Week Three Conference Notes
 
DALLAS – Week three of the 2026 CUSA football season brings a slate highlighted by four compelling rematches, with FIU, Missouri State and MTSU looking to build on memorable victories, while Jax State aims to avenge a close defeat.
 
The 24th edition of the Shula Bowl headlines the weekend as FIU travels to Boca Raton to take on Florida Atlantic at 5 p.m. CT Saturday. The Panthers snapped a seven-game losing streak in the series with a 38-28 triumph over the Owls in 2025.
 
Missouri State welcomes Marshall to Springfield at 5:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network. The Bears stunned the Thundering Herd in Huntington last season, scoring a late touchdown to complete the comeback and earn their first win as a member of the FBS.
 
MTSU and Nevada also meet again after the Blue Raiders authored a thrilling comeback in 2025. MTSU erased a 13-0 deficit by scoring two touchdowns in the final 6:30 to secure the victory. The Wolf Pack now travel to Murfreesboro for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff on ESPN+.
 
After Jax State fell in a 41-34 shootout in Statesboro last season, the Gamecocks will look to get vengeance against Georgia Southern when the Eagles visit AmFirst Stadium at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
 
The schedule also features Delaware hosting Coastal Carolina at 10:30 a.m. CT on CBS Sports Network, Liberty hosting Ball State at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+, WKU traveling to No. 4 Indiana for a 3 p.m. CT kickoff on Peacock, Sam Houston hosting Nicholls at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+, and Kennesaw State visiting No. 15 Tennessee at 6:45 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
 
COASTAL CAROLINA (1-1) AT DELAWARE (1-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 10:30 a.m. CT
Location: Newark, Del. (Delaware Stadium)
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Alex Del Barrio (PxP), Doug Pederson (Analyst)
All-Time Series: First meeting
 
WKU (0-2) AT NO. 4 INDIANA (2-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Bloomington, Ind. (Memorial Stadium)
Broadcast: Peacock
Announcers: Dan Hicks (PxP), Yogi Roth (Analyst), Carolina Pineda (Reporter)
All-Time Series: Indiana leads 5-0
 
BALL STATE (1-1) AT LIBERTY (1-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Williams Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Announcers: Matt Warner (PxP), Rashad Jennings (Analyst), Emily Austen (Reporter)
All-Time Series: Liberty leads 1-0
 
FIU (1-1) AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC (1-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 5 p.m. CT
Location: Boca Raton, Fla. (Flagler Credit Union Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Announcers: AJ Ricketts (PxP), Patrick Murray (Analyst), Maria Trivelpiece (Reporter)
All-Time Series: FAU leads 17-5
 
MARSHALL (1-1) AT MISSOURI STATE (1-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 5:30 p.m. CT
Location: Springfield, Mo. (Plaster Stadium)
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Jason Knapp (PxP), Randy Cross (Analyst)
All-Time Series: Missouri State leads 1-0
 
NEVADA (1-1) AT MTSU (1-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Announcers: Jake Rose (PxP), Jeremy Kellum (Analyst), Emmy Fazenbaker (Reporter)
All-Time Series: MTSU leads 1-0
 
GEORGIA SOUTHERN (1-1) AT JAX STATE (1-2)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Jacksonville, Ala. (AmFirst Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Announcers: Eli Gold (PxP), Jeff Burger (Analyst), Erica Schoeman (Reporter)
All-Time Series: Georgia Southern leads 6-1
 
NICHOLLS (2-1) AT SAM HOUSTON (0-2)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Huntsville, Texas (Elliott T. Bowers Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Announcers: Randy McIlvoy (PxP), John Harris (Analyst), Kendra Sheehan (Reporter)
All-Time Series: Sam Houston leads 22-12-1
 
KENNESAW STATE (1-1) AT NO. 15 TENNESSEE (2-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 6:45 p.m. CT
Location: Knoxville, Tenn. (Neyland Stadium)
Broadcast: SEC Network
Announcers: Dave Neal (PxP), Cole Cubelic (Analyst), Ashley Stroehlein (Reporter)
All-Time Series: First meeting
 
CUSA’S AERIAL ATTACK
Conference USA joins the ACC as the only conferences with three schools averaging more than 325 passing yards per game. FIU leads the league and ranks seventh at 343.5, followed by Delaware (12th, 337.5) and Sam Houston (16th, 325.5). The Fightin’ Blue Hens rank in the top 10 in passes of 20 (12) and 30 (9) yards, and Sam Houston’s eight passes of at least 30 yards is tied for eighth nationally.
 
DELAWARE’S DISRUPTIONS
Delaware is one of just eight FBS teams to record a blocked kick, a blocked punt and a punt return for a touchdown through the opening two weeks, joining Georgia Tech, James Madison, Miami (OH), Toledo, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. The most recent of these special teams disruptions came via a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown that gave the Fightin’ Blue Hens a 17-14 advantage over Vanderbilt at halftime.
 
