Week Four Conference Notes
 
DALLAS – Week four marks the start of Conference USA play with a showdown between MTSU and Jacksonville State, while the remainder of the slate includes the 116^th playing of the Rio Grande Rivalry and multiple coaches facing their past stops or alma mater.
 
The Blue Raiders and Gamecocks are both coming off comeback victories against Group of Six foes and bring their respective momentum into the first league contest of the year. The teams will square off on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. CT.
 
Among the oldest (1894) and most played (115) rivalries in college football, New Mexico State and New Mexico once again renew the Rio Grande Rivalry in Las Cruces, N.M. at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network.
 
The schedule gets underway Thursday with a key non-conference matchup with Liberty visiting Coastal Carolina, where Flames head coach Jamey Chadwell gained prominence as the Chanticleers coach from 2019-22. The game will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
 
The nightcap brings a similar fate as Missouri State head coach Casey Woods will lead the Bears to Dallas to take on No. 22 SMU, where Woods served as offensive coordinator from 2022-25. The Bears and Mustangs will duel at 8 p.m. CT on ACC Network.
 
Kennesaw State head coach Jerry Mack – a graduate of Arkansas State – will look to once again best his alma mater after the Owls outlasted the Red Wolves, 28-21, in their first meeting last season.
 
Saturday will also mark the non-conference finales for four other squads as Sam Houston and Delaware visit Power Four foes, while FIU and WKU host a pair of FCS opponents.
 
LIBERTY (2-1) AT COASTAL CAROLINA (1-2)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 24
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: Conway, S.C. (Brooks Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN
All-Time Series: Liberty leads 8-7
 
SAM HOUSTON (1-2) AT NO. 11 TEXAS TECH (3-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 11 a.m. CT
Location: Lubbock, Texas (Galaxy Stadium)
Broadcast: TNT
All-Time Series: Texas Tech leads 2-0
 
NEW MEXICO (2-1) AT NM STATE (1-2)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Location: Las Cruces, N.M. (Aggie Memorial Stadium)
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
All-Time Series: New Mexico leads 75-35-5
 
DELAWARE (2-1) AT VIRGINIA (2-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 5 p.m. CT
Location: Charlottesville, Va. (Scott Stadium)
Broadcast: ACC Network
All-Time Series: First meeting
 
LONG ISLAND (0-4) AT FIU (1-2)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 5:00 p.m. CT
Location: Miami, Fla. (Pitbull Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
All-Time Series: FIU leads 1-0
 
KENNESAW STATE (1-2) AT ARKANSAS STATE (1-2)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Jonesboro, Ark. (Centennial Bank Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
All-Time Series: Kennesaw State leads 1-0
 
MERCYHURST (1-3) AT WKU (0-3)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Bowling Green, Ky. (Houchens Industries – L.T. Smith Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
All-Time Series: First meeting
 
MTSU (2-1) AT JAX STATE (2-2)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Jacksonville, Ala. (AmFirst Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
All-Time Series: MTSU leads 17-5-2
 
MISSOURI STATE (1-2) AT NO. 22 SMU (2-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Dallas, Texas (Gerald J. Ford Stadium)
Broadcast: ACC Network
All-Time Series: SMU leads 1-0
 
CUSA’S AERIAL ATTACK
Conference USA joins the ACC and Big Ten as the only conferences with three schools averaging more than 315 passing yards per game. Sam Houston leads the league and ranks sixth at 345.7 yards per game, followed by Delaware (11th, 325.7) and FIU (16th, 316.3). The Fightin’ Blue Hens are tied for third in FBS with 17 pass plays over 20 yards, behind only USC and Oregon, while Delaware and Sam Houston are tied for second with 11 over 30 yards, behind only SMU.
 
SACK ATTACK
Delaware is one of five teams that have recorded at least three sacks in every game in 2026. The other four are Alabama, Navy, Nebraska and North Carolina. The Fightin’ Blue Hens lead CUSA and rank 10th nationally with 3.33 sacks per game. Fifth-year bandit Blake Matthews paces Delaware with 2.5 sacks and has been involved in one QB takedown in all three games after he registered a key strip sack versus Coastal Carolina this past weekend. Colin Gallagher and Noah Matthews each have 2.0 sacks on the year.
 
