Weekday CUSA returns to our lives in college football Week 6 as the 0-4 Sam Houston Bearkats travel to Las Cruces to take on the 2-2 New Mexico State Aggies. Both teams are 0-1 in conference play and are looking to kickstart their season in a must-win matchup.
Who wins? Our Sam Houston vs. New Mexico State preview contains all the game details you need to catch the game, head-to-head records, exclusive PFSN team and player grades, and a score prediction for the Bearkats vs. the Aggies.
Sam Houston vs. New Mexico State Game Details
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025
- Game time: 9 p.m. ET
- Location: Aggie Memorial Stadium | Las Cruces, NM
- Predicted Weather at Kick: 76 degrees, clear, 7 mph winds
- How To Watch: CBS Sports Network, FuboTV
Sam Houston vs. New Mexico State Head-to-Head Record
Thursday night marks the second-ever matchup between Sam Houston and New Mexico State as FBS teams, following the Bearkats’ transition to CUSA ahead of the 2023 season. The programs are tied at 1-1 heading into the Week 6 clash.
It’s been a story of home-field advantage in the head-to-head so far, with the Aggies emerging victorious in Las Cruces in 2023 and Sam Houston taking the win in Huntsville a year ago. Both games were decided by more than a touchdown, reflecting the different states of the programs at the time they met.
Sam Houston vs. New Mexico State Grades
PFSN College OFFi
- Sam Houston: 65.0 (D)
- New Mexico State: 59.9 (F)
PFSN College DEFi
- Sam Houston: 65.9 (D)
- New Mexico State: 71.5 (C-)
PFSN College OLi
- Sam Houston: 77.8 (C+)
- New Mexico State: 56.1 (F)
PFSN College QBi
- Hunter Watson, Sam Houston: 58.8 (F)
- Logan Fife, New Mexico State: 61.7 (D-)
PFSN College RBi
- Landon Brown, Sam Houston: N/A
- Kadarius Calloway, New Mexico State: N/A
PFSN College WRi
- Grady O’Neil, Sam Houston: N/A
- Donovan Faupel, New Mexico State: 72.8 (C-)
PFSN College TEi
- Rayfield Lotten, Sam Houston: N/A
- Gavin Harris, New Mexico State: 76.6 (C)
PFSN College EDGEi
- JaMair Diaz, Sam Houston: 84.9 (B)
- Jamall Thompson Jr., New Mexico State: 77.8 (C+)
PFSN College DTi
- Christopher Eaton Jr., Sam Houston: 84.4 (B)
- Ezra Christensen, New Mexico State: 82.4 (B-)
PFSN College LBi
- Antavious Fish, Sam Houston: 65.9 (D)
- Tyler Martinez, New Mexico State: 71.9 (C-)
PFSN College CBi
- Cecil Powell, Sam Houston: 83.9 (B)
- Dakerric Hobbs, New Mexico State: 67.7 (D+)
PFSN College SAFi
- CJ Brown, Sam Houston: 82.5 (B-)
- Nick Session, New Mexico State: 88.7 (B+)
Sam Houston vs. New Mexico State Prediction
Weekdays are better when there is CUSA football to feast on, and Thursday night brings together two teams that have been prominent in the conference at various points since arriving in 2023, but that are struggling early in this 2025 college football campaign. Sam Houston is struggling to adapt to life after KC Keeler, and New Mexico State is on a two-game losing streak.
The problems for both teams start on offense. The Bearkats have boasted an exciting, run-heavy unit in previous years, led by the dual-threat danger of Hunter Watson, but they’ve not been able to ignite that rushing attack so far this year.
It hasn’t helped that they’ve often been playing from behind, but they haven’t been able to move the ball on any of their opponents with much potency at all.
The result is a team scoring just 16.2 points per game, converting on just 25.0% of its red-zone opportunities, and converting on third down just 15.9% of the time. They don’t have a 100-yard running back (quarterback Watson leads the team with 140 rushing yards), and only running back Elijah Green has put up more than 100 receiving yards.
New Mexico State has hardly been an offensive tyrannosaur either. In Year 2 under Tony Sanchez, the Aggies are averaging only 18.5 points per game, and they’ve yet to score more than 21 points against any opponent, including a 19-point performance against FCS outfit Bryant.
In a game like this, the Bearkats would, historically, have been able to lean on a suffocating defense to get a win. However, they’ve given up 6.7 yards per play and 42.8 points per game in 2025. Even if you remove a 55-point shellacking by Texas, Sam Houston averages 38.7 points per game. Their red-zone efficiency is one of the worst in the country.
New Mexico hasn’t faced the same potency of offense, but they have allowed just 5.5 yards per play and 26.0 points per game. They got exposed by Louisiana Tech and New Mexico on the road, but held Tulsa to just 14 points in Las Cruces.
They should also have the offensive advantage on Thursday night. The Aggies have better red-zone efficiency and third-down conversion, while the passing game behind Logan Fife and three receivers with over 200 yards this season (Donovan Faupel, Gavin Harris, and PJ Johnson III). Expect a close, low-scoring game with a New Mexico State win.
Prediction: Sam Houston 10, Â New Mexico State 17
