The UTEP Miners talk about their plans to improve on defense. Bret Bloomquist/El Paso Times
It ended with a whimper.
One could almost hear the forlorn wail of a train whistle on a dark night, that most lonely of sounds as the engine chugged around the corner and out of town.
Southern Miss, a 5-5 team in search of bowl eligibility with a sixth win, methodically pummeled UTEP on this warm, windy, hazy, November Saturday afternoon. The Golden Eagles figuratively grabbed UTEP in a head lock and rubbed Miner heads with their knuckles for four quarters.