FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1
CUSA Championship (CBSSN) 6 p.m.
New Mexico State at No. 25 Liberty
Conference games in bold.
All times are listed in CT
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK, PRESENTED BY BLENDERS EYEWEAR (WEEK 13)
OFFENSE
QB AUSTIN REED, WKU
RS Senior, St. Augustine Beach, Florida
Reed capped off the 2023 regular season with an impressive offensive performance in WKU’s 41-28 win over FIU on Saturday in Miami. Reed played only three quarters as the Hilltoppers built a large lead, and in those three quarters, he threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns – to four different receivers – on 26-of-35 passing with no interceptions. His touchdown passes were for 2, 39, 16, and 45 yards.
DEFENSE
LB TREVOR WILLIAMS, SAM HOUSTON
Graduate Student, College Station, Texas
Williams capped a stellar Bearkat career with a strong swansong performance in the Bearkats’ 2023 finale on Saturday, a 23-20 win over Middle Tennessee. The A&M Consolidated product racked up 12 tackles against the Blue Raiders with a half sack and a 31- yard interception return for a touchdown that gave SHSU a 16-13 lead in the third quarter. It was the third touchdown of his career and second pick-six, having also achieved the feat at Northern Arizona in 2021. Williams finished with 135 total tackles on the year, the fifth most in a single season in Bearkat history. He also finished with 395 career tackles, the most ever in the Division I era at Sam Houston.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K ETHAN ALBERTSON, NEW MEXICO STATE
Redshirt Senior, San Diego, California
Albertson finished the day a perfect 4-4 on attempts by way of connecting on two field goal attempts and two extra points in New Mexico State’s 20-17 win over Jax State last week. His first field goal came as time expired in the first half – giving NM State a 17-3 lead. The second was a game-winning 42-yarder as time expired in the second half to secure the Aggies’ eighth consecutive win. This marks the third straight week that he has been perfect.
QUICK HITTERS
TITLE GAME AT A GLANCE
CFP No. 25 Liberty (12-0, 8-0 CUSA) is set to host New Mexico State (10-3, 7-1 CUSA) in Friday’s CUSA Championship Game, which kicks off at 6 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network from Lynchburg, Virginia. The 2023 CUSA Championship Game is a rematch of a Sept. 9, tilt between the pair, one in which Liberty won 33-17, also in Lynchburg. The broadcast team for Friday’s title game will be Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analyst) and Amanda Guerra (sideline).
NEWCOMERS
Head Coaches Jamey Chadwell (Liberty) and Jerry Kill (New Mexico State) are both newcomers to Conference USA with both teams in their first season of membership.
DOUBLE (DIGIT) TROUBLE
The game features a pair of teams with double digit wins, in 12-0 Liberty and 10-3 New Mexico State, who are winners of eight straight. CUSA is one of seven FBS leagues featuring both teams with 10 or more wins (Pac-12, SEC, Big Ten, ACC, the American and the MAC)
RUN IT
The game features two of the top-12 rushing attacks in the country – Liberty leads the FBS at 295.4 rushing yards per game, while New Mexico State is 12th, averaging 204.7.
DYNAMIC SIGNAL CALLERS
Friday night’s game features two of the more dynamic QBs in the country in Liberty’s Kaidon Salter and New Mexico State’s Diego Pavia. Salter has totaled 40 touchdowns on the season (29 passing and 11 on the ground), has thrown for 2,431 yards and rushed for 899, the third-highest total among QBs nationally. Pavia has thrown for 2,727 yards and run for 808 with a total of 28 touchdowns on the season (23 passing, five rushing). Both players are critical to their team’s success, each providing stability to a pair of exciting, balanced attacks offensively.
RECENT HISTORY
The last time these teams met, Liberty won 33-17 on Sept. 9, at home. They have met six times since 2018, playing twice in 2018, 2019 and are set to do so again in 2023. Liberty leads the all-time series 4-2, and have won four of the past five, however Jerry Kill’s Aggies were dominant in Lynchburg last year, defeating the Flames 49-14 in the 2022 regular season finale. Because both teams were both FBS Independents, they have seen each other quite a bit recently.
STRENGTH ON STRENGTH
Both teams are very successful running the ball, but both are also very successful on the opposite side of the ball in stopping the run as well. Liberty ranks 18th in the nation (106.2 yards per game allowed), while New Mexico State ranks 33rd (126.4 yards per game allowed).
TURNOVERS WILL BE KEY
New Mexico State leads CUSA in turnovers lost this season with 13, while Liberty is one of the best in the country at taking the football away from its opponents, ranking sixth nationally with 24 takeaways (and lead the nation in interceptions with 20).
LIBERTY ONE OF FIVE UNBEATEN
CFP No. 25 Liberty (12-0, 8-0 CUSA) is one of just five unbeaten teams remaining in the FBS. The Flames, under first-year head coach Jamey Chadwell, are atop the Conference USA standings, will host the 2023 CUSA Championship Game and are in contention for the Peer Conference spot in the New Year’s Six. Other undefeated teams are: No. 1 Georgia (12- 0), No. 2 Michigan (12-0), No. 4 Washington (12-0) and No. 5 Florida State (12-0).
Note: All rankings are from the latest edition of the CFP Rankings. The Flames are the only 12-0 G5 regular season champion and have victories over 10-win New Mexico State, 8-win Jacksonville State, 6-win Bowling Green (who defeated Georgia Tech earlier this season) and 7-win Western Kentucky. All 12 Liberty wins are versus FBS competition and the Flames rank 15th nationally in ESPN’s Strength of Record metric (College Football Power Index), which is first among G5 teams (Tulane is 17, James Madison is 20, SMU is 25, Toledo is 29 and Troy is 32).
