Gamecocks Face Aggies in CUSA Clash

Jacksonville State travels to Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, to face New Mexico State in a Conference USA contest that will heavily influence the league standings. The game begins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Forecasters predict a low near 56 degrees with light, variable winds. The outcome will determine which team retains a strong hold on the conference title race.

Jacksonville State holds a 3-0 record in conference play, tying Liberty for the top spot. New Mexico State sits at 2-1. Betting markets list the Gamecocks at -200 to advance to the CUSA Championship Game for the third consecutive year. The Aggies are +500 to reach the title game for the second time in program history. Liberty plays New Mexico State on Nov. 7 but does not meet Jacksonville State in the regular season, making this matchup a critical decider for the loser.

The Gamecocks arrive on a four-game winning streak. Three of those victories were decided by four points or fewer. Their most recent win came on Oct. 13 against Florida International, a 27-24 home victory. Quarterback Caden Creel led the winning drive, completing a 34-yard third-down pass to Ronnel Johnson that reached the opponent's 8-yard line. Garrison Rippa kicked a 26-yard field goal with 44 seconds remaining. Florida International missed a 49-yard attempt at the end of the game.

Rippa has 47 career field goals, two short of the school record. He holds a conference record with six game-winning kicks in the final minute of regulation or overtime. Jacksonville State has won eight games since moving to the FBS in 2023 with the score decided in the final minute of regulation or overtime. Justus Savage extended the team's streak of consecutive games with a rushing touchdown to 65 with a 4-yard run. The next-longest active streak in Division I belongs to Montana State at 40.

Creel has produced at least two total touchdowns in six straight games. He is the only FBS quarterback averaging at least 225 passing yards and 70 rushing yards per game. Jacksonville State is 13-1 in weekday conference games, the best mark in the league over the past four years. Their only loss in that span came against Liberty in 2023. The defense has allowed a touchdown in the final 1:41 of the first half in all six games against FBS opponents.

New Mexico State is 5-1 all-time at home in weekday conference games. Their only loss in that span came last year against Missouri State. The Aggies won 30-24 at Sam Houston last week, their first road victory of the season. They had lost their first three away games by double digits. Tailback James Jones rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown against Sam Houston. That is the highest total by an Aggies back since November 2019.

Jones has surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards across FBS and FCS play. He leads the conference and ranks 10th nationally with 111.0 rushing yards per game. The Aggies average 151.4 rushing yards per game, second in the league. They finished last in the country in 2025 with 77.3 yards per game. New Mexico State has topped 200 rushing yards three times this season and won each of those games. Jacksonville State allows 156.4 rushing yards per game.

The Aggies' run defense allows 109.1 rushing yards per game, the best figure in CUSA and 30th nationally. In conference games, they allow just 51.3 rushing yards per game, the best mark among all FBS teams in league play. That is 16.7 yards fewer than Miami of Ohio's 58.0. It is the first season since at least 1994 that New Mexico State has held four opponents under 75 rushing yards. The series between these teams is tied 1-1, with their last meeting occurring in 2024.