Liberty remains on the road as the schedule shifts to the midweek and the first of seven straight CUSA matchups, playing at UTEP. Both the Flames and the Miners are in search of their first CUSA win of the season and their first victory over an FBS opponent in 2025.

Game Overview

  • Matchup: Liberty Flames (1-4, 0-1 CUSA) vs UTEP Miners (1-4, 0-1 CUSA)
  • Date & Time: Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at the Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
  • Series History: Liberty leads, 2-0. Liberty won the previous matchup, 28-10, on Sep. 14, 2024.

Preview of the Miners

Since moving to Conference USA, the Flames have defeated UTEP in the team’s only two meetings all-time. In the 2023 regular season finale, Liberty knocked off UTEP, 42-28, in the regular season finale as the Flames capped off a perfect regular season at 12-0 under first year head coach Jamey Chadwell. Last September, the two teams met in Lynchburg on September 14, the Flames came out on top with a 28-10 victory. This year’s meeting might be the last between the two programs as UTEP readies for the move to the Mountain West.

UTEP has struggled in recent years and are coming off consecutive 3-9 campaigns. Going back to the 2015 season, the Miners have just one bowl appearance and one winning record, finishing 7-6 in 2021. Conversely, during this same time period, UTEP has a winless season (2017) and two one-win seasons (2018, 2019). Scotty Walden is in his second season as the head coach at UTEP. He was 3-9 last season, and came to El Paso after four seasons as the head coach of FCS Austin Peay, guiding the Governors to a 26-14 record and one NCAA FCS Playoff appearance.

So far this season, the Miners are 1-4. They opened the season with a 28-16 loss at Utah State. In the team’s home opener the following week, Walden led UTEP to a 42-17 win over UT Martin. Since they have dropped three straight, first losing at Texas, 27-10, before back-to-back setbacks at the Sun Bowl to Louisiana-Monroe (31-25) and in their CUSA opener against Louisiana Tech (30-11).

The former top ranked recruit in the nation by ESPN, Malachi Nelson transferred to UTEP during the offseason. The former five-star recruit began his collegiate career at USC where he appeared in one game during his true freshman season behind starter Caleb Williams. He then transferred to Boise State for the 2024 season where he lost the quarterback battle in training camp and once again entered the portal. He beat out the incumbent Skyler Locklear as starter at quarterback in the summer.

It has been a bit of a rocky start for Nelson at UTEP this season. Through the team’s first five games, he has completed 100 of 180 passes for 1,142 yards, 8 touchdowns, and a staggering 9 interceptions. He has one yard rushing on 20 attempts. Nelson was benched with five minutes left in the game this past week against Louisiana Tech with the Miners trailing, 24-3. Locklear entered and immediately led the Miners to a touchdown drive before throwing a pick-six on his next series. Locklear has played in two games this season, completing 5 of 9 passes for 74 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He also has four rushing attempts for 43 yards with a long of 63 (not a typo).

It sounds like Nelson will get the start for the Miners this week against Liberty.

“Our depth chart has not changed,” Walden said of his quarterback situation. “We recognize we need to play better at the quarterback position. That starts with me putting our quarterbacks ingreat spots, and making sure we have a really good plan that is crystal clear.”

Ashten Emory leads the Miners with 44 rushing attempts that have gone for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Hahsaun Wilson has also rushed 31 times for 214 yards and a touchdown. Kenny Odom leads CUSA with 23 receptions. He has 247 yards and two touchdowns receiving. Trevon Tate has 19 receptions for 220 yards and a touchdown.

The Miners are averaging 20.8 points per game this season and rank seventh in CUSA in total offense, averaging 346 yards per game. UTEP is 10th in CUSA and 123rd in the country in rushing offense, averaging 101.2 yards per game and rushing for 3.6 yards per carry. As a team, the Miners have thrown 10 interceptions which is the most in the country. Those turnovers have led UTEP to being ranked 121st in the country in turnover margin.

UTEP does have the top ranked total defense, as they are holding teams to 340.4 yards per game while teams are scoring 26.6 points per game. The Miners are third in CUSA in rush defense, holding teams to 153.8 yards per game, and are third in the league in pass defense. UTEP leads CUSA in third down defense as teams are only converting 24.64% of the time they face a third down.

LB Micah Davey leads CUSA and is among the national leader in tackles with 51 while Udoka Ezeani is an early favorite for CUSA Defensive Player of the Year. He leads the conference in sacks (4), tackles for loss (8.5) and forced fumbles (2). Paced by Ezeani, the Miners lead CUSA in sacks with 15. The Miners lead CUSA in tackles for loss and among the national leaders in the category.

Coach Walden on the Flames

“Really good team. I know their record isn’t probably what they want it to be right now. Just listening to Coach Chadwell talk and seeing them on tape, a similar story to us. I found some parallels. It looks like they have hit some really key injuries to their personnel, but they’ve got guys. They’ve got players. It’s evident on tape. Maybe the best, up to this point, schematic team that we’ve played. They do a really good job in all three phases of keeping you off balance. Their defense is the best pass defense in the conference. Their offense, they are always going to test you with that option. They are going to make sure your option roles are sound. They have good backs. I know the Vasko kid was injured. I’m not sure if they will get him back or not. I would assume he would be back for this game for getting into the conference slate. We looked at him out of the portal. He can throw it. He can run it, out of Coastal Carolina. He’s a heck of a player. These guys, their formations, their scheme, always make it a bear to prepare for, speaking more from a defensive perspective, their option. Then offensively, they do a variation of fronts and their back-end picture, they do a good job of mixing stuff up. It’s definitely a challenge, no question, but it’s all about us getting better, correcting our mistakes.“

Coach Chadwell on the Miners

“They do a good job with their schemes. They are going to try and go fast. They are going to try and get you in different formations. (Both quarterbacks) present challenges. One is really, really athletic. They both can move the ball. I don’t know if our game plan will be much different depending on who is in there or not, what they do is similar. Our defense, preparing for them, knows what they are trying to do. From an offensive standpoint, we have to make sure we are lining up to the formations and different things they give us with the speed they play with.”

Prediction

Spread: Liberty -1.5

My forecast: Liberty 24, UTEP 20

My record this season: 3-2 straight-up, 3-2 against the spread