Ten Western Kentucky seniors will take the field Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium for the final time.

Coach Mike Sanford wants his football program to keep his focus on them amid uncertainty about his own future.

“Your tunnel vision has to be set on one thing and one thing alone,” Sanford said Monday. “If you start allowing other factors to come into play of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, that’s when you’ll get caught up.

“We’re going into this game against UTEP to win this game for these seniors and win this game for these players that have been fighting.”

The Hilltoppers take a 1-9 overall record and 0-6 mark in Conference USA play into their game Saturday with Texas-El Paso (1-9, 1-5). Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m., with the game broadcast by BeIN Sports.

WKU has lost each of its last six games and 14 of 16 dating to last season. The most recent setback was a 34-15 defeat last weekend at Florida Atlantic where the Owls outscored the Toppers 24-6 in the second half.

Sanford’s record through 23 games as WKU’s coach stands at 7-16. Those on-field results have the 36-year-old coach squarely on the hot seat.

The Daily News reported Monday that Sanford can likely save his job by sweeping the team’s two remaining games: matchups Saturday vs. the Miners and Nov. 24 at Louisiana Tech (7-3, 5-1).

Sanford will likely be fired following his second season if the Hilltoppers lose both those contests, sources said.

And if WKU splits the two games, his future as the team’s coach is unclear.

“I understand that we live in an information, rapid speed kind of world,” Sanford said. “It’s out there. I certainly get that.

“But you’re also teaching your players a lot about life that you’ve got to focus on what’s right in front of you. You can’t worry about too many things that aren’t directly right in your control.”

Saturday’s game should be a winnable one for the Tops. As of Monday night, WKU was listed as a 7½-point favorite for its senior night contest vs. UTEP.

First-year coach Dana Dimel and his Miners bring an identical 1-9 record into Saturday’s matchup. UTEP went 0-12 in 2017, then started this season 0-8 before beating Rice 34-26 on Nov. 3.

The Hilltoppers’ and Miners’ last meeting marked one of the seven wins Sanford has during his tenure.

UTEP kicker Brady Viles missed three field goals, including a 39-yard attempt with about three minutes left, during the Oct. 7, 2017, matchup. Quarterback Mike White’s 1-yard, third-quarter rushing touchdown was the go-ahead score in WKU’s 15-14 win in El Paso, Texas.

The victory made the Hilltoppers 3-2 five games into Sanford’s tenure. The program has only found four wins since that night in the Sun Bowl.

This season’s woes have included four losses at Houchens-Smith Stadium, three of which came by three points each. Saturday marks WKU’s last chance to avoid its first winless home record since 2010.

“I think what we do as a team is we focus on UTEP,” Sanford said. “That’s what the mission was, and the conversation was. It truly was.

“It’s not just what we say here. It’s what we say in our building. Truly, the only thing that matters – the only thing that matters – is what’s going on in this building this week for these seniors and for these players that are laying it out on the line.”

Sanford on Monday highlighted his 10 seniors, who together make up the fifth-smallest senior class of any FBS program.

Some of those seniors include tight end Mik’Quan Deane (41.3 receiving yards per game, five touchdowns), running back D’Andre Ferby (19.6 rushing yards per game, two TDs), cornerback and team captain DeAndre Farris (29 tackles, seven pass breakups), linebacker Masai Whyte (63 tackles, three sacks) and safety Drell Greene (57 tackles, two fumble recoveries).

“Wanting to beat UTEP – that’s where the focus is,” Sanford said. “It really is. It’s all on this game to beat UTEP.

“That’s it. It’s not for any other reason but for these players going out and getting a win at home in their last opportunity on Feix Field.”