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.
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FRI NOV 27 · 11:00 PM CT
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UTEP
Northern Illinois
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.
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
Northern Illinois Huskies
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
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Fully healthy — no injuries to report
Northern Illinois Huskies
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Fully healthy — no injuries to report
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.
