Blue beats Orange in UTEP football’s thrilling spring game

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The UTEP football team held its Orange vs. Blue game to wrap up the 2024 spring season, the first under the direction of new head coach Scotty Walden.

Team Blue snatched the win from the hands of team Orange on the final play of game. With nine seconds left on the clock, UTEP redshirt quarterback Cade McConnell connected with redshirt sophomore wide receiver Kenny Odom for a touchdown pass to give the Blue team a 39-35 win over the Orange team.

“That was unbelievable for the last play,” UTEP head coach Scotty Walden said. “For the game to end on a shot for a touchdown. Cade McConnell to Kenny Odom.”

“When your number is called you just got to be ready to play,” Odom said. “That’s the big thing coach Walden has talked about here.”

McConnell had three passing touchdowns in the Orange vs. Blue spring game. The product out of Los Alamitos, California’s experience he gained from playing in seven games last season showed in the spring game.

“”It’s his first time going through our system. He’s had 15 opportunities with it, but to operate that fast and the processing that our quarterback has to make in the span of 12 seconds or less is a lot, so I was really impressed with what he did today,” Walden said. “He did a great job. I’ll say this too. I thought Skyler [Locklear] made some big throws. JP Pickles came in and did some great things. Seth Mouser made some really good decisions.”

“It’s no secret the spring game is a test, right? You know, it’s kind of the culmination of what you’ve built in the spring. But at the same time, it’s only one game, right? We’ve been building a lot of stuff throughout the spring. It’s only one game. It’s only one practice of the 14 we had before.” McConnell said.

The Orange vs. Blue spring game not only served as an assessment of the new X’s and O’s, but also as an assessment of the new brand of UTEP football.

UTEP had a solid turnout for a spring game.

More than 20 former UTEP football players were in attendance to show their support. Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones headlined the returnees. Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Will Hernandez was the celebrity coach for the Orange team. Meanwhile, NFL veteran Quintin Demps served as the celebrity coach for team Blue.

Having fun with the spring game was also something UTEP prioritized in it’s first spring game under the direction of Walden. The teams were drafted by UTEP president Dr. Heather Wilson and UTEP Director of Athletics Jim Senter. At halftime, the former UTEP football players in attendance participated in mini competitions for points that were tacked onto the actual spring game score.

All-in-all, UTEP was content with the show it put on and off the field.

“I feel like it’s a second coming to UTEP. I feel like we got great players, great coaches and they are going to lead us to the promise land.” UTEP defensive end Maurice Westmoreland said.

“”We had a great turnout in the crowd. I am so happy El Paso came out to support. I think it was awesome having all the honorary coaches out here today.” McConnell said.

“Once a UTEP Miner, always a UTEP Miner, so to see all the guys come back and really support us, that was really huge for us.” UTEP linebacker Dorian Hopkins said.

“The big thing for me was for our fan base to connect back with our alumni base, for our program to connect back with our alumni base, and for our players to see and look at these guys that have done it before and think why not you, why not us?” Walden said.

UTEP’s Orange vs. Blue game also marked the end of a vital first spring season under the new leadership of Walden and the rest of his coaching staff.

“We had to come into this spring to set the tone of most of all who we’re going to be culturally,” Walden said. “We wanted to come in and establish our culture right off the bat of who we are, making sure that we are not only installing the X’s and O’s but actually installing our brand. If we came in and executed those things then we had a great spring, which we did, so I’m really proud of where our culture is at. I am really excited about where we’re going.”

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