scoring, and only has the ball for 26:30 minutes per game. But…

Why UTEP Will Win

Yeah, the home loss to Southern Utah was bad, but again, the schedule has not been good so far, so the other three losses were to be expected.

What the offense really wants is to keep the defenders on their toes, not to control anything. The Bearkat secondary got smoked by Texas State and should give up at least 250 yards. There is just enough of a passing game to work that secondary.

Some might say that UTEP stops too much, but the school will keep going.

Sam Houston vs UTEP: Who Will Win

On Thursday nights at home, UTEP’s offense will have one of its best games. However, getting yards has not been a problem.

There is not enough pass protection, the offense can not close, and the mistakes will happen because it tries to do too much.

Sam Houston will not be able to win this quickly, but with a few strong scoring drives in the second half, it will start to pull away. The O will run for more than 250 yards.