CUSA Race Hinges on Las Cruces

Conference USA’s championship race tightened on Tuesday evening as Jacksonville State traveled to Las Cruces to face New Mexico State. The winner of this 8 p.m. ET matchup will hold the advantage in a division where Liberty University currently shares first place.

Both teams enter the game with identical league records, though their paths to that point differ. Jacksonville State is 3-0 in conference play, while New Mexico State sits at 2-1. Liberty, the league’s favorite to reach the title game, is also 3-0. The loser of Tuesday’s contest falls to 2-1 or 3-1, respectively, creating an immediate gap in the standings. New Mexico State hosts Liberty on Nov. 7, but the Aggies do not play the Gamecocks again this season.

Jacksonville State arrives on a four-game winning streak, yet three of those victories were decided by four points or fewer. The most recent, a 27-24 win over Florida International on Oct. 13, featured a sixth career game-winning drive by quarterback Caden Creel. Creel threw a 34-yard third-down pass to Ronnel Johnson to set up the final score. Garrison Rippa kicked a 26-yard field goal with 44 seconds remaining to seal the result.

The Gamecocks have extended their NCAA-best streak to 65 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown. Justus Savage ran for a 4-yard score in the third quarter of the FIU game to extend the record. Creel continues to average at least 225 passing yards and 70 rushing yards, a feat no other FBS quarterback has achieved this season.

New Mexico State counters with a dominant ground game. The Aggies average 151.4 rushing yards per game, second in the conference. They have surpassed 200 rushing yards in three of their four games this season and won all three. Tailback James Jones rushed for 178 yards in the 30-24 win at Sam Houston last week, his highest total since November 2019. Jones now leads the conference in rushing yards per game at 111.0.

The Aggies also boast the third-ranked defense in the nation against the run, allowing just 109.1 yards per game. In conference play specifically, they have held opponents to 51.3 rushing yards per game, the best mark in the FBS. This defensive strength contrasts sharply with their 2025 season, when they finished last nationally in rushing offense.

Jacksonville State’s defense has allowed a touchdown in the final 1:41 of the first half in all six games against FBS opponents. The Gamecocks have lost only one of their last 14 weekday conference games, a 2023 defeat to Liberty. New Mexico State is 13-1 in such matchups over the last four years.

The teams have met twice in the past, with one win each. The series is tied 1-1, and they have not played since 2024. The projected score for the game is 27-24, a margin consistent with Jacksonville State’s recent close victories.