UTEP and Northern Illinois both bolted for the Mountain West this year hoping for a fresh start. By late November, this one's shaping up as two rebuilding programs playing out the string.
Bush’s Picks
UTEPNIU
UTEPNIU
OverUnder
Best BetUTEP
UTEP brings the more settled offense into this one, with EJ Colson's efficient first season in the building giving the Miners a real answer at the position NIU is still searching for under an interim staff. Northern Illinois is asking a first-year coach to author a turnaround in a new league with a roster that scored the fewest points in decades a year ago. Back UTEP to get the win here.
UTEP
+Colson gives UTEP a real answer at quarterback
+Transfers Thomas and Jones add skill-position juice
+4th-best 2026 recruiting class in the Mountain West
−5-19 over the last two seasons
−Offense ranked 129th nationally in success rate last year
−Brand-new conference, brand-new co-coordinators
Northern Illinois
+History of bouncing back fast from bad years
+Continuity on defense with Harley promoted from DC
−Coming off 3-9, fewest points in a full season since 1998
−First-year interim head coach
−Also adjusting to a brand-new league
This is a first for both sides. UTEP and NIU spent decades in Conference USA and the MAC, respectively, before jumping to the Mountain West together in 2026 — so Friday's meeting in DeKalb doubles as new-conference business between two programs still figuring out who they are. Kickoff is set for 11:00 PM local, a late-window finale to close out the regular season slate.
UTEP handed the keys to EJ Colson, a transfer from Incarnate Word by way of UCF, and it's paid off more often than not — he threw for 16 touchdowns and ran for 3 more on better than 70% completion a year ago before making the jump. Third-year coach Scotty Walden is banking on Colson, receiver Kam Thomas and Missouri transfer running back Tavorus Jones to finally fix an offense that ranked 129th nationally in success rate last season. Progress has been the story more than results — UTEP's been 5-19 over its last two years.
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UTEP UTEP
NIU Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois is in rougher shape. The Huskies stumbled to 3-9 in 2025, scoring their fewest points in a full season since 1998, and now hand the program to interim coach Rob Harley after promoting him from defensive coordinator. That's a lot of instability to carry into a new league. NIU does have some history of snapping back quickly from bad years — it followed a 3-9 season in 2022 with 15 wins over the next two years — but asking an interim staff to pull that off again, in a new conference, with a shorthanded receiving corps, is a tall order.
UTEP Miners
Nov 20?@ Air Force—
Nov 13?vs Wyoming—
Nov 6?vs Hawai'i—
Oct 31?@ North Dakota State—
Oct 17?vs San José State—
Oct 9?vs Nevada—
Oct 2?@ New Mexico—
Sep 26?vs Oregon State—
Sep 19?@ Michigan—
Sep 12?vs Texas Southern—
Sep 4?@ Oklahoma—
Northern Illinois Huskies
Nov 21?@ North Dakota State—
Nov 13?vs Nevada—
Nov 6?@ San José State—
Oct 31?@ UNLV—
Oct 17?@ Wyoming—
Oct 10?vs Air Force—
Sep 25?@ Georgia State—
Sep 19?@ Arizona—
Sep 12?vs Illinois State—
Sep 5?@ Iowa—
Recent form.
Neither team is playing for much beyond pride and a bowl-eligibility long shot at this point in the year, which tends to produce sloppy, physical, close-to-the-vest football. UTEP's identity is at least somewhat set — Colson gives them a floor NIU doesn't have right now with a first-year interim staff still installing its scheme on the fly.
UTEP Miners
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Northern Illinois Huskies
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Whichever team can run the ball and avoid turnovers late in a long season probably wins this one. UTEP arrives with more established pieces on offense; Northern Illinois is banking on facing a fellow league newcomer to close on a positive note under its new staff.
