Week Five Conference Notes
 
DALLAS – It’s time to Make Weekdays Fun Again as Weekday CUSA makes its triumphant return to the Conference USA football slate.
 
For the fourth-straight season, 18 October league matchups will be played on midweek evenings. CUSA’s broadcast partners will share the October weeknight football games on linear television across CBS Sports Network and the ESPN family of networks.
 
Of last season’s 18 midweek contests, nine of those games were decided by one possession, including seven decided by three or fewer points.
 
The Weekday CUSA slate opens with WKU visiting NM State at 7 p.m. CT Thursday on CBS Sports Network.
 
The fun continues Friday evening as Delaware hosts first-place Liberty at 6 p.m. CT, also on CBS Sports Network.  
 
The week five slate concludes with MTSU’s non-conference finale as the Blue Raiders take on Kansas at 11 a.m. CT Saturday on ESPNU.
 
WKU (1-3) AT NM STATE (1-3)
Date: Thursday, Oct. 1
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Las Cruces, N.M. (Aggie Memorial Stadium)
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Justin Kutcher (PxP), Ben DiNucci (Analyst)
All-Time Series: WKU leads 2-1
 
LIBERTY (3-1) AT DELAWARE (2-2)
Date: Friday, Oct. 2
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Newark, Del. (Delaware Stadium)
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Alex Del Barrio (PxP), Doug Pederson (Analyst)
All-Time Series: Liberty leads 1-0
 
MTSU (2-2) AT KANSAS (1-2)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Time: 11 a.m. CT
Location: Lawrence, Kan. (David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPNU
Announcers: Mark Neely (Play-by-Play), Jay Walker (Analyst)
All-Time Series: First meeting
 
WEEKDAY WARRIORS
Jax State has enjoyed the most success during Weekday CUSA since its inception as the Gamecocks own an 11-1 mark over three years. The only loss came in 2023 against eventual CUSA Champion and Fiesta Bowl participant, Liberty. The Flames, along with WKU, follow closely behind with seven Weekday CUSA wins since 2023. Last year, Missouri State adjusted well to the scheduling model with a perfect 3-0 mark in its first edition of Weekday CUSA.
 
School                       Record
Missouri State           3-0 (1.000)
Jax State                 11-1 (.917)
Liberty                    7-2 (.778)
WKU                      7-3 (.700)
NM State                 6-4 (.600)
Kennesaw State        4-3 (.571)
Delaware                 1-2 (.333)
FIU                        3-8 (.273)
Sam Houston           3-10 (.231)
MTSU                     2-8 (.200)
 
HOME SWEET HOME
CUSA teams are averaging 287.6 passing yards per game at home this season which leads all FBS conferences. CUSA is the only FBS conference with at least half its teams averaging 300 pass yards per game at home (Western Kentucky, Delaware, Sam Houston, Missouri State, FIU).
 
NO FLY ZONE
CUSA joins the Big Ten as the only leagues with at least three teams ranked in the top 15 nationally in passing yards allowed. Sam Houston leads the way at No. 8, allowing just 145.3 yards per game. Jax State comes in at No. 11 with 150.8 yards per game, followed by Liberty at No. 13 with 152.5 yards per game. The Bearkats held Texas Tech to their season average (251) while picking off three passes. The Gamecocks allowed just 216 to MTSU in their CUSA opener. The Flames held Coastal Carolina nearly 50 yards under their season average (261.3), allowing just 213 in Thursday’s win.
 
STREAKIN’ BLUE HENS
The Blue Hens are one of only five FBS programs to score at least 23 points against every conference opponent they’ve faced since the start of last season. They also hold the seventh-longest streak in the FBS of teams having 350+ yards of total offense at home at 16 games, dating back to Nov. 25, 2023. 
 
FLAMES QUARTER IS SO BACK
Liberty is the only FBS team yet to allow a point in the fourth quarter this season, leading a trio of Power Four schools in that category in Duke (3), Texas A&M (3) and Iowa (6). Liberty’s +42-point differential in the fourth quarter this season is tied with South Florida for fourth best in the FBS, trailing only UCLA (+59), Texas A&M (+52) and Nebraska (+44).
 
TREY THRIVES ON THIRD
NM State quarterback Trey Hedden has completed 21-33 passes (63.6%) for 343 yards on third downs and secured 16 first downs on passes. He ranks third in FBS in yards on third down and is tied for seventh in first downs. Hedden is tied for fifth nationally in passes over 15 yards on first downs with eight. He ranks 10th among FBS quarterbacks in yards per attempt on third down (10.4).
 
WELL-BEHAVED WKU
WKU ranks among the nation’s top three teams in both fewest penalties per game (3rd, 3.50) and fewest penalty yards per game (2nd, 28.50) after the Hilltoppers recorded a clean sheet in the 52-7 drubbing of Mercyhurst on Saturday. It was the first time WKU was not penalized in a game since Oct. 30, 2024, in a 31-14 victory over Kennesaw State. Prior to that game, WKU had gone 57 games without a penalty-free game, dating back to Oct. 10, 2020, against Marshall.
 
MTSU’s MISHAP MANAGEMENT
MTSU has been among the nation’s best at protecting the football, while also turning the tides with turnovers on defense. The Blue Raiders rank second nationally with just one turnover lost this season and have forced seven turnovers, which ranks 17th in FBS. This has resulted in a +1.50 turnover margin that ranks ninth in the FBS. MTSU’s one giveaway is tied for the fewest by any CUSA team through four games all-time (2025 Louisiana Tech, 2014 UTEP).