When college football seasons go wrong, an obvious place to look is injuries and ineligibilities.
When seasons turn for the better, a less likely place to look is to a 5-foot-9, 220-pound former fourth-team linebacker turned star, but here UTEP is with Cal Wallerstedt.
As the Miners head to Louisiana Tech on Saturday looking for a three-game winning streak that would have them well on the path toward redeeming a 1-3 start, they take with them the best of feel-good stories.
Never the fleetest of foot or the biggest of stature, Wallerstedt, the son of defensive line coach Matt, plugged and battled for four years, just waiting for a chance.