After playing four of the team’s first six games on the road, Liberty returns to Williams Stadium this week to play the first of three straight at home, hosting New Mexico State Tuesday night.

Game Overview

  • Matchup: Liberty Flames (2-4, 1-1 CUSA) vs New Mexico State Aggies (3-2, 1-1 CUSA)
  • Date & Time: Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
  • Series History: Liberty leads, 6-2. Liberty won the previous matchup, 30-24, on Sep. 7, 2024.

Preview of the Aggies

Liberty looks to post a perfect 2-0 mark in the month of October when New Mexico State comes to town on Tuesday, October 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on CBS Sports Network from Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Since moving to the FBS, the Flames have frequently met the Aggies, playing eight times since 2018. Of course, this includes the unusual in-season home-and-home series the two, at the time, FBS Independent teams played in 2018 and 2019, Liberty’s first two years at the FBS level. The two teams met a total of five times as Independents from 2018-22, with Liberty going 3-2 in those meetings. Both teams then joined Conference USA ahead of the 2023 season. Liberty defeated New Mexico State, 33-17, on September 9, 2023 and then the two met in the CUSA Championship Game that year with the Flames pulling out the 49-35 win to secure the 2023 CUSA Championship and advance to the Fiesta Bowl. Last season, Liberty had a massive comeback win in the fourth quarter to beat NMSU, 30-24, in Las Cruces. Tuesday’s game is New Mexico State’s first trip to Williams Stadium since the 2023 CUSA Championship.

Tony Sanchez is in his second season as head coach at New Mexico State. He and the Aggies posted a 3-9 record last year and 2-6 mark in conference play. Sanchez has never posted anything but a losing season in six seasons as an FBS head coach, previously going 20-40 in five years at UNLV.

So far this season, the Aggies are 3-2 and 1-1 in conference play. They opened the year at 2-0 with wins over Bryant (19-3) and Tulsa (21-14) before dropping two straight including their conference opener at Louisiana Tech, 49-14. NMSU last played on October 2, defeating Sam Houston, 37-10, in Las Cruces. They are riding high with confidence and momentum following the win over the Bearkats with their eyes set on both bowl eligibility and competing at the top of the conference standings.

David Yost is in his first year as offensive coordinator at New Mexico State, taking over at three years at FIU where he held the same position. The Flames obviously have some familiarity with Yost and his system due to his time with the Panthers. With the Aggies, he has them passing the ball much more than they have in previous seasons.

Logan Fife, a 5th year senior and transfer from Montana, has taken over at quarterback for the Aggies. He has completed 98 of 172 passes (56.98%) for 1,270 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. Fife is not much of a rushing threat, as he has only 2 yards rushing and 1 touchdown on 45 carries this season.

Donovan Faupel is Fife’s favorite target, he has hauled in 23 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown. Gavin Harris (16 rec, 234 yards, 1 TD) and PJ Johnson, III (14 rec, 215 yards, 3 TDs) are also in the mix for Fife.

The rushing offense has been another story. The Aggies are the worst team in the country when it comes to running the football, as they are being held to 50.8 yards rushing per game and 1.9 yards per carry, both of those marks are at the bottom of CUSA. Kadarius Calloway has been NMSU’s top running back, with 45 rushes for 146 yards (3.2 ypc) and 2 touchdowns. Dijon Stanely and Isaiah Rudison have combined for 34 rushes for 101 yards.

On defense, Joe Morris is in his second year as defensive coordinator after three seasons as DC at Sam Houston. The Aggies are holding opponents to 22.8 points per game, 152.6 yards rushing per game, and 246 yards passing per game. Naeten Mitchell is the team’s top tackler with 44 to go along with 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 2 pass breakups. Jamall Thompson and Ezra Christensen have combined for 57 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 7 quarterback hurries.

Coach Sanchez on the Flames

“We had a great game against Liberty last year where we felt like we played our tails off, had a great opportunity to win the game and just wasn’t able to finish. They do a great job. Chadwell is one of the best young, dynamic coaches in the country, off to a tough start. We’ve been there before. We know how dangerous they are. We know how well prepared they are going to be. We are going into their place. They have a great atmosphere, great university. He does a great job. They play solid defense, they are finding their way on offense.”

Coach Chadwell on the Aggies

“Their offensive coordinator came from FIU the past few years, so they are throwing the ball a lot more than they ever have there, at least in the time that we’ve been here. They’ve got a good receiver skillset. They’ve got a mix of some guys that can go and some big guys. They are spreading it around pretty good. They get it out quick. Their coordinator has done a good job of that. I think their quarterback is playing well.”

“They are playing confident, obviously they came off a huge win versus Sam Houston. You saw (how Sam Houston did against Jacksonville State). They have a lot of confidence they are playing with. They are fresh, obviously. Defensively, their defensive coordinator does a fantastic job of mixing up their fronts and giving stunts to make it challenging on you up front. I think their secondary does a good job of being aggressive and coming downhill. They don’t miss a lot of tackles. They are going to give you some different things, but they are aggressive and they are a physical group. We are going to have to do a good job on the perimeter of blocking because they do a good job of getting off blocks and making plays in the red zone.”

“We know we are playing a good team. New Mexico State is better than UTEP, by far. They are more explosive in all areas. We know that is a big challenge coming on a short week, but our guys are looking forward to it.”

Prediction

Spread: Liberty -10.5

My forecast: Liberty 24, New Mexico State 17

My record this season: 4-2 straight-up, 4-2 against the spread