Football is on television every day until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and we have Conference USA to thank for that.
The second season of “Weekday CUSA” is in full swing, as the league showcased four different matchups from Tuesday through Thursday in Week 7. Now, Week 8 is approaching and the CUSA offers another four-game nationally televised slate, occupying Tuesday and Wednesday night.
Two teams wielding unbeaten conference records — Liberty and Jacksonville State — receive byes this week. Still, there is a headliner between conference contenders as Sam Houston hosts Western Kentucky at Bowers Stadium on a Wednesday night ESPN2 broadcast. Without further ado, here are the four matchups this week:
Kennesaw State @ Middle Tennessee
Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 8 pm ET on CBS Sports Network
Spread: Middle Tennessee (-9.5)
Over/under: 50.5
Kennesaw State (0-5, 0-1 CUSA) is still adjusting to life as an FBS team. The Owls are one of three teams still in search of their first win, and they are the only FBS program to lose by double-digits to FCS competition this season (24-13 to UT Martin). Kennesaw State hasn’t come remotely close to a victory this year with five double-digit losses and zero time spent leading in the second half. The Owls are third-to-last in scoring offense at 13.7 points per game and last in per game yardage produced, struggling equally through the air and ground with a 50.4 completion rate and a rushing average of 2.5 yards per carry. There’s a lot that needs to improve, and Brian Bohannon’s team aims to see progress with each outing. Their starts have been strong, but they have to learn to finish. In Kennesaw State’s last two games, it was outscored 31-27 in first halves and 56-10 in second halves.
Middle Tennessee (1-5, 0-2 CUSA) is clearly in rebuilding mode in year one of the Derek Mason era. The Blue Raiders needed a go-ahead touchdown with 16 seconds left to edge their Week 1 FCS competition, and they haven’t played in a close game since, getting outscored 218-69 in their last five contests. Ole Miss, WKU, Duke, and Memphis may have been long shots, but Mason’s team earned a golden opportunity to turn its season around last Thursday at Louisiana Tech but fell in 48-21 fashion. The run game needs work after picking up just 77 yards per game, but the Blue Raiders can sling it with veteran quarterback Nick Vattiato, who leads the CUSA in passing yards. Still, Middle Tennessee seeks defensive improvement after allowing 45+ points in four of its last five games, hampered by its FBS-worst passing defense (321 yards allowed per game).
Prediction: Middle Tennessee 34, Kennesaw State 19
Louisiana Tech @ New Mexico State
Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 9 pm ET on ESPNU
Spread: Louisiana Tech (-11)
Over/under: 50.5
Louisiana Tech (2-3, 1-1 CUSA) earns the Week 7 title as most pleasant surprise of the week. The Bulldogs, coming off three-straight 3-9 seasons, finally earned the signature blowout win they needed in the Skip Holtz era, proving their separation over Middle Tennessee in 48-21 fashion. Quarterback Evan Bullock clearly locked up the starting role with a masterful 18-of-25, 290-yard, 5-touchdown performance, leading the Bulldogs over the 20-point threshold for the first time vs. FBS competition this year. Louisiana Tech supported its newfound passing attack with a reliable run game, headlined by a committee of backs rather than just one predominant individual. Defensively, they attack with one of the nation’s best run-stifling squads, suffocating opponents to 93 yards per game on a 2.9 average. Louisiana Tech hasn’t lost in blowout fashion yet, and this team may very well be bowl-bound if last week’s trends persist.
New Mexico State (1-5, 0-3 CUSA) participated in the CUSA Championship Game in its inaugural year in the league, but the Aggies endured the roughest offseason of just about any FBS program. They lost head coach Jerry Kill and an FBS-high 36 transfers including star quarterback Diego Pavia, who engineered the upset of the year when Vanderbilt beat Alabama. Quarterback remains an open competition week-to-week as the Aggies complete the lowest percentage of passes — 41.8 — while throwing over 26 times per game. Deuce Hogan likely gets the start this week, and he’ll be supported by Seth McGowan (392 yards, 5.4 yards per carry) in a capable run game. But after allowing 50+ points and 500+ yards in consecutive matchups, New Mexico State definitely needs to show transformation on the defensive side of the ball to have a shot at winning its first FBS game of 2024.
