Week 3 is in the books and now we look ahead to Week 4 with conference play getting started. This season, the 10-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. Delaware (2-1, 0-0) #82
no change
Previous: W, vs Coastal Carolina 22-14
Delaware stays put after beating Coastal Carolina. The Blue Hens have now beaten Merrimack and Coastal while losing in a competitive game at Vanderbilt. Are they the team to beat in CUSA?
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 26 at Virginia, 6 p.m., ACC Network
2. Liberty (2-1, 0-0) #83
1
Previous: W, vs Ball State 51-15
The Flames went from struggling against Gardner-Webb to obliterating Ball State, 51-15, scoring 31 consecutive points and piling up 460 yards. Deshawn Purdie had his best game as a Flame, throwing for 211 yards and 3 touchdowns while Liberty ran for 212 yards.
Next up: Thursday, Sep. 24 at Coastal Carolina, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
3. Jacksonville State (2-2, 0-0) #109
1
Previous: W, vs Georgia Southern 31-27
The Gamecocks survived Georgia Southern, as they picked up their second win of the season. The resume is complicated. Jax State has losses to North Dakota State and Ohio but wins over Eastern Kentucky and Georgia Southern. This is a team that shouldn’t be dismissed. They have demonstrated they can compete for the conference title.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 26 vs Middle Tennessee, 7 p.m., ESPN+
4. FIU (1-2, 0-0) #114
2
Previous: L, at FAU 16-10
The Panthers lost at FAU following their impressive win over Buffalo last week. The Panthers are interesting and had a chance to score a touchdown as time ran out against the Owls.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 26 vs Long Island, 6 p.m., ESPN+
5. Sam Houston (1-2, 0-0) #110
no change
Previous: W, vs Nicholls 59-0
Sam Houston demolished Nicholls, an FCS opponent, so no overreaction here. Still, after close losses to Troy and Tulsa to open the season, the Bearkats are obviously better than they were a season ago.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 26 at #11 Texas Tech, Noon, TNT
6. Middle Tennessee (2-1, 0-0) #119
1
Previous: W, vs Nevada 27-20
MTSU followed up a disappointing 28-26 loss at Marshall by beating Nevada. That win matters because Nevada had previously demolished Western Kentucky, 49-14. MTSU now has wins over Murray State and Nevada. The Blue Raiders could be back in the conversation in the CUSA.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 26 at Jacksonville State, 7 p.m., ESPN+
7. New Mexico State (1-2, 0-0) #123
1
Previous: Bye
The Aggies didn’t play this week. They remain 1-2 with losses to Florida State and Hawaii and a win over Mercyhurst.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 26 vs New Mexico, 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
8. Kennesaw State (1-2, 0-0) #115
no change
Previous: L, at #15 Tennessee 42-9
The Owls took their second consecutive loss, falling to Tennessee. No shame in the loss, but their resume includes a pair of setbacks including last week’s loss to Georgia State. They are the defending champs but are no longer sitting at the top of the conference pecking order after the first three weeks of the season.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 26 @ Arkansas State, 7 p.m., ESPN+
9. Missouri State (1-2, 0-0) #121
no change
Previous: L, vs Marshall 30-24
The Bears face a setback against Marshall, a game they were competitive in throughout but unable to finish at home.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 26 at #22 SMU, 9 p.m., ACC Network
10. Western Kentucky (0-3, 0-0) #124
no change
Previous: L, at #4 Indiana 38-0
The Hilltoppers are now 0-3 with losses to Nevada, Georgia, and Indiana. That’s a brutal opening schedule. We’ll see how they are able to bounce back this week as they take on an FCS opponent.
Next up: Saturday, Sep. 26 vs Mercyhurst, 7 p.m., ESPN+
