Jacksonville State's 65-game rushing streak meets CUSA's best run defense

Jacksonville State quarterback Caden Creel will attempt to extend a 65-game consecutive rushing touchdown streak against New Mexico State's defense on Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. ET. The matchup pits the conference's longest active ground game against the league's most efficient run stopper. ESPN2 will carry the broadcast from Las Cruces, where temperatures are expected to hover near 56 degrees with light winds.

The stakes for the CUSA title race are high. Liberty holds the league's top spot at 3-0 in conference play, sharing first place with Jacksonville State. New Mexico State trails at 2-1. The Aggies are +500 odds to reach the championship game for the second time in program history, while the Gamecocks are -200 to return to the title game for a third straight year. Liberty visits New Mexico State on Nov. 7, creating a difficult path for the loser of this matchup.

Jacksonville State arrives on a four-game winning streak, though three of those victories came by four points or fewer. The most recent result was a 27-24 home win over Florida International on Oct. 13. Creel engineered the sixth game-winning drive of his career, capping it with a 34-yard third-down pass to Ronnel Johnson. Garrison Rippa kicked a 26-yard field goal with 44 seconds remaining to secure the lead. 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 stand as a CUSA record.

Since joining the FBS in 2023, the Gamecocks have won eight games with a score in the final minute of regulation or overtime. Justus Savage's 4-yard run against FIU extended the team's rushing streak to 65 games. The next longest active streak in Division I belongs to FCS Montana State at 40 games. Creel has produced at least two total touchdowns in six straight games and is the only FBS quarterback averaging at least 225 passing yards and 70 rushing yards per game.

New Mexico State has transformed its ground game this season. The Aggies average 151.4 rushing yards per game, ranking second in the league, after finishing last nationally at 77.3 yards per game in 2025. They have surpassed the 200-yard mark in three games and won each of those contests. Tailback James Jones rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown in the 30-24 win at Sam Houston last week. That total is the highest for an Aggies back since November 2019. Jones leads CUSA with 111.0 rushing yards per game and has passed 2,000 career rushing yards across FBS and FCS play.

The Aggies' defensive metrics show equal intensity. They allow 109.1 rushing yards per game, ranking first in CUSA and 30th nationally. In conference games specifically, New Mexico State yields just 51.3 rushing yards per game, the best figure among FBS teams. This number is 16.7 yards lower than Miami (Ohio), the next best conference defense. It is the first season since at least 1994 that the Aggies have held four opponents to fewer than 75 rushing yards.

Jacksonville State has a 13-1 record in weekday CUSA games over the past four years, the league's best mark. Their only loss came against Liberty in 2023. However, the Gamecock 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 is 5-1 all-time at home in weekday CUSA games, with its sole defeat occurring last year against Missouri State.

The series is tied 1-1, with the teams last meeting in 2024. Jacksonville State has lost by seven points or fewer in its last seven road CUSA games. The SportsLine model projects a 27-24 Gamecocks victory, with Jacksonville State favored by 3.5 points.