Jacksonville State visits New Mexico State tonight at 8 p.m. ET in a pivotal Conference USA matchup broadcast on ESPN2. The Gamecocks enter as 3.5-point favorites with an over/under of 49.5 points, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, and early betting action leans toward Jacksonville State covering the spread and the total going over.
Conference Implications
Liberty sits atop the CUSA standings at 3-0 alongside Jacksonville State, while New Mexico State is 2-1. Liberty is heavily favored to reach the championship game, and Jacksonville State is a strong favorite to make its third consecutive title game appearance. New Mexico State, seeking its second championship game berth since 2023, faces a critical test; a loss would significantly dent its hopes. Liberty visits New Mexico State on Nov. 7 but does not play Jacksonville State in the regular season.
Jacksonville State Form
The Gamecocks have won four straight, with three of those victories decided by four points or fewer. Their most recent win came on Oct. 13, a 27-24 home victory over Florida International sealed by a 26-yard field goal from Garrison Rippa with 44 seconds remaining. Rippa now has 47 career field goals, two shy of the school record, and his six game-winning kicks in the final minute of regulation or overtime set a CUSA record. Since moving to the FBS in 2023, Jacksonville State has won eight games with a score in the final minute of regulation or in overtime. Quarterback Caden Creel directed his sixth career game-winning drive against FIU, completing a key 34-yard third-down pass to Ronnel Johnson. Creel has thrown for two touchdowns and recorded at least two total touchdowns in six consecutive games, making him the only FBS quarterback averaging at least 225 passing yards and 70 rushing yards per game. The Gamecocks also extended their NCAA-best streak to 65 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown, 25 more than the next-longest active streak (Montana State, 40). Jacksonville State is 13-1 in weekday CUSA games over the past four years, with 11 straight wins; the lone loss came against Liberty in 2023. However, the defense has allowed a touchdown in the final 1:41 of the first half in all six games against FBS opponents this season.
New Mexico State Form
The Aggies are 5-1 all-time at home in weekday CUSA games, with the only loss coming last year against Missouri State. They arrive after a 30-24 road win at Sam Houston last Wednesday, their first away victory after three double-digit road defeats. Tailback James Jones rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown, the highest single-game total by an NMSU running back since November 2019, pushing his career rushing yards past 2,000 across FBS and FCS. Jones leads CUSA and ranks 10th nationally with 111.0 rushing yards per game. New Mexico State's rushing offense averages 151.4 yards per game (second in CUSA), a dramatic improvement from finishing last nationally in 2025 at 77.3 yards per game. The Aggies have topped 200 rushing yards three times in 2026 and won each of those games. Defensively, New Mexico State allows just 109.1 rushing yards per game, leading the conference and ranking 30th nationally, a pace that would set a school record. In conference play, the Aggies are surrendering only 51.3 rushing yards per game, the fewest among all FBS teams, 16.7 yards fewer than the next-best mark (Miami of Ohio, 68.0). This is the first season since at least 1994 that New Mexico State has held four opponents under 75 rushing yards.
Statistical Matchup
Jacksonville State's defense yields 156.4 rushing yards per game, while New Mexico State's offense averages 151.4. Conversely, the Aggies' defense allows only 109.1 rushing yards per game against a Gamecocks offense that has scored a rushing touchdown in 65 straight games. Each of Jacksonville State's last seven road CUSA games has been decided by seven points or fewer, suggesting another close contest.
Projection
The SportsLine Projection Model predicts a 27-24 Jacksonville State victory. The all-time series is tied 1-1, with the teams last meeting in 2024.
