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News Nuggets, 10.28.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

UTEP QB Palmer gaining his own slice of respect

EL PASO — Texas-El Paso quarterback Jordan Palmer might never win the Heisman Trophy or be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.

But Palmer, who is having his own type of success, doesn't view being the younger brother of someone who has achieved those milestones as a burden.

Palmer, whose brother, Carson, won the Heisman at Southern California in 2002 and was the top pick in the 2003 draft, has made impressive strides this season and played a key role in UTEP's 5-1 start.

``My goal isn't to be better than my brother. It's just to be as good as I can be,'' Jordan Palmer said. ``It's not my goal to win the Heisman or to be the first pick in the draft. That's crazy. Only one or two guys can get those things every year.''

UTEP, which plays Saturday at Rice, is coming off a 31-3 win over Marshall, a game in which the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Palmer threw three touchdown passes.

The Miners, Owls and Thundering Herd are first-year members of Conference USA, which has expanded to 12 teams split into two divisions since last year.

UTEP, which resides in the West Division, is not on East Division member East Carolina's 8-game league slate this season, but the conference's rotating schedule of inter-divisional match-ups will pit the teams against each other every other year, on average, in the future.

Palmer's 47 career passing TDs and 5,752 total yards both rank second in school history, and he's on pace to overtake several other UTEP records.

The junior ranks 20th nationally in total offense, averaging 278.7 yards per game.

Coach Mike Price said it all started late last season, when Palmer demonstrated a firm grasp of the offense. He continued the trend in spring workouts and it's evident this fall.

``Jordan has really improved a lot,'' Price said. ``He's getting better every week and he's got a great attitude. He works hard. He's a special guy from a special family.''

Palmer threw for 2,818 yards with 26 touchdowns and 18 interceptions last season. He has 1,668 yards passing with 14 TDs and seven interceptions this season, and he has started UTEP's last 18 games, going 13-5.

For Price, the growth is reminiscent of another of his quarterbacks — Ryan Leaf in the mid-1990s at Washington State.

``In one year, Ryan made a lot of progress,'' Price said. ``That's exactly what Jordan has done.''

Price, who also coached college standouts Drew Bledsoe and Jason Gesser at Washington State, said Palmer ``is only going to get better.''

``His arm is good enough to throw the long ball, to throw the post, or to throw it with touch on the screen,'' Price said. ``He just needs to get better at reading defenses, the mental side.''

Palmer has made mistakes. He threw for a career-high 431 yards passing, but also had three interceptions on Oct. 1 in UTEP's only loss — 27-20 at C-USA opponent Memphis.

He responded by completing 39 of 57 attempts — 68 percent — for 493 yards and six TDs in the next two games, wins over Tulane and Marshall.

Palmer called the Memphis loss ``a good learning tool.''

``I made a lot of tough throws, but I missed a ton of easy ones. When you do that, it's easy to fix,'' he said. ``Sometimes, you're off. So I just tried to work on consistency.''

Palmer took a phone call from his older brother shortly after losing to Memphis.

``He said, `Forget it. I've been there and done that. Everyone does it,''' Palmer recalled.

The Palmer brothers talk every other day or so, but their chats aren't deep on football. They'll mention which opponent each quarterback is facing and which defense they'll see, but the conversation quickly drifts.

``We usually talk about important stuff — like girls and cars,'' Jordan Palmer said.

Palmer wasn't heavily recruited out of Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School in 2002. He didn't start at quarterback until he was a senior.

``It's still pretty new,'' Palmer said. ``That's why experience is so huge for me. Every game counts. In some ways, it's like it's my second year playing football.''

Palmer redshirted at UTEP the same season his brother won the Heisman.

He chose the Miners over Fresno State but considered California, which made a late recruiting pitch after missing on other prospects.

Price wasn't coaching in El Paso at the time, but thinks Palmer made a wise decision. Had he chosen a California school, Price believes Palmer would have faced frequent comparisons with his brother.

``Out here, he's more of his own man,'' Price said.

Carson Palmer is 5 years older, but the two have always been close. In the UTEP media guide, Jordan lists Carson as his sports hero.

``He is a great brother,'' Palmer said. ``He always let me tag along with him even though he was older. He's been my best friend forever. We were brothers way before we were quarterbacks.''

C-USA Football Standings, Scores & Schedule

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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