Weekday CUSA, you served us well.
You kept college football afloat on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (and even some Thursdays and Fridays) throughout the month of October, showcasing 12 teams in the spotlight
that may not have reveled as much in the spotlight otherwise.
We were treated to overtime thrillers between WKU vs. Louisiana Tech and Missouri State vs. New Mexico State. We watched Jacksonville State fly down the entire field in 15 seconds to kick a 52-yard game-winner. We saw several missed game-winning and tying field goals as well. We felt the electricity of Delaware’s Dollar Dog Night and FIU’s Vice Night.
The CUSA season still remains in full swing, but this is the final slate of midweek games. The league also presents a Friday night matchup and two Saturday contests as its return to November normalcy:
- Tuesday, Oct. 28: UTEP @ Kennesaw State — 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU
- Wednesday, Oct. 29: Jacksonville State @ Middle Tennessee — 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
- Wednesday, Oct. 29: FIU @ Missouri State — 8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
- Friday, Oct. 31: Sam Houston @ Louisiana Tech — 8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
- Saturday, Nov. 1: Delaware @ Liberty — 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
- Saturday, Nov. 1: New Mexico State @ WKU — 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+
Here’s what to watch for in the final Weekday CUSA of 2025:
How high can the Owls fly?
In one of the biggest surprises in college football this season, the Kennesaw State Owls are bona fide CUSA contenders. The Owls struggled with the FCS to FBS transition last season, finishing 2-10 with an FCS loss and a controversial midseason coach firing. But Kennesaw State more than righted the ship in year one of the Jerry Mack era. The Owls aren’t here to compete — they’re here to follow in Jacksonville State’s footsteps and win the conference in year two of the transition.
Kennesaw State, along with Jax State, is one of two teams sporting a perfect 3-0 record in CUSA play. And even its two non-conference losses — at No. 2 Indiana and 10-9 at 5-2 Wake Forest — are very passable. The Owls ride a dominant 5-game win streak heading into Tuesday night’s action at The Fraction as UTEP visits Fifth Third Bank Stadium. And each game during this stretch, Kennesaw State seemingly gets better. It knocked off Louisiana Tech 35-7 and FIU 45-26 in its last two, and it doesn’t matter whose playing quarterback because both Dexter Williams II and Amari Odom (day-to-day after leaving the FIU game with an injury) are more than capable of leading the offense. Regardless of which QB Coach Mack throws in, wide receiver Gabriel Benyard (with a CUSA-leading 495 receiving yards) is certain to make several downfield plays. Kennesaw State’s defense is sharp, but elevating its offense from 16.5 to 25.3 points per game is the main reason it rose expeditiously into contending status.
Cam Cook’s chase for 1,000
The nation’s leading rusher resides in Jacksonville, AL. Even after a bye week, Jacksonville State running back Cam Cook reigns supreme in the FBS with 949 rushing yards, sitting 12 yards ahead of Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy. Also important to note: through nine weeks, Jax State has already taken two bye weeks which means there are five regular season games remaining. So how high can Cam Cook climb?
The TCU transfer running back is 51 yards away from 1,000, and he’s hit 75 in every game this year. Cook has five 110+ yard performances including absolute rampages of 195 and 218 in conference play. He is fresh off a 117-yard, 3-touchdown outing against Delaware and looks to inflict more damage on Middle Tennessee. Although Middle Tennessee is struggling at 1-6, the run defense is one of the better qualities of the Blue Raiders, ranking top 50 nationally with 6.0 tackles for loss and limiting teams to 143 rushing yards per game on a 3.8 average. Jax State’s 276 yards per game ground attack is difficult to stop, and even if Middle Tennessee provides Cook resistance, there’s always quarterback Caden Creel. Creel is undefeated as a starter and averaging 117 rushing yards in his last three outings for a Jax State team that’s 3-0 in league play.
Will Sam Houston finally win?
On Halloween night, can Sam Houston provide a jump scare on the road at Louisiana Tech? Sam Houston is one of two remaining winless FBS teams heading into Week 10, sharing that unwanted status with UMass. The Bearkats were excruciatingly close earlier in the month, losing a heartbreaker on a last-second field goal to Jacksonville State on Oct. 9. And Jax State is currently tied for the lead in the conference, as Sam Houston proved it can compete with anyone on a given night.
Speaking of Oct. 9, it was until that night where Louisiana Tech appeared to be the frontrunner of the CUSA. The Bulldogs played LSU incredibly tough in Death Valley, handled 6-2 Sun Belt contender Southern Miss, and won their first two CUSA games by a combined 54 points. But it all came crashing down in a stunning 35-7 road loss at Kennesaw State. Louisiana Tech attempted to bounce back in Ruston last Tuesday but its game-winning field goal was blocked by Western Kentucky to force overtime. WKU had its back against the wall facing a 4th-and-long in OT but converted, scored a touchdown, and notched the deciding two-point try. Now Louisiana Tech is 4-3 and hoping to avoid a late-season collapse. If there was one positive the Bulldogs can take into the Sam Houston game, they realized the potency of their passing attack as quarterback Blake Baker fired for a season-high 340 yards vs. WKU.
