WILL SEBERGER/Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona tight end Matt Padron tries to break free from cornerback Zeonte Sherman during fall practice last week. UA opens its season this week at home against UTEP at Arizona Stadium at 7 p.m.

Over the last four seasons, Arizona football has struggled to an overall record of 20-26. The team has not played in a bowl game in that span and has only won 9 Pac-10 games. Many Wildcat fans have been frustrated by the team's winning drought.

To all those people who are unhappy with the Wildcats' performance over the last couple years, try being a Miners fan.

Over the last 30 seasons, UTEP has the worst record of any Division-I football program, and since 1973, with a win-loss mark of 87-242. In that same span, the Miners have labored through 15 seasons of 10 losses or more and only enjoyed three winning years, two of which came in consecutive seasons (1987, 1988).

Last year was more of the same in El Paso. In 2002, the Miners finished 2-10 and lost by an average of 32.4 points a contest.

However, with all the negatives in the past, fourth-year head coach Gary Nord remains optimistic about the direction of his program ÷ and with good reason. The Miners are an extremely young football team with only 6 seniors on its roster.

"We have definitely improved over the last couple years," Nord said. "A lot of it has to do with being a year older and we quit recruiting the junior college kids. We have brought all young kids in this year and have brought them up through the system."

A big part of UTEP's turnaround will lie with sophomore quarterback Orlando Cruz. Cruz will be one of only three non-returners on the offensive side of the ball.

"He doesn't have a lot of game experience," Nord said. "We will definitely have to help him and take a little bit of pressure off of him."

A big factor in helping the young quarterback mature will be the play of the offensive line. Three of the starting five offensive lineman are seniors, with the other two entering their junior years.

"If you had to have a position that you would like to have experience in, it would have to be the offensive line," Nord said. "Hopefully (that experience) will take some pressure off the quarterback."

The defense will also be led by one of the Miners' few seniors. Linebacker Tim Woodard was named to the 2003 Butkus Award Watch List. The Butkus is given out annually to the nation's best linebacker.

Last season, Woodard lead UTEP in tackles, finishing fourth overall in the Western Athletic Conference.

"He plays hard every down, he's active and he has a real physical toughness to him," Nord said.

With a combined 16 starters returning on both sides of the ball, the Miners should be a much-improved team.

Besides, when you are at the bottom of Division-I college football for 30 years, there's nowhere to go but up.