Cherish these Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We have two weeks of Weekday CUSA remaining before the conference hands the baton to Midweek MACtion in November.
Last week, Weekday CUSA delivered with several thrillers. Three of the four games featured a go-ahead score in the final 3:30 of action, and these three were all decided by exactly three points. There are two double-digit spreads this week, but we’ve seen stranger things happen on Weekday CUSA in the past.
Miami, Newark, Huntsville, and Kennesaw serve as the hosts as the four-game slate spans three nights this week. Middle Tennessee-FIU and Missouri State-Delaware are set for Tuesday. New Mexico State-Sam Houston is a standalone Wednesday night game. And Liberty-Kennesaw State concludes Week 8 of CUSA play on Thursday.
Here is a preview of all four matchups:
Middle Tennessee @ FIU
Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7 pm ET on CBS Sports Network
Spread: FIU (-10)
Over/under: 45.5
Middle Tennessee (3-3, 1-1 CUSA) has its best team in the three years of the Derek Mason era. The Blue Raiders have already matched their highest win total under Mason, and there are six games left on the regular season schedule. One reason for the Blue Raiders’ rapid ascension is the play of Roman Gagliano. The sophomore quarterback threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns last week to lead a back-and-forth win over Delaware. Gagliano has been complemented well by his receivers, including Cam’ron Lacy (369 yards, 4 TD), Markus Allen (176 yards, 1 TD), and Neo Clifton (166 yards, 3 TD). Middle Tennessee’s greatest weakness earlier in the season was its pass rush, but the Blue Raiders — which entered the game with three sacks — landed five sacks on Delaware, and that pressure led to a safety and an interception. Cornerback Jackson Lowe has been the star of the defense, winning CUSA Defensive Player of the Week for his effort in Week 3.
FIU (3-3, 1-1 CUSA) is a defensive juggernaut. The Panthers are tied for ninth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 14.7 points per game. They are also ninth in total defense, 10th in third down defense, and first in opponent red zone touchdown percentage — giving up touchdowns on just 31.3 percent of opponent red zone trips. However, the Panthers don’t just force red zone struggles. They encounter them offensively, too. FIU is third in the CUSA in total offense yet ninth in scoring offense, and that can be attributed to what happens inside the 20-yard line. FIU’s red zone touchdown percentage of 31.8 percent is second-to-last in the FBS, scoring just seven touchdowns on 22 visits. Quarterback JJ Kohl regularly slings it for over 250 yards, but his seven touchdowns have been matched by seven intereptions. Defensively, stars to monitor include defensive linemen Elisha Baldridge, Kenton Simmons, and DeeJay Holmes Jr. They have 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 sacks, respectively, and 7.0, 6.0, 6.0 tackles for loss, respectively, as the architects behind FIU’s domineering defense.
Prediction: FIU 19, Middle Tennessee 14
Missouri State @ Delaware
Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7 pm ET on ESPNU
Spread: Delaware (-3)
Over/under: 52.5
Missouri State (2-4, 1-1 CUSA) secured its first FBS win of the Casey Woods era last Wednesday, sliding past Kennesaw State on a 22-yard field goal from Yousef Obeid as time expired. The Bears fought hard against Marshall — and even SMU — but they finally finished the job in a close game. The offense is still looking for a spark, as the unit hasn’t registered more than 24 points in five contests against FBS teams. However, Missouri State flipped to Henry Belin IV at quarterback, and he excelled with 300 yards and two touchdowns in his first start since the 2023 TaxSlayer Bowl at Duke. Wide receiver Isaiah Myers has been dependable regardless of the quarterback, leading the CUSA with 554 receiving yards, and doing so on a 20.5 average. The Bears allow 30.5 points per game and are 126th in total defense, requiring progress in that facet. That improvement starts up front, as Missouri State ranks last in the conference in both sacks and tackles for loss. Nobody on the team has multiple sacks heading into Week 8.
Delaware (2-4, 0-2 CUSA) had lofty expectations heading into the season but the Fightin’ Blue Hens remain winless in CUSA play. Delaware has dropped three straight, and that streak coincided with losing star quarterback Nick Minicucci to injury. The Fightin’ Blue Hens weren’t bad offensively in their Week 7 loss to Middle Tennessee, as true freshman Tyler Bell made his first start at quarterback and set a program freshman record with 306 passing yards. Nine different Hens caught a pass spanning at least 10 yards, showing the versatility of the receiving corps, which is usually led by Sean Wilson. However, especially without Minicucci, Delaware requires more run support, ranking fourth-to-last nationally with 94 rushing yards per game. The 125th-ranked pass defense could also use work, but Delaware has some capable backfield invaders. Linebackers Colin Gallagher and Blake Matthews combine for 82 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 8.0 sacks on the defense which produces the most sacks in the CUSA.
