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This Date in College Football Belt History – August 31
The Texas El-Paso Miners of coach Charlie Bailey met the Arizona Wildcats of coach Dick Tomey in the 1996 opener for both teams. Arizona’s PK Matt Peyton connected on 3 field goals & All-Pac 10 CB Chris McAllister intercepted 2 passes to lead the Wildcats to a 23-3 victory. Neither team scored in the 1st quarter but Arizona broke things open in the 2nd quarter. Wildcats’ QB Keith Smith scored on a 5-yard touchdown run before Peyton hit a kick from 52 yards making the score 10-0 Arizona. QB Brady Batten found WR Mike Metzler on a 17-yard touchdown pass as the Wildcats took a 17-0 halftime lead. Peyton’s 49-yard field goal was offset by Texas El-Paso’s PK Jon Olsen’s 49-yard field goal for the only points of the 3rd quarter. Peyton’s final kick, a 33-yard connection, came with 12:56 to play. Smith finished with 24 yards passing with his rushing touchdown, Batten threw for 85 yards with a touchdown as well as an interception & RB Gary Taylor finished with 106 yards rushing for the Wildcats as they held the ball for 37:25 of the game. Texas El-Paso’s QB Leonard Lilja threw for 95 yards with 2 interceptions in the loss. Arizona finished the season 5-6 while the Miners finished 2-9. Texas El-Paso would play for The Belt again in 9 weeks.
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Isn’t the belt a beautiful thing? When else might the UTEP Miners (9 weeks later, in fact) or the Charleston Southern Buccaneers be playing for a football championship? Truly an “open” championship! Of course, UTEP once played for (and won) a basketball championship – 1966, Big Dave Lattin, Don (not John) Chaney and Co. I have a lawyer friend in Spencerport who can name all 5 starters on that team; Could do it BEFORE the movie Glory Road was thought of.