EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- Jordan Palmer threw for 339 yards and five touchdowns and No. 24 Texas-El Paso beat SMU 57-27 Saturday night to clinch a bowl berth in coach Mike Price's first season running the formerly downtrodden program.<br>
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UTEP (8-2, 6-1 Western Athletic Conference) secured second place in the conference, which has two guaranteed bowl spots.<br>
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The Miners had to rally against SMU (3-8, 3-5), which came into the game having won two straight for the first time since 2002.<br>
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The Mustangs went up 20-10 on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Jerad Romo to Reynaldo Pellerin midway through the second quarter before UTEP scored five straight touchdowns. UTEP took a 24-20 halftime lead, then scored three touchdowns in the first 4:35 of the second half. <br>
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Palmer hit Johnnie Lee Higgins with a 5-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive of the third quarter. Then, after an onside kick, Palmer connected with Higgins a minute later for a 45-yard touchdown and a 38-20 lead.<br>
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On the second play of the next SMU series, Quintin Demps intercepted Tony Eckert and ran the ball back 43 yards for a touchdown.<br>
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Palmer also threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jayson Boyd in the third quarter that pushed the score to 52-20, and then was replaced by Omar Duarte. Palmer was 20-of-27 with an interception.<br>
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The win puts UTEP in its first bowl since 2000. This bowl will be only the third since 1967 for the Miners, who are finishing up their fourth winning season since 1970.<br>
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Price, the former coach at Washington State and briefly Alabama, has turned the team around after three straight two-win seasons.<br>
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Howard Jackson led the Miners with 99 yards on 17 carries. Jayson Boyd had 122 yards receiving and Higgins caught four passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns.<br>
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Romo was 14-of-20 for 158 yards and a touchdown. He shared duties in the game with Tony Eckert, who was 7-of-13 for 76 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
