A big theme and spot of hope for the UTEP football team was the improvement of its offense in the second half of the season, and that took on a tangible form as three offensive players were named to the All-Conference USA team Tuesday as voted on by the league's coaches.
Tailback Aaron Jones, guard Will Hernandez and tight end Hayden Plinke were part of UTEP's biggest All-Conference USA haul since 2008 and linebacker Alvin Jones was a second team selection.
In a nod to the future, UTEP was one of three schools to get four selections to the all-freshman team, as linebacker Jayson VanHook, cornerback Justin Rogers, defensive tackle Chris Richardson and offensive lineman Greg Long made that team.