EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — In UTEP football's 2025 spring game, Team Orange edged out Team Blue, 38-35, at the Sun Bowl on Saturday. Nearly 3,000 fans attended the spring game at the Sun Bowl on Saturday, according to UTEP. More than 20 former UTEP football players were in attendance as well. Current NFL players Will Hernandez and Roy Robertson-Harris and UTEP football legends Quintin Demps, Howard Jackson, and Paul Smith were some of the many alums in attendance. Team Orange scored the first touchdown of the game. Charlotte transfer running back Hahsaun Wilson scored a 17-yard rushing touchdown to give UTEP a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Team Blue countered with a touchdown drive of its own to tie the game at 7-7. A four-play, 75-yard drive was capped off with a 29-yard rushing touchdown by miner back Kam Thomas. Team Orange went up 14-7 after Malachi Nelson connected with Judah Ezinwa for a 44-yard touchdown pass. Wilson found paydirt again, this time on a 23-yard scoring rush on a drive that took nine plays, 75 yards. Buzz Flabiano's PAT increased Oranges' lead to 21-7 late in the second quarter.  UTEP football's 2025 spring game is underway at the Sun Bowl.UTEP redshirt senior RB Hahsaun Wilson showing out early on. The Charlotte transfer has scored two of team orange's three touchdowns in the first half.#PicksUp pic.twitter.com/50GcuVbcOG— Sam Guzman (@SamGuzmanTV) April 12, 2025 HALFTIME CONTEST RESULTS (Courtesy: UTEP football) Team Orange guest coach Jadrian Taylor (DE, 2020-22) beat out Team Blue coach Cornelius Brown (CB, 2006-09) in the 40-yard dash that made the count 28-7 Orange.  The long ball challenge between Orange coach Kavika Johnson (QB/WR, 2015-19) and Blue coach Trevor Vittatoe (QB, 2007-10) was the second event as Vittatoe won on a 71-yard hurl to make the score 28-14.  The tug-o-war between the Team Blue and Team Orange guest coaches was for 10 points in which Orange dominated the final event to make it 38-14 heading into the second half.  2ND HALF Opening drive of the second half, quarterback Skyler Locklear led Team Blue on a nine-play, 75-yard drive that concluded with a three-yard touchdown pass from Locklear to Wondame Davis Jr. to make it 38-21. 🔥TOUCHDOWN BLUE🔥Nice drive from Skylar Locklear marching down the field and scoring six with a screen pass to end the drive.Orange leads 38 to 21‼️ pic.twitter.com/kXSe7JP4SH— Sidelines UTEP ⛏ (@SSN_UTEP) April 12, 2025 Team Blue held Team Orange scoreless in the second half and tacked on two more touchdowns. Running back Marquez Taylor scored a six-yard rushing touchdown to make it 38-28. Later in the game, JP Pickles connected with Marcus Torres on a short touchdown pass to make it 38-35. 🔵 TOUCHDOWN BLUE 🔵JP Pickles hits Marcus Torres on a quick slant route for a tuddy‼️ pic.twitter.com/IHqfSxpZlj— Sidelines UTEP ⛏ (@SSN_UTEP) April 12, 2025 WALDEN ON QUARTERBACK PERFORMANCES Quarterbacks Skyler Locklear, Malachi Nelson, Shay Smith, JP Pickles, Michael Southern, and Chad Warner all got snaps on Saturday. Locklear, last year's starting quarterback, versus Nelson, UTEP's prized transfer, has been the matchup to watch out for this spring. Here's Walden on both their performances and the overall play of the QB room in the spring game. "Both of them stood out and made really good plays. I thought Skyler [Locklear] looked poised back there. Just to stand behind him and watch the poise and his confidence" UTEP football head coach Scotty Walden said postgame. "Malachi [Nelson], never looked rattled in terms of going through his progressions. I thought he was very steady and very consistent." "Shay [Smith] had some big runs and some big passes. He was as consistent as he was all spring. Shay went an entire spring season without throwing an interception," Walden said. "The quarterback position was pretty even today. I thought all those guys played well today." EL PASO TALENT ON DISPLAY Some local products had good outings in UTEP's spring game. Along with Smith, a Franklin High School graduate, Marcus Torres (Pebble Hills), Jayden Wilson (Austin High School), Xavier Johnson (Hanks High School), and Miles McWhorter (Franklin High School) were some local products that made the most of their opportunities on Saturday. "I was sitting back there today, and I was like 'Dang, El Paso, El Paso, El Paso,' they are making plays," Walden said on the El Paso talent that played in the spring game. "It's been fun to watch those guys." Torres, a redshirt freshman walk on, was the go-to wide receiver on Team Blue. Torres caught several passes including a touchdown pass in the contest. "That kid is a product of hard work, and I am so proud of him," Walden said on Torres' spring game performance. "To see him make a big play on that slot fade and catch a contested ball for a touchdown. He's been one of the most consistent wide receivers for us this entire spring." SPRING TRANSFER PORTAL WINDOW For spring, the college football transfer portal opens on Wednesday, April 16 and will close on Friday, April 25. Scotty Walden and his staff are going to try their best to keep the talent it has on hand for the rest of the year. "We got to win next week. We got to keep this team together. It's a deal we don't like as coaches because we put in so much into this," Walden said. "It's not that we don't want the opportunity to transfer. I transferred three times, and I wanted an opportunity to play. It's not that we are trying to mitigate that, but we need to get this thing down to one window and we need to know who our team is." ...read more read less