KOHL AS ICE
FIU quarterback JJ Kohl has dazzled in his first two outings under center for the Panthers to the tune of top-10 marks in completions per game (26.00), passing yards per game (334.0) and total offense (359.0). His most recent outing netted him CUSA Offensive Player of the Week and Davey O’Brien Great 8 honors after he passed for 367 yards and accounted for four touchdowns in a win over Buffalo. It marked the first time since Oct. 22-28, 2022, that an FIU quarterback passes for 300+ yards in back-to-back weeks.
 
COCKS CONTINUITY
Jax State has won nine games and made a bowl game in each of its three seasons at the FBS level, most recently capping off a 9-4 campaign in year one under Charles Kelly with a 17-13 win over in-state rival Troy in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl. The Gamecocks are one of just 14 FBS teams to win nine games in each of the last three seasons and one of five Group of Six conference teams to do so, joining Tulane, Ohio, UNLV and James Madison.
 
OWLS OWN THE RED ZONE
Through two games, Kennesaw State is a perfect 7-7 in the red zone, including six touchdowns to go with a field goal. The Owls have rushed 12 times for 64 yards within opponents’ 20-yard line, and their 5.33 yards per carry ranks 13th in FBS and sixth among teams with at least 10 attempts. Quarterback Rickie Collins has been able to turn it on in short field situations as he’s complete 4-4 passes for 31 yards and two touchdowns through the air and rushed for 19 yards and two touchdowns on three attempts.
 
REKINDLE THE FLAMES
Liberty, which ranked top five nationally in rushing offense in its first two seasons in CUSA, saw a drop-off in 2025 while still ranking 26th nationally with 194 yards per game. The Flames retooled its backfield with a number of portal additions to reposition itself among the nation’s elite rushing offenses. Liberty brought in Kanye Udoh, who rushed 179 times for 1,117 yards and 10 touchdowns with Army in 2024 before transferring to Arizona State, and Kam Davis, who saw playing time in 13 games at Florida State before arriving in Lynchburg.
 
WOODS’ DEFENSIVE DOUBLE
MTSU safety Kalen Woods has recorded a fumble recovery for a touchdown in each of the Blue Raiders’ first two games of the season. The last FBS player before Woods to have a fumble recovered for a TD in consecutive team games was Cal’s Nohl Williams November 4-11, 2023. The last CUSA team to have a player with a fumble recovered for a TD in consecutive team games was Cincinnati’s Antwan Peek back on November 7-16, 2002. MTSU’s two defensive touchdowns make them one of just eight FBS teams with multiple defensive scores this season.
 
MO STATE MOMENTUM
With a 7-6 campaign in its FBS debut season, Missouri State recorded back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the Bears tallied four-straight winning seasons from 1989-92. First-year head coach Casey Woods will look to build on that foundation with a history of successful programs that includes serving on the staff for Auburn’s 2010 national championship, a record setting UAB team that won its first ever CUSA Championship in 2018 and most recently serving as offensive coordinator at SMU, which won its first conference championship since 1984 and qualified for the 2024 College Football Playoff.
 
TREY THRIVES ON THIRD
Through the first two weeks, NM State quarterback Trey Hedden has completed 15-24 passes for 255 yards on third downs and secured 12 first downs on passes, including eight on 10 completions in a hard-fought loss at Florida State. Facing an average third-down distance of nine yards that night, he didn’t shy away from taking shots, averaging 12.1 yards per attempt on his third-down throws. The Aggies converted on 10-17 (.588) third-down tries for the game and are 21-40 (.525) on the year thus far, which ranks 24th in FBS. 
 
BEARKAT BARRAGE
Through the first two weeks, Sam Houston leads CUSA and ranks top 20 nationally in sacks (4.00) and tackles for loss (7.5). The Bearkats have tallied four sacks in each of the first two weeks. Junior linebacker Elijah Groves is pacing the team in both categories with 2.5 sacks, along with a forced fumble. Brian Bates Jr. and Brody Henderson each have a pair of TFL on the year with one sack. On the year, 12 different Bearkats have chipped in on a tackle for loss, while eight have had a hand in on a sack.
 
TOPPER TRADITION
WKU is one of just 10 FBS programs and three Group of Six schools (Memphis, Louisiana) to play in a bowl game in each of the last seven years. WKU is one of only 10 FBS programs in the nation with 8+ wins in each of the last five seasons and has participated in 12 bowl games over the last 14 seasons, winning eight after claiming the 2025 New Orleans Bowl. Since the start of the CFP era in 2014, only Georgia and Minnesota (nine each) have more bowl wins than WKU’s eight, which are tied with Alabama, Ohio State and Wisconsin.