TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Ortege Jenkins, pressed into full-game service
because of an injury to quarterback Keith Smith, threw for one
touchdown, scored one and
set up another with a 52-yard run as Arizona outlasted Texas-El Paso
34-21 Saturday night.
Trung Canidate had a season-high 202 yards on 27 carries _ the
second-best game of his career _ and scored on a 60-yard run that
awakened Arizona's sluggish
offense after UTEP went ahead 14-0. Canidate has rushed for over 100
yards in five straight games.
Jenkins, whose flip over Washington defenders into the end zone to win a
game last year made every highlight show, went airborne again for a
6-yard TD that broke
a 21-21 tie 59 seconds into the fourth quarter.
After the Wildcats (5-2) stopped UTEP on its next possession, Canidate
carried four times before Jenkins kept, angled left, found a seam and
ran the sideline to the
8-yard line.
Leon Callen circled left end on the next snap and scored, sending the
Wildcats to a 34-21 lead with 7:38 remaining.
The Miners (3-4) drove to Arizona's 8 late in the game, but Joey Knapp
dropped a fourth-down pass in the end zone with 3:06 to go.
Greg Payne scored on a 34-yard interception return, and Jenkins threw a
3-yard pass to Eli Wnek to account for Arizona's other TDs.
UTEP's Lee Mays caught TD passes of 17 and 10 yards from Rocky Perez,
who completed 17 of 33 throws for 233 yards, and Perez scored on a
7-yard run.
Arizona, which has won five of its last six, beat UTEP for the 22nd time
in their last 24 meetings. The Miners haven't won in the series since
1970, or in Tucson since
1957.
Jenkins finished up after Smith bruised his ribs 1:56 into the game.
Smith gained 14 yards on a draw before Trey Merkens tackled him.
Nick Salinas, who also had an interception, recovered, and the Miners
drove 94 yards in 10 plays to score 6:08 into the game.
The next drive lasted 2:27 _ UTEP's 12th TD this season on a drive of
under three minutes. Mays caught a 42-yard pass to the Arizona 11 on the
third play of the
drive.
One running play later, Perez threw to Mays in the flat, and he scored
his 10-yard TD 47 seconds into the second quarter.
But that simply got Arizona's own quick-strike force going.
Canidate's long run was the eighth of his career of 60 yards or more. He
scored 3:27 into the quarter.
Twenty-five seconds later, Payne picked off UTEP backup Jay Stuckey's
first attempt of the game and ran into the end zone to tie the score.
Canidate, with the Miners stacked to stop him on rushes, was used on
screen passes twice before Wnek scored the go-ahead TD with 42 seconds
to go before
halftime.
