April 20, 2010

The UTEP football team will put an exclamation point on 2010 spring drills with the annual Orange & Blue Game on Saturday in the Sun Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. and admission is free.

UTEP players will sign autographs after the game.

"We want it to be exciting," UTEP coach Mike Price said. "We want our players to have fun, and we want our fans to enjoy it and leave the stadium saying, `We can't wait to be back for the Arkansas-Pine Bluff game (on Sept. 4)."

The Miners will be divided into two teams with a draft on Wednesday. Rosters will be announced on Thursday. Quarters will be 12 minutes long, and tackling will be in effect on all offensive players except the quarterbacks.

"It's a chance for the people in our community to come out and see two of the top players in the country in Donald Buckram and Braxton Amy," Price said.

Buckram established UTEP single-season records for rushing yards (1,594) and 100-yard games (eight) in 2009, while tying the school standard for 200-yard games (three). He ranked third nationally in scoring (10.5 ppg) and fourth in rushing yards per game (132.8) and was one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, presented to the nation's top running back.

Amy has tallied 216 tackles, nine interceptions and 10 pass break-ups in his career while seeing action at linebacker and safety.