Ultimately, there was another piece of good news for the UTEP football team following its season-ending 39-7 drubbing at the hands of Southern Miss.
It really didn't matter.
On the surface that's obvious, the loss was the difference between 1-11 and 2-10, but there was talk about making some more tangible progress in rebuilding and generating momentum for next year.
The reality is that the next 10 weeks between now and the Feb. 6 national signing day will be much more pivotal for the future of this program.
UTEP coach Dana Dimel put on a brave face after the loss to Southern Miss, the third straight dismal defeat in a row following five weeks of competitiveness that resulted in the win over Rice.