Wednesday night football made a triumphant return to our television screens last week, and now you have yet another day of the week to occupy yourself with football. The Tuesday night lights shine bright as Weekday CUSA returns for a third-straight week — this time occupying Tuesday and Wednesday time slots. Adding to the fun is the Sun Belt which also features its first Tuesday night showdown of the year, pitting Arkansas State against South Alabama.
Back to the CUSA, last week was full of eventful
finishes and stunning results. Jacksonville State sunk a 52-yard field goal at the buzzer to keep Sam Houston winless. Missouri State survived a Middle Tennessee missed field goal in the final seconds. And Kennesaw State proved its contender status by hammering Louisiana Tech in a shocking upset.
Let’s see what’s on the slate for Weekday CUSA in Week 8:
New Mexico State @ Liberty
Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7 pm ET on CBS Sports Network
Spread: Liberty (-9.5)
Over/under: 47.5
New Mexico State (3-2, 1-1 CUSA) is still out for revenge on Liberty from the 2023 CUSA Championship Game, as the Aggies are 0-3 against the Flames since both former independent programs joined the league two years ago. New Mexico State is fresh off its second bye week, and last time out, the Aggies enjoyed their most dominant win over an FBS program since November 2022, handling Sam Houston 37-10. The offense has tremendously improved under former Fresno State transfer quarterback Logan Fife, who averages 254 passing yards per game. Against Sam Houston, wide receiver TK King made his debut with New Mexico State, elevating the aerial attack to another level. The Aggies’ defense has been up-and-down throughout the year, and they’ll look to thrive off the playmaking of Week 6 CUSA Defensive Player of the Week Naeten Mitchell, a free safety who ranks atop the team in tackles.
Liberty (2-4, 1-1 CUSA) has never produced a losing season since joining the FBS ranks in 2018, but 2025 is off to an uncharacteristically rocky start. The Flames’ offense features less triple option and more traditional shotgun and pistol looks this year, as Ethan Vasko is more of a traditional pocket passer than traditional Jamey Chadwell quarterbacks. Vasko led the offense to a bevy of scoring opportunities against UTEP, but the Flames left the contest with a 19-8 victory thanks to one touchdown and four field goals. Liberty ranks 125th nationally in scoring offense after scoring under 20 in four consecutive games. The defense is a two-sided coin, showing tremendous resolve in defending the air while struggling against the run game. They save their best for the red zone though, holding opponents to 11 touchdowns and three field goals on 20 trips inside the 20.
Prediction: Liberty 20, New Mexico State 13
FIU @ WKU
Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 8 pm ET on ESPNU
Spread: WKU (-9.5)
Over/under: 56.5
FIU (2-3, 0-1 CUSA) started the Willie Simmons era in uplifting fashion as its defense gave Penn State all it could handle and the Panthers finally won their first Shula Bowl over arch rival Florida Atlantic since 2016. However, FIU was seamlessly handled by Delaware and UConn in the past two weeks by a combined score of 89-26, and the schedule doesn’t ease up with WKU looming. After getting nicked up in his prior outing, Keyone Jenkins is salted to start, looking to revert to his 2024 level of play which included 2,557 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. FIU’s offense hasn’t been able to get off the ground lately, and it will also need contributions from Kejon Owens in the run game, as his 173-yard performance vs. FAU was essential to FIU’s signature win of September. Even with a great day on offense, the Panthers must immediately improve their 127th-ranked passing defense when facing WKU’s air raid in order to have a shot on the road.
WKU (5-1, 3-0 CUSA) is wearing the coolest uniform of Week 8, depicting its beloved mascot Big Red performing the school’s signature “Zombieland” celebration on the helmet. The Hilltoppers look to play as well as they’ll dress, desperately needed a comfortable win after too-close-for-comfort finishes against Nevada, Missouri State, and Delaware. As usual with a Tyson Helton squad, WKU is among the best passing teams in the country. Seventh-year senior quarterback Maverick McIvor is 12th nationally with 1,704 passing yards, but most impressive is his accuracy. He’s connecting on 67.8 percent of throws with 12 touchdowns to two interceptions, keeping the ball out of harm’s way. Matthew Henry, K.D. Hutchinson, and Moussa Barry make up an explosive and lethal wide receiving corps to assist him. To become the unquestionable CUSA frontrunner, WKU needs its defense to allow fewer explosives, particularly in the run game.
