The UTEP Miners (1-2) will travel to Arizona to take on the Arizona Wildcats (1-1) this weekend. Both teams have a few games under their belt, but who has looked best?

The Miners opened their season against Jacksonville State, but came up short 17-14 after struggling to stop the rushing attack. They were able to bounce back by defeating Incarnate Word 28-14 in the following week, with scoring production in each quarter.

They are averaging 16.3 points per game and allowing 23. This does not bode well for their chances for this matchup. 

However, in their recent performance against the Northwestern Wildcats, UTEP kept it close in the first half at 7-7. They were later put away 38-7 and had no chance after the half.

They had some solid numbers from quarterback Gavin Hardison (throwing for 192 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions) and from Jeremiah Ballard who led in receiving (four catches totaling 92 yards).

The Wildcats took care of business against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in their first game, which was a 38-3 rout. Quarterback Jayden de Laura shined with 285 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, while Tetairoa McMillian also played well with three receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown.

They are putting together 31 points per game and taking on 17. This gives them a perfect opportunity to win by a large margin, assuming they keep turnovers at a lower rate.

They recently came off of a tough loss against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, which was an overtime defeat of 31-24. De Laura played great in spurts with 342 passing yards, two touchdowns, but also had four interceptions that likely cost them crucial moments. McMillian also had an outstanding night with eight catches for 161 yards and another touchdown.

MyBookie's latest odds show strong favoritism towards the Arizona Wildcats, suggesting they are likely to secure a victory with nearly an 18-point lead. Market analysis also indicates that the Wildcats have a strong 90.1 percent probability of winning.

The Wildcats had a slow start in their first game against Northern Arizona but managed to accumulate 478 total yards, with 292 yards passing. In their recent game against Mississippi State, Arizona performed well in most competitive stats, gaining 431 yards (340 through passing) and 23 first downs while keeping possession of the ball at 32:22.

Their turnovers have been the biggest issue to their team’s success. This will likely fix itself, so look for the Wildcats to regain confidence in this game.