NM STATE REACHES DOUBLE DIGIT WINS FOR SECOND TIME
The New Mexico State Aggies, who were voted the FWAA Cheez-It National Team of the Week on Nov. 20, following a road win at Auburn, won their 10th game of the season this past week over Jax State, 20-17. It marks just the second time in program history that the Aggies have won double digit games (previously did so in 1960, an 11-0 season).
WHY THE RUSH?
Liberty enters Championship Week leading the nation in rushing offense, averaging 295.4 yards per game. Jax State ranks fifth in FBS at 232.2 yards per game and New Mexico State is 12th at 204.7 yards per game.
HOT TAKE(AWAYS)
Liberty enters the postseason as the national leader in interceptions, as the Flames have a total of 20 through their first 12 games of the season. Liberty’s 24 turnovers forced is also sixth-best in the nation. WKU is tied for second in the nation in takeaways with 25 and 15th nationally in interceptions with 14, while Jax State is also tied for second nationally with 25 turnovers gained (and ranks fourth nationally in interceptions with 16).
ON THE (TURNOVER) MARGINS
Entering the postseason Jax State is +0.75 in turnover margin, which is tied for 12th nationally, while Liberty’s +0.67 turnover margin ranks 17th and WKU is tied for 21st at +0.58 per game. The Hilltoppers are +7 for the season, while Liberty is +8 and Jax State is +9.
RECOVERY IS KEY
WKU is fifth in the nation in fumble recoveries entering the postseason, with 11.
NO. 25 LIBERTY IMPROVES TO 12-0
CFP No. 25 Liberty (12-0, 8-0 CUSA) recorded just the third undefeated regular season (overall record) in Conference USA history with a 42-28 win at UTEP (3-9, 2-6 CUSA) on Saturday night in El Paso. It marks the first unblemished regular season by a CUSA team since Houston did so in 2011 (Tulane had the other, in 1998). The Flames, who lead the nation in rushing, ran for 441 yards in the win, and four different players had at least 65 yards on the ground. RB Quinton Cooley carried 14 times for 65 yards and three touchdowns, while QB Kaidon Salter led the way with 12 carries for 94 yards. The Flames led 42- 14 before removing their starters. Defensively, DL Jay Hardy finished with five tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack. Liberty now sets its sights on hosting a rematch with New Mexico State (10-3) in the 2023 CUSA Championship Game on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network with an undefeated season, and possible New Year’s Six spot on the line. The Flames beat the Aggies 33-17 earlier this season way back on Sept. 9, also in Lynchburg, Virginia.
NM STATE WINS EIGHTH STRAIGHT TO REACH DOUBLE DIGIT VICTORIES
New Mexico State (10-3, 7-1 CUSA) kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired, beating Jax State (8-4, 6-2 CUSA) 20-17 in Las Cruces Saturday night. The Aggies have won eight straight and have reached double digit victories for just the second time in program history and first since 1960 (an 11-0 season). Despite four turnovers and a late comeback attempt by the Gamecocks, the Aggies came out on top. QB Diego Pavia completed 23-24 passes for 269 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, and added a team-high 68 yards on the ground. WR Trent Hudson caught five passes for 70 yards and a score in the win. Defensively, LB Gabe Peterson recorded nine tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack in the win. The Aggies are now set to travel to Lynchburg, Virginia, next week for the 2023 CUSA Championship Game for a rematch of the Sept. 9 battle, also in Lynchburg, which Liberty won 33-17.
WKU KNOCKS OFF FIU, 41-28
WKU (7-5, 5-3 CUSA) held off FIU (4-8, 1-7 CUSA) on the road Saturday afternoon, 41-28 to conclude its regular season. The Hilltoppers raced out to a 41-14 lead before removing most of its starters and saw QB Austin Reed put on quite the display – completing 26-35 passes for 280 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, giving him 31 passing touchdowns on the year. 12 different receivers caught passes for the Hilltoppers, who now await their bowl fate. WKU is heading to a bowl game for the 10th time in the past 12 seasons. Defensively, WKU forced three turnovers in the win, giving them 25 turnovers gained on the season.
SAM HOUSTON CLOSES SEASON WINNERS OF THREE OF FINAL FOUR
Sam Houston (3-9, 2-6 CUSA) won its third game in the last four tries to conclude its first FBS season, knocking off MTSU (4-8, 3-5 CUSA) in the regular season finale for both teams. The Bearkats trailed 20-16 with 2:51 to play following what seemed to be a back-breaking 97-yard touchdown drive by the Blue Raiders, but Sam Houston marched 72 yards in 12 plays in 1:48, which was capped off by a John Gentry three-yard rushing score to take a 23-20 lead. The defense then held and survived a missed field goal attempt as time expired to hold off the Blue Raiders. Gentry finished with 17 carries for 67 yards and that score in the win. Defensively, Sam Houston forced three turnovers, all interceptions, including a 31-yard pick-six by LB Trevor Williams, who also finished with 12 tackles and a half sack. Fellow Bearkat LB Sincere Jackson finished with a game-high 13 stops, including a half sack and a tackle for loss.
WEEKDAY CUSA WAS ENTHRALLING
In Conference USA’s first season with a midweek October schedule on national television, 14 of the 19 games played in this window were decided by two scores or less, while nine of those were one-score games, including a pair in overtime.
