Texas-El Paso has been plagued with injuries this season, shuffling its roster as a result.
The Miners have had to rely on three quarterbacks and a host of other role players this season, meaning the USF coaching staff may not be familiar with some of the Miners players on the field when they play the Bulls on Saturday in Raymond James Stadium at 7 p.m.
They will, however, be familiar with the coaching style of UTEP coach Mike Price.
The familiarity comes from Holtz’s coaching days at East Carolina, where he coached against Price in Conference USA games. USF defensive coordinator Mark Snyder, who served as head coach at Marshall at the time, also knew Price.
Holtz and Snyder said they looked forward to seeing Price during Conference USA annual meetings.
“I know in Conference USA when we were together, I always looked forward to the Conference USA meetings every year where Mark Snyder, coach Price and myself would always have an opportunity to play golf – one of the funner days that I had every year and one of the days I looked forward to,” Holtz said.
Snyder said he is looking forward to facing Price, whom he has coached against many times in his career.
“Coach Price is a crafty old vet,” he said. “I’m not going to give away his age, but he was coaching at Weber State when I was a player. I coached against him when he was at Washington State, then I coached against him when I was at Marshall. Now I am coaching against him at the University of South Florida. Not that I am saying coach Price is getting old … but I’d say I’m getting old too. Not as old as him, though.”