Prediction: Delaware 26, Missouri State 24
New Mexico State @ Sam Houston
Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 8 pm ET on ESPNU
Spread: New Mexico State (-3)
Over/under: 44.5
New Mexico State (2-4, 1-1 CUSA) must reinvigorate its offense. The Aggies enjoyed a stellar CUSA opener where they piled 34 points onto WKU, assisted by 155 rushing yards from lead back James Jones. However, New Mexico State hasn’t reached 20 points against its four other FBS opponents. Jones remains a force for the offense, ranking atop the conference with 599 rushing yards. The Aggies will need more from the passing game. Trey Hedden started the first four games at quarterback, while Adam Damante started the last two. They’ll need to ignite a versatile receiving corps led by the electric TK King (5’9”, 180) and complemented by AJ Williams III (6’4”, 195) and Brodie Malone-Bradford (6’5”, 205). Defensively, New Mexico State has been solid in CUSA play, only allowing two touchdowns across two games. The chaos is often created in the secondary. Strong safety Nick Session has 50 tackles and two interceptions, including a pick-six. Meanwhile, cornerback De’Marcus Peters has 21 stops and two defensive touchdowns — one from an interception and another from a fumble recovery.
Sam Houston (1-5, 0-2 CUSA) looked like a dark-horse CUSA contender during non-conference play, falling just short of Troy and Tulsa, while giving Texas Tech all it could handle for a half. But since the start of that second half in Lubbock, the Bearkats have been unrecognizable from the team they were for most of September. Sam Houston hasn’t scored a touchdown in 10 quarters, notching just a field goal in each of its two conference losses against Liberty and WKU. Quarterback Landyn Locke remains the team’s greatest asset. He averaged 324 passing yards per game with nine touchdowns and one interceptions in his first three starts, but in his last three, he is averaging 148 with two touchdowns and three interceptions. The offensive line play must be better though, as the Bearkats are struggling to run and letting up the 13th-most sacks per game (2.83). Defensively, Sam Houston looks to create its first turnover in CUSA play. One candidate suited to lead the movement is 6’4” cornerback Ishmel Atkins, who ranks atop the team with five pass breakups.
Prediction: New Mexico State 27, WKU 24
Liberty @ Kennesaw State
Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 pm ET on CBS Sports Network
Spread: Liberty (-10.5)
Over/under: 49.5
Liberty (5-1, 2-0 CUSA) is the clear-cut favorite to win the CUSA. The Flames lost by seven at undefeated James Madison in Week 1 and have since been on a two-way roll. Offensively, Deshawn Purdie has thrown eight touchdowns without an interception, while running back Kam Davis is averaging 87 rushing yards per game on a 7.1 average. Liberty not only has the conference’s most explosive running back in Davis, but the Flames field the most explosive receiver as well in Makai Jackson, who has 515 receiving yards and five touchdowns on a 23.4 average. The Flames have scored 30+ points in four-straight games, but the defense might be performing even better. Liberty has shut out opponents in 10 of the last 16 quarters and prevented a touchdown in 12 of the last 16. The Flames are 15th in scoring defense and 19th in total defense, with Brenton Williams and Derrell Farrar among the most disruptive talents.
Kennesaw State (1-5, 0-2 CUSA) may be on the opposite side of Liberty in the CUSA standings, but that didn’t matter the last time these two teams met at The Fraction in 2024. An 0-6 Kennesaw State team secured its first-ever win as an FBS program over 5-0 Liberty, and the weeknight spectacle concluded in a celebratory field storm. The Owls may be 1-5, but they’ve been highly competitive in their last three, losing by three to Arkansas State, one to Jacksonville State, and three to Missouri State — losing back-to-back games on last-minute field goals. Rickie Collins has taken strides at quarterback in recent weeks, throwing for 293 and 260 in his first two CUSA starts while remaining a dangerous runner. On defense, Kennesaw State has only surrendered eight touchdowns across its last three outings, with the formidable linebacker duo of Baron Hopson and Tywon Christopher combining for 87 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss on the season.
Prediction: New Mexico State 27, WKU 24