We are rolling along through the first month of the 2025 college football year. This season, the 12-team Conference USA will feature an 8-game conference schedule with the top two teams at the end of the regular season meeting for the league’s championship.
Here are our updated power rankings for CUSA, and we will be updating these weekly during the season.
Note: National rankings are courtesy of ESPN FPI. Arrows denote change in power rankings since previous ranking.
1. Louisiana Tech (3-1, 1-0) #81
no change
Previous: W, 30-20 vs Southern Miss
Blake Baker threw for 239 yards and ran for a touchdown as Louisiana Tech built a big first half lead and held off Southern Miss for the victory. The Bulldogs raced out to a 30-10 halftime lead and held on in the second for the win.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 27 @ UTEP, 9 p.m., ESPN+
2. Delaware (3-1, 1-0) #103
no change
Previous: W, 38-16 @ FIU
Nick Minicucci threw for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns to help the Blue Hens pick up their first ever CUSA win. Delaware was 5 for 6 in the red zone, scoring all but seven of their points inside the 20 and had 358 yards of total offense. The Blue Hens scored on three straight possessions int he second quarter, including a 68-yard punt return touchdown as the score flipped from 7-3 FIU to 24-7 Delaware before halftime.
Next up: Bye
3. Jacksonville State (2-2, 1-0) #85
no change
Previous: W, 45-10 vs Murray State
Cam Cook powered a 329-yard rushing day for the Gamecocks. The talented running back carried 22 times for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns as Jax State was a perfect 6 of 6 in the red zone.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 27 @ Southern Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN+
4. Western Kentucky (3-1, 1-0) #102
1
Previous: W, 31-16 vs Nevada
La’vell Wright ran for two scores, Maverick McIvor threw for 216 yards as Western Kentucky took control in the fourth quarter for the win at home over Nevada.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 27 @ Missouri State, 7 p.m., ESPN+
5. Missouri State (2-2, 0-0) #119
2
Previous: W, 42-10 vs UT Martin
Jacob Clark threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more to lead Missouri State in a rout over UT Martin. Dash Luke had 9 receptions for 110 yards as they raced out to a 35-0 first half lead.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 27 vs Western Kentucky, 7 p.m., ESPN+
6. Kennesaw State (2-2, 0-0) #123
3
Previous: W, 28-21 vs Arkansas State
Amari Odom ran for a touchdown and threw for another, both in the first quarter, to help the Owls pick up the win over the Sun Belt foe. Odom had 409 total yards, passing for 308 and adding 101 on the ground.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 27 vs Middle Tennessee, 6 p.m., ESPN+
7. UTEP (1-3, 0-0) #114
1
Previous: L, 31-25 vs UL Monroe
Malachi Nelson finished with 404 yards on 22 for 46 passing with three interceptions for the Miners. He had fourth quarter touchdown passes covering 44 and 20 yards to cut their deficit to six but it wasn’t enough to overcome UL Monroe.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 27 vs Louisiana Tech, 9 p.m., ESPN+
8. New Mexico State (2-1, 0-1) #133
2
Previous: Bye
The Aggies are coming off an open date as they prepare to take on in-state foe New Mexico.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 27 @ New Mexico, 4 p.m.
9. FIU (2-2, 0-1) #117
5
Previous: L, 38-16 vs Delaware
Keyone Jenkins had two early interceptions to allow Delaware to minimize the damage early before their offense got rolling. Kejon Owens led the Panthers with 74 rushing yards on 15 carries, but they could not overcome the Delaware offensive onslaught.
Next up: Bye
10. Liberty (1-3, 0-1) #111
2
Previous: L, 31-13 vs James Madison
Liberty dropped a third straight game as they continue their early season slump. The Flames are 1-3 on the season after losing at home to in-state foe James Madison.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 27 @ Old Dominion, 6 p.m., ESPN+
11. Middle Tennessee (1-3, 0-0) #134
no change
Previous: L, 42-28 vs Marshall
Marshall threw for 261 yards and 4 touchdowns while rushing for another two scores to outlast Middle Tennessee.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 27 @ Kennesaw State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
12. Sam Houston (0-4, 0-1) #131
no change
Previous: L, 55-0 @ #8 Texas
Arch Manning passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns as the Longhorns cruised to a win over Sam Houston. He also rushed for two scores. The Bearkats were smothered by the Texas defense. Their first 15 plays totaled 17 yards with no first downs.
Next up: Bye
