After four weeks of steady progress, the UTEP football team grabbed a page out of the 2017 playbook in a 19-0 loss to UAB that extended the nation's longest losing streak to 20.
The defense played well to a point, and this time "to a point" was just about all game in a truly fine effort — but it never came particularly close to mattering.
UAB, the best defensive team in Conference USA by far and now 7-1, overwhelmed a patchwork UTEP offensive line and knocked out starting quarterback Kai Locksley, but it probably didn't matter who was behind center.