Malachi Nelson and the UTEP Miners are set to face off against the Sam Houston Bearkats at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas, on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. The matchup will be aired on CBSSN, providing fans with an opportunity to watch Nelson’s progress as the team navigates the remainder of the season.
Nelson’s player props include an expectation of 183 passing yards, 31 pass attempts, and 16 completions. Throughout the season, he has averaged 193.8 passing yards per game, ranking him 1466th nationally. Despite his struggles in the running game, where he has recorded a negative rushing yardage, he stands out with impressive passing statistics. Nelson averages 31.7 pass attempts per game with a completion rate of 54.7%, placing him 252nd among his peers.
In his most recent five games, Nelson’s performance has shown some improvement. He has recorded an average of 197 passing yards and 16.4 completions per contest, while managing to throw for seven touchdowns and minimizing interceptions to a rate below 5%. These statistics highlight his ability to contribute significantly in the passing game, with an impressive total of 156 attempts recently.
Historically, over the last ten games, Nelson has faced challenges but has managed a respectable tally of touchdowns and completions. With a total of 117 completions and averaging around 129.1 passing yards per game throughout his career, he is working towards improving his averages as the season progresses.
The UTEP Miners’ offense, ranking 101st in the nation in touchdown efficiency, averages 37.2 passing attempts per game and has a total of 316.2 yards per outing. This year, the team has a notable passing yard average of 222.5 per game, indicating potential for growth in their offensive strategy.
In contrast, the Sam Houston Bearkats defense will present a challenge for Nelson. Allowing an average of 278.5 passing yards per game and ranking poorly for its ability to prevent passing touchdowns, the Bearkats must tighten their strategy if they hope to limit the Miners’ offensive output. They allow an alarming completion rate of 71.2%, ranking them 125th in the nation, indicating vulnerabilities that Nelson could exploit throughout the match.
With the stakes high in this matchup, expectations for passing attempts are favorable for the Miners. A prediction for Nelson to exceed 31 pass attempts appears to hold promise given the Bearkats’ defensive tendencies.
As both teams prepare for this critical game, fans will be eagerly anticipating how Nelson rises to the occasion against Sam Houston’s defense, with hopes of a high-scoring showdown.