We’ve reached that time of year where it’s not quite Weekday CUSA, but it’s on the horizon.
The Conference USA features two conference matchups and one non-conference clash this week as it prepares to shift
its games to weeknights for the entire month of October. This week features a meeting between Sam Houston and New Mexico State as college football’s standalone Thursday night game, as well as a Friday battle between Western Kentucky and FBS newcomer Delaware. The CUSA action concludes in a rather empty Saturday slate as FIU pays a visit to independent UConn.
Here’s what to watch for in each of the three Week 6 CUSA matchups:
Sam Houston @ New Mexico State
Thursday, Oct. 2 at 9:00 pm ET on CBS Sports Network
Spread: Sam Houston (-2.5)
Over/under: 53.5
Sam Houston (0-4, 0-1 CUSA) already surpassed its loss total from its 10-3 campaign in 2024. The Bearkats are in the midst of a rebuild under first-year head coach Phil Longo, and they lost all 11 starters from their vaunted defense last year. Amidst the massive turnover, the schedule hasn’t exactly been kind to the Bearkats either. They don’t host an FCS opponent and this will mark their fourth road trip in five games to start the season, having traveled to WKU, Hawaii, and Texas while their lone “home” game (playing temporarily in downtown Houston instead of Huntsville) was against undefeated UNLV.
While racking up the frequent flyer miles, Sam Houston is still sorting out its depth chart. The Bearkats have flipped between Hunter Watson and Mabrey Mettauer at quarterback throughout the year. Both quarterbacks missed time due to injury within the first four games, but both are cleared heading into Las Cruces with Watson as the expected starter. In addition to quarterback stability, one aspect the Bearkats strive for offensively is the emergence of a wide receiver. Running back Elijah Green leads all Bearkats with 133 receiving yards, and no wide receiver on the roster boasts more than 87.
Sam Houston ranks 133rd in total offense and 133rd in total defense during the dreary start. However, the Bearkats have forced plenty of havoc with a +1 in the turnover battle. Sam Houston’s defense is responsible for two of the team’s eight touchdowns this season, and the unit is led by a pair of MAC transfers in safety CJ Brown (Bowling Green) and linebacker Antavious Fish (Akron) which rank first and second on the team in tackles. Starring alongside Brown in a revamped secondary are Emon Allen and Alonzo Edwards, each of whom has 20+ tackles, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble out of the defensive backfield.
New Mexico State (2-2, 0-1 CUSA) reverted to .500 after a 2-0 start, but the Aggies are just one win shy of their 2024 total — signifying Tony Sanchez’s rebuild is progressing. New Mexico State outlasted Tulsa in a back-and-forth Week 2 battle, a win which gained extra steam after the Golden Hurricane upset Oklahoma State. After losing consecutive matchups on the road, the Aggies return to Las Cruces where they are 4-4 under the Sanchez regime and never lost by more than 13 points.
New Mexico State owns the nation’s 120th-ranked scoring offense, ranging from 14 to 21 points in all four outings. The Aggies brought in Fresno State transfer quarterback Logan Fife this offseason, and Fife is adding verticality to the offense with over 220 yards in each start this year. However, they aren’t getting strong run support, averaging an FBS-worst 1.5 yards per carry — and 89 sack yards from 3.5 sacks allowed per game are factored into that total. The Aggies look to spearhead the run game with Kadarius Calloway and Dijon Stanley while continuing the success of the aerial attack, which has been assisted the trio of Donovan Faupel, PJ Johnson III, and tight end Gavin Harris — all with 13+ catches and 210+ yards in 2025.
Although Sam Houston’s offense is almost 100 percent different from the one he coached against, New Mexico State presents a Bearkat connection with defensive coordinator Joe Morris. The second-year Aggie staff member served as Sam Houston’s coordinator during the program’s 2023 FBS debut season. Morris’ defense in Las Cruces is only yielding 8.5 points per game at home this year, led by the efforts of potential All-CUSA defensive end Jamall Thompson. Thompson has six tackles for loss, 31 total takedowns, and an interception through four games. However, the defense must make up for the absence of veteran linebacker Tyler Martinez, the team’s 2024 leader in tackles who is set to miss Thursday’s matchup.