Prediction: Louisiana Tech 41, New Mexico State 17
WKU @ Sam Houston
Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 7 pm ET on ESPN2
Spread: Sam Houston (-3)
Over/under: 55.5
Western Kentucky (4-2, 2-0 CUSA) perfectly fits the mold as CUSA contenders. Middle Tennessee and UTEP might not have been the stiffest competition, but the Hilltoppers left zero doubt in respective 28 and 27-point wins against their fellow conference mates. Now, the schedule amplifies in difficulty, but WKU has already tested itself in close games against Toledo and Boston College, which could come in handy Wednesday night. Quarterback Caden Veltkamp guides one of the country’s more polished passing attacks which picks up 279 yards per game on a 67.5 completion rate. The receiving duo of Kisean Johnson and Easton Messer might be the best in the league, operating in an offense which strongly favors the air. The defense hasn’t yielded more than 21 points since the opener at Alabama, and that improved group is led by cornerback Upton Stout who thrives as a solo tackler on the boundary with six tackles for loss on the year.
Sam Houston (5-1, 2-0 CUSA) is the story of the year in the CUSA. The Bearkats stormed back from a 22-point deficit to upend Texas State in college football’s second-largest comeback this year, and the team’s other four wins have all been dominations of FBS competition. Bowers Stadium is setting new attendance records, and the crowd should be rocking for this highly-anticipated matchup Wednesday night. Dual-threat Hunter Watson is the engineer behind an improved offense, and he has a ton of weapons at his disposal with a deep running back rotation led by Jay Ducker and a deep receiving corps headlined by deep threat Qua’Vez Humphreys. The Bearkats feature an opportunistic defense as well, tallying seven interceptions through six games. Strong safety Caleb Weaver is the name to watch, totaling three for himself in addition to ranking first on the unit with 38 tackles.
Prediction: Sam Houston 28, WKU 27
FIU @ UTEP
Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 9 pm ET on CBS Sports Network
Spread: FIU (-7)
Over/under: 48.5
FIU (2-4, 1-1 CUSA) is nearly unbeaten in conference play. The Panthers suffered a brutal loss to FCS squad Merrimack in Week 4, but Mike MacIntyre’s team rebounded nicely with a 17-10 win over Louisiana Tech in the CUSA opener. Last Tuesday, FIU stormed back from a late 14-point deficit to Liberty but ultimately fell 31-24 in overtime — surprisingly not opting for a two-point try after its final touchdown. What worked for the Panthers against the CUSA’s lone undefeated team was the passing attack as wide receivers Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson created plenty of space downfield to open up the offense’s verticality. But the strongest attribute of FIU is the passing defense led by defensive backs Jamal Potts and JoJo Evans, who combine for nine pass breakups and two interceptions. Liberty only completed 9-of-16 passes for 125 yards, and the Panthers look to provide similar challenges to UTEP on Wednesday night.
UTEP (0-6, 0-3 CUSA) can become the first team eliminated from bowl eligibility with a loss on Wednesday night. The Miners still haven’t obtained their first win of the Scotty Walden era, missing out on a golden opportunity against Southern Utah of the FCS in Week 2. Every other Miners game has featured at least 10 points of separation. UTEP has its moments, but frequent drops and turnovers are preventing the Miners from remaining in these games. Additionally, they allow plenty of explosive plays in the run game as the FBS’s sixth-worst run defense. UTEP’s aerial attack shows signs of promise, but starting quarterback Cade McConnell is a game-time decision, which could force the team to revert back to Skyler Locklear. Kenny Odom and Kam Thomas are the key playmakers on offense that will be called upon to produce in order to generate that first Miners win of 2024.
Prediction: FIU 16, UTEP 14
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