Prediction: WKU 42, FIU 17
Delaware @ Jacksonville State
Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 pm ET on ESPN
Spread: Delaware (-2.5)
Over/under: 57.5
Delaware (3-2, 1-1 CUSA) is showing every sign that it’s an upper-echelon CUSA team in year one of FBS membership. The Fightin’ Blue Hens crushed FIU by 22 in their CUSA debut and then dropped a heartbreaker to clubhouse leader WKU on a missed game-tying field goal. Delaware also showed out in non-conference play, stunning UConn in overtime and playing Colorado tough for a half. The Fightin’ Blue Hens thrive off the skill position trio of quarterback Nick Minicucci, running back Jo Silver, and wide receiver Kyre Duplessis. Minicucci averages 276 passing yards per game but also excels as a tough runner in short-yardage situations, ranking first in the CUSA with seven rushing touchdowns. Delaware is strongest offensively, but middle linebacker Gavin Mohl (41 tackles, 4.0 TFL) will be tasked with sharpening the run defense against the nation’s leading rusher.
Jacksonville State (3-3, 2-0 CUSA) claimed the conference crown last December and then lost head coach Rich Rodriguez and a wealth of starting talent. However, head coach Charles Kelly and a batch of 50+ newcomers are ensuring that Jax State still remains perfect in conference play. It took scaling 40 yards in 12 seconds to set up a 52-yard Garrison Rippa game-winning field goal, but the Gamecocks outlasted Sam Houston last Thursday for their first road win under Kelly. Just like in the Rich Rod era, Jax State’s forte is the zone read run game. Cam Cook ranks atop the country with 832 rushing yards (218 last week) and has a legitimate opportunity to hit 1,000 Wednesday. Quarterback Caden Creel is fourth in the conference in rushing despite only one start, and he’s accumulated 293 rushing yards in his last two games.
Prediction: Jacksonville State 28, Delaware 27
UTEP @ Sam Houston
Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 pm ET on CBS Sports Network
Spread: UTEP (-2.5)
Over/under: 47.5
UTEP (1-5, 0-2 CUSA) remains in search of its first FBS win of 2025. The Miners are consistently delivering on the defensive end as exhibited in last week’s 19-8 loss to Liberty or a 27-10 defeat at Texas, but the same cannot be said for their 120th-ranked scoring offense. UTEP exhibits one of CUSA’s most fearsome fronts led by defensive end Udoka Ezeani, the bearer of a CUSA-best 4.0 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. In fact, UTEP is sixth in the FBS in tackles for loss per game. However, the offense has failed to crack 12 points in three of its last four games. The Miners continue to swap former 5-star recruit Malachi Nelson and 2024 starter Skyler Locklear at quarterback looking for a solution. The run game hasn’t been reliable either, and UTEP began last Wednesday night with six consecutive punts. Scotty Walden’s team enters this matchup as the favorite, hoping its defense can generate enough stops for a midseason turnaround.
Sam Houston (0-6, 0-3 CUSA) is one of three winless FBS teams left, maintaining the designation alongside Oregon State and UMass. The Bearkats were excruciatingly close to snapping their losing ways last Thursday, as Jacksonville State flew down the field in the final 15 seconds to set up a buzzer-beating 52-yard field goal. Prior to that matchup, Sam Houston hadn’t led in a fourth quarter or led at any moment since Week 0. The Bearkats showed signs of promise even in the defeat as quarterback Hunter Watson shined with three passing touchdowns and several significant pickups as a rusher. The Bearkats will look for strong contributions from running back Alton McCaskill and wide receiver Chris Reed to topple a sturdy UTEP defense, while their own defense looks to get off the field more often — ranking fifth-to-last in the country with a 50 percent opponent third down conversion rate.
Prediction: Sam Houston 20, UTEP 17