The matchup: It’s a classic rest vs. rust matchup as Sam Houston gets 11 full days off heading into Las Cruces, while New Mexico only took four days of rest between games. All signs point to this operating in lower-scoring territory with New Mexico State’s defense dictating the game flow. Aggies win on a late field goal to improve to 3-0 at home. Prediction: New Mexico State 16, Sam Houston 14
WKU @ Delaware
Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:00 pm ET on CBS Sports Network
Spread: Delaware (-2.5)
Over/under: 61.5
WKU (4-1, 2-0 CUSA) is off to an excellent start in conference play, sporting a perfect 2-0 record with a potential to improve to 3-0 before most of their peers will have faced their second CUSA opponent. The Hilltoppers are rolling as usual under Tyson Helton. They bounced back well from a Week 2 hiccup at Toledo burdened by turnovers and allowing explosive plays to win matchups over Nevada and Missouri State. However, all signs point to Delaware being the Hilltoppers’ strongest opponent since Toledo and a Friday night road environment is never easy.
The Hilltoppers are adhering to their typical formula. Once again, they showcase one of the nation’s top passers in Maverick McIvor who ranks fifth in the FBS with 1,474 yards. The seventh-year senior senior quarterback attempted north of 30 passes in all five outings, and he’s been accurate on high volume with 11 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 66.7 completion rate. McIvor has a wealth of playmaking wide receivers to feed, and it’s been a balanced effort at the top. Matthew Henry, Moussa Barry, and K.D. Hutchinson all range from 15-17 receptions for 235-278 yards for a pass-happy offense. But WKU proved last week it can run too, as La’Vell Wright punched in 91 yards and two touchdowns to lead a road win at Missouri State.
As mentioned earlier, WKU’s defense is prone to allowing explosive plays — especially on the ground — and the unit has been very boom or bust to date. Tackles for loss and giving up 20+ runs both are frequent occurrences, and the run defense ranks 127th while the pass defense checks in at 34th in the FBS. One standout leading the Hilltoppers’ stellar pass defense is nickel Jaylen Lewis, who carries 23 tackles, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery on his season résumé heading into the Friday night showdown.
Delaware (3-1, 1-0 CUSA) is already tabbed as a favorite against a perennial CUSA contender, and that’s a testament to how smoothly Ryan Carty and his team have transitioned to the FBS level. Delaware’s only loss occurred at Colorado, where the Fightin’ Blue Hens largely limited Colorado’s first half offense — trailing 10-7 until the final 10 seconds of the half. Delaware already earned a shootout overtime win over UConn and a blowout road victory at FIU to improve to 1-0 in conference play — despite ineligibility for the league championship. WKU will mark the newcomer’s greatest test to date in Newark, DE though.
The Blue Hens thrive off explosive playmaking from the skill positions. Quarterback Nick Minicucci averages 266 passing yards per game and fields a touchdown to interception ratio of 8-to-2. The 6’2” junior also thrives as a capable runner, notably scoring three rushing touchdowns in the overtime win vs. UConn. Leading the run game is Jo Silver who picks up 7.2 yards per carry and ranks fifth in the CUSA in rushing yards. Silver hasn’t taken more than 15 handoffs in a game this year, but he has excelled in limited reps — peaking with 179 yards in Week 3. Rounding out the trio of skill position stars is wide receiver Kyre Duplessis. The Coastal Carolina transfer is up to 306 yards and two touchdowns through four games, shining last time out in Newark with a career-best 169-yard outburst.
Delaware’s defense hasn’t been the best at forcing punts, ranking 112th nationally in yards allowed per game. However, the Blue Hens thrive with chaos plays. It’s an assertive bunch collecting 2.5 sacks per game, spearheaded by outside linebacker Dillon Trainer. The team also thrives off turnover creation and that played a major role in limiting FIU to 16 points. Free safety Mysonne Pollard is a leader in this regard, securing two interceptions and forcing a fumble during Delaware’s inspiring start to 3-1.