PANTHERS’ PERFECT PAIRING
FIU quarterback JJ Kohl and wide receiver Maguire Anderson have quickly established themselves as one of CUSA’s most productive pairings. Kohl ranks fifth nationally in passing yards per game (310.0) and sixth in total offense (331.3), while Anderson ranks 10th nationally in receiving yards per game (108.0) and 13th in receptions per game (7.0). In last week’s Shula Bowl, the duo connected on 8-13 targets for 139 yards, running their season tally up to 21 receptions for 324 yards through three games.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS, SPECIAL PLAYS, SPECIAL PLAYERS
Jax State’s special teams unit has been a nightmare for opponents, as displayed most recently with Caleb Nix’s game-winning 75-yard punt return for a touchdown that vaulted the Gamecocks to No. 7 in FBS in punt return average (23.0). Jax State also ranks fifth nationally in net punting (47.36) on Conor Donaghy’s 11 punts, which have seen just one return for zero yards. With a pair of blocked kicks versus Ohio, Jax State still ranks second nationally in blocked kicks.
 
OWLS OWN THE RED ZONE
Through three games, Kennesaw State is a perfect 10-10 in the red zone, including six touchdowns to go with four field goals. The Owls have rushed 17 times for 72 yards within opponents’ 20-yard line, and their 4.24 yards per carry ranks 26th in FBS. Quarterback Rickie Collins has completed 5-8 passes for 39 yards and two touchdowns through the air and rushed for 23 yards and two touchdowns on six attempts.
 
REKINDLE THE FLAMES
After struggling to get the ground game going through the opening two weeks, Liberty finally broke through with a 212-yard performance in the commanding victory over Ball State. The contest saw six rushers go for at least 20+ yards, led by 51 yards on three carries for Terron Kellman. Kam Davis and Peyton Jones have seen the lions’ share of the work, combining to average 93.3 yards per game on 20 carries. The Flames, 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.
 
BLUE RAIDER BARRIER
MTSU is showing its high level of investment in its offensive line, ranking third in FBS in tackles for loss allowed (1.67) and 11th in sacks allowed (0.67) through the first three games. Center Chris Moreno ranks third in CUSA in PFF pass block grade (85.6). He has allowed just one pressure and has only been penalized once. Right tackle Reese Tripp is coming off having the line’s top PFF offensive grade (69.6) and run-block grade (66.2), while allowing just one pressure on 34 dropbacks in the win over Nevada. He ranks fourth among CUSA tackles in PFF offensive grade (69.2) and run block grade (68.8).
 
MYERS’ MONSTER PLAYS
After not entering the scoresheet in the season opener at Texas A&M, Isaiah Myers has gone full throttle for the Missouri State offense over the past two weeks with five grabs for 155 yards and a touchdown against Lindenwood and seven grabs for 141 yards against Marshall. He now ranks 15th nationally in receiving yards per game (98.7) and 12th in yards per reception (24.67). Coming into the year, Myers tallied 280 yards on 15 catches across two seasons at Charlotte and WKU. He already has a single-season best 296 receiving yards and needs just two catches to eclipse his previus single-season high of 13.
 
TREY THRIVES ON THIRD
Through the first three games, NM State quarterback Trey Hedden has completed 16-24 passes for 273 yards on third downs and secured 12 first downs on passes, including eight on 10 completions in a hard-fought loss at Florida State in the season opener. He ranks second only to SMU’s Kevin Jennings in yards on third down and is tied for eighth in first downs. Hedden ranks seventh nationally in passes over 15 yards on first downs with six. The Aggies have converted on 21-40 (.525) third down tries on the year thus far, which ranks 17th in FBS. 
 
BEARKAT BARRAGE
Through the first three weeks, Sam Houston ranks in the top 25 nationally in sacks (3.00) and tackles for loss (7.0). Junior linebacker Elijah Groves is pacing the team with 2.5 sacks, along with a forced fumble. Brian Bates Jr. and Josh Alexander-Felton each have a trio of TFL on the year with one sack apiece. Bates has recorded a TFL in each of the Bearkats’ first three games, while Alexander-Felton has contributed to one in each of the three contests as well. On the year, 15 different Bearkats have chipped in on a tackle for loss, while nine 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.