And now comes the biggest of challenges.
The surging UTEP Miners dropped Marshall, then the No. 3 team in Conference USA, last Saturday. The Miners dumped UAB, then and still tied as the No. 2 team in C-USA, Thursday night. And now comes No. 1.
Middle Tennessee, with its impressive 20-3 overall mark and its spotless 10-0 Conference USA ledger, visits the Don Haskins Center Saturday for a rare 6 p.m. tipoff.
UTEP, of course, got off to that dismal and well documented 2-13 beginning. But the Miners have played better and better and have won five of their last six games — including Thursday night's dramatic come-from-behind win over UAB.