The matchup: This one has the makings of a close, exciting finish with the offenses bringing forth their best foot. Maverick McIvor will be able to sling it for over 300 yards, while Delaware will counter with a more balanced offensive attack featuring Jo Silver and Kyre Duplessis. The crowd should play a factor as Newark gets its best exposure since Delaware joined the FBS, but WKU’s wide receivers will be the difference Friday night. Prediction: WKU 42, Delaware 38
FIU @ UConn
Saturday, Oct. 4 at 3:30 pm ET on CBS Sports Network
Spread: UConn (-7.5)
Over/under: 54.5
FIU (2-2, 0-1 CUSA) saw a roller coaster of a September in Willie Simmons’ debut year. The Panthers started the season with a reassuring, dominant victory over FCS competition and then challenged Penn State in a game much closer than the 34-0 score indicated — considering it was 10-0 at halftime and 20-0 with four minutes remaining. FIU took that momentum into its first Shula Bowl win since 2016 but then the Panthers ran out of gas, falling by 22 points at Pitbull Stadium to CUSA newbie Delaware.
The Panthers can beat any CUSA opponent on a given day due to the talent in their quarterback room. Keyone Jenkins was the CUSA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and the third-year starter is looking to prove that label. Jenkins’ efficiency and mobility were instrumental to the win over Florida Atlantic, but the quarterback looks to stretch the offense’s verticality and improve a 2-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio going forward. So far, the offense’s strength has been a run game led by Kejon Owens, who is up to 396 yards on a 6.6 average. Owens has collected over 70 yards on all four opponents and looks to replicate that effort at UConn.
The FIU defense was a thorn in Penn State’s side and proved opportunistic against Florida Atlantic with three takeaways. However, those qualities didn’t translate to the CUSA opener vs. Delaware where it allowed 38 points and constantly missed the mark on third down. FIU knows its potential within the unit, and the Panthers will call upon inside linebacker Johnny Chaney Jr. (36 tackles, three tackles for loss) and cornerback Mister Clark (22 tackles, six pass breakups, one interception) as key cogs to limit UConn’s impressive skill position talent.
UConn (3-2, Independent) cannot stop involving itself in close games. The Huskies dropped consecutive overtime games on the road at Syracuse and Delaware but bounced back to plus-.500 territory thanks to narrow wins against MAC competition. UConn outlasted Ball State in a 31-25 game filled with four quarter offensive chaos and defeated Buffalo 20-17 on a field goal with 11 seconds left. This isn’t the UConn of old; Jim Mora Jr.’s team won nine games last year and looks to repeat that effort with a manageable schedule ahead.
UConn’s offense is loaded with skill position talent. Quarterback Joe Fagnano is capable of taking over games as a passer, as he did at Delaware, and currently sports an efficient 65.3 completion rate with seven touchdown strikes and zero interceptions. His top wide receiver Skyler Bell is one of the nation’s top receivers. Bell is first in the FBS with 42 receptions and fourth in yards with 499. Despite the receiver’s heavy production, there’s still enough yardage to go around to the run game. Cam Edwards is college football’s fifth-leading rusher with 557 yards and has broken a 50-yarder in three of four games. Most impressive of all, UConn is one of three teams without a turnover in 2025.
UConn doesn’t only have individuals with high national ranks on offense. Huskies’ inside linebacker Bryun Parham is second in the FBS with 5.5 sacks, leading a group that ranks top 25 collectively with 2.8 sacks per contest. However, UConn is immune to surrendering breakaway runs as evidenced in matchups vs. Delaware and Ball State. The Huskies’ defense saw a much better result at Buffalo, but they haven’t been able to force consistent takeaways — only generating three through five matchups.
The matchup: UConn is the more polished offense, and the Huskies are able to create plenty of explosives through the playmaking of Cam Edwards and Skyler Bell. Ball security has also been a tremendous help to the offense which should be in for a strong showing at home vs. FIU. The Huskies collect their third-straight as the Panthers conclude non-conference play in East Hartford. Prediction: UConn 35, FIU 17
