Weekday CUSA presents a crucial opportunity for two struggling programs as the Liberty Flames travel to El Paso to face the UTEP Miners on Wednesday night. Both teams are desperately seeking momentum after challenging starts to their campaigns, making this matchup critical for their respective season trajectories.
Our comprehensive Liberty vs. UTEP prediction examines the latest game information, explores the head-to-head rivalry between these CUSA foes, and features exclusive PFSN team and player grades that reveal the key matchups that could determine Wednesday’s game.
Liberty vs. UTEP Game Details
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025
- Game time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Sun Bowl | El Paso, TX
- Predicted Weather at Kick: 79 degrees, mostly clear, 13 mph winds
- How To Watch: CBS Sports Network
Liberty vs. UTEP Head-to-Head Record
Since joining Conference USA, Liberty vs. UTEP has become a staple conference matchup between the Flames and Miners. Jamey Chadwell’s squad has controlled the rivalry completely, entering Wednesday’s contest with a 2-0 series record. Both previous meetings have featured decisive victories for the Flames, with double-digit margins in each encounter.
Liberty vs. UTEP Grades
PFSN College OFFi
- Liberty: 71.1 (C-)
- UTEP: 64.3 (D)
PFSN College DEFi
- Liberty: 71.3 (C-)
- UTEP: 79.3 (C+)
PFSN College OLi
- Liberty: 73.6 (C)
- UTEP: 68.7 (D+)
PFSN College QBi
- Ethan Vasko, Liberty: 83.2 (B)
- Malachi Nelson, UTEP: 59.5 (F)
PFSN College RBi
- Evan Dickens, Liberty: 67.6 (D+)
- Hahsaun Wilson, UTEP: N/A
PFSN College WRi
- Donte Lee Jr., Liberty: N/A
- Kenny Odom, UTEP: 75.6 (C)
PFSN College TEi
- Jacob Jenkins, Liberty: 70.9 (C-)
- Judah Ezinwa, UTEP: 69.8 (D+)
PFSN College EDGEi
- Brenton Williams, Liberty: 67.4 (D+)
- Udoka Ezeani, UTEP: 78.5 (C+)
PFSN College DTi
- Bryce Dixon, Liberty: 69.6 (D+)
- Ashaad Hall, 79.8 (C+)
PFSN College LBi
- Derrell Farrar, Liberty: 71.7 (C-)
- Micah Davey, UTEP: 73.7 (C)
PFSN College CBi
- Amarian Williams, Liberty: 78.9 (C+)
- Neil Campbell, UTEP: 79.0 (C+)
PFSN College SAFi
- Brylen Green, Liberty: 80.1 (B-)
- Xavier Smith, UTEP: 82.9 (B-)
Liberty vs. UTEP Prediction
Once the CUSA frontrunner and a force in the college football landscape, Liberty is experiencing difficult times, heading to El Paso on Wednesday night in an attempt to halt a four-game losing streak that began with a conference loss.
Meanwhile, UTEP has yet to hit its stride, entering the game with three consecutive losses despite having a five-star quarterback and a highly regarded coach. Scotty Walden, like his counterpart Jamey Chadwell, was lauded for his offensive explosiveness, but right now, there’s about as much spark from these two teams as a box of matches recovered from the Titanic.
Unsurprisingly, the result of the game hinges on which side can unlock that side of the ball the best.
For Liberty, that depends on the recovery and appearance of quarterback Ethan Vasko. The former Coastal Carolina Chanticleer suffered a shoulder injury earlier in the year and missed the loss to the Old Dominion Monarchs, a game where the Flames mustered just seven points.
If Vasko plays, the gap between the two starting quarterbacks is vast, and enