Week Eight Conference Notes
 
DALLAS – Week eight brings another four-game Weekday CUSA slate, opening up with a pair of intriguing matchups on Tuesday as MTSU and FIU square off in a battle of 1-1 teams in CUSA while Missouri State and Delaware are set to face off for the first time – each in their second year in the league.
 
Week eight also includes a pair of winless conference teams looking to get back on track at home as Sam Houston hosts New Mexico State at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday on ESPN2 and Kennesaw State welcomes Liberty at 6 p.m. CT Thursday on CBS Sports Network.  The Owls have ousted the Flames in each of their two meetings as CUSA foes.
 
MTSU (3-3, 1-1 CUSA) AT FIU (3-3, 1-1 CUSA)
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 20
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Miami, Fla. (Pitbull Stadium)
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Justin Kutcher (PxP), Ben DiNucci (Analyst)
All-Time Series: MTSU leads 14-6
 
MISSOURI STATE (2-4, 1-1 CUSA) AT DELAWARE (2-4, 0-2 CUSA)
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 20
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Newark, Del. (Delaware Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPNU
Announcers: Mike Corey (PxP), Craig Haubert (Analyst)
All-Time Series: First meeting
 
NEW MEXICO STATE (2-4, 1-1 CUSA) AT SAM HOUSTON (1-5, 0-2 CUSA)
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 21
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Huntsville, Texas (Elliott T. Bowers Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN2
Announcers: Jorge Sedano (PxP), Rodney McLeod (Analyst), Kendra Douglas (Reporter)
All-Time Series: NM State leads 2-1
 
LIBERTY (5-1, 2-0 CUSA) AT KENNESAW STATE (1-5, 0-2 CUSA)
Date: Thursday, Oct. 22
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. (Fifth Third Stadium)
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Jordan Kent (PxP), Robert Turbin (Analyst)
All-Time Series: Kennesaw State leads 3-2
 
WEEKDAY WARRIORS
Jax State has enjoyed the most success during Weekday CUSA since its inception as the Gamecocks own a 13-1 mark over four years. The only loss came in 2023 against eventual CUSA Champion and Fiesta Bowl participant, Liberty. The Flames follow closely behind with nine Weekday CUSA wins since 2023.
 
School                       Record
Jax State                 13-1 (.929)
Liberty                    9-2 (.818)
Missouri State           4-1 (.800)
WKU                      9-4 (.692)
NM State                 7-5 (.583)
Kennesaw State        4-5 (.444)
FIU                        4-9 (.308)
MTSU                     3-8 (.273)
Sam Houston           3-12 (.200)
Delaware                 1-4 (.200)
 
SPREAD THE LOVE
After Delaware wide receiver Bryson Graves completed a touchdown pass to quarterback Tyler Bell against MTSU, Graves became the fifth Blue Hen to throw a touchdown pass this season and second by a non-quarterback. The five touchdown passers are the most in the country this season and tied for the most by a CUSA team all-time in a season, matching Memphis in 2008 and Southern Miss in 2021. The two non-QB touchdown passers are tied for the most in the nation this season (Louisiana Tech). One of those came via RB Viron Ellison Jr.’s 75-yard-touchdown pass versus Merrimack, which is the longest by a non-quarterback since Michigan’s Donovan Edwards’ 75-yard throw in 2021.
 
PANTHERS ON PACE FOR HISTORY
FIU’s defense has allowed opponents to score touchdowns on just 26.7 percent of their drives into the red zone (4-15), on pace to be the best mark of any FBS team in the last decade. Currently, the lowest opponent offensive red-zone touchdown percentage since 2017 is held by Georgia in 2021 at 28.1 percent. The next best mark in the FBS this season is South Florida at 31.3 percent (5-16). FIU now faces a MTSU offense which leads CUSA in red-zone touchdown percentage this season at 76.9 percent.
 
COLLINS’ CRISP COMPLETIONS
Kennesaw State quarterback Rickie Collins leads CUSA and ranks in the top 20 in FBS in both completion percentage (14th, .701) and completions per game (17th, 21.50). On the year, Collins has completed 129-184 passes. In the last three games, he has completed 67-92 (72.8%) of his passes with a pair of touchdowns. Collins has been efficient early and often, completing 25-30 (83.3%) of passes in the opening quarter, which ranks third among all FBS quarterbacks behind Georgia’s Gunner Stockton and Miami’s Darian Mensah.
 
FLAWLESS FLAMES
Liberty is one of just six FBS teams yet to throw an interception, surpassing the 2014 Florida Atlantic squad for the longest streak to start a season in CUSA history. Led by a disciplined quarterback in Deshawn Purdie, Liberty leads CUSA and ranks 22nd nationally in team passing efficiency (162.39). Purdie leads CUSA and ranks 25th in FBS in passing efficiency (161.9). He has completed 70-114 passes (61.4%) for 1,050 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions.
 
RED-ZONE RESURGENCE
MTSU has scored a touchdown on 76.9 percent of its trips into the red zone this season, the best rate in Conference USA. That’s on pace to be the third-best mark by any CUSA program over the last 10 seasons. In the red zone, quarterback Roman Gagliano is 11-19 for 97 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.  His favorite short-field targets include wide receiver Cam Lacy (5 rec, 35 yds, 3 TD) and tight end Neo Clifton (3 rec, 42 yds, 3 TD).
 
BIRD IS THE WORD
Missouri State linebacker Jared “Bird” Lloyd is quickly emerging as one of the most productive FBS linebackers, ranking second in FBS in tackles per game (11.7). Bird is tied for ninth in FBS in solo stops per game (5.33). He set a new career high with 15 stops against WKU this past week after he logged 13 tackles on three occassions already this season, including two against top-25 teams in Texas A&M and SMU. Only Oklahoma State’s Ethan Wesloski has as many tackles per game in multiple games against Power Four teams. Bird already has 71 tackles on the year and needs just seven to surpass his tally from last season.
 
SCHOOL IN SESSION
NM State’s Nick Session joins Auburn’s Elijah Melendez as the only two FBS players to average at least five solo tackles per game and one pass defended per game. The Aggie corner ranks eighth with 5.67 solo stops per game to go with six passes defended. Session has picked off two passes and broken up four more passes. His last time out versus FIU, he tallied nine solo stops and broke up a pass.
 
NO FLY ZONE
Sam Houston is holding opponents to 137.8 passing yards per game this season, good for fourth in the FBS. The Bearkats rank second in FBS in opponent completion percentage (50.0) and yards per attempt (5.3), and fourth in passing efficiency defense (102.93). On third downs, the Bearkats have allowed the eighth-lowest completion percentage (43.2) in FBS. Opponents are just 19-44 for 218 yards dropping back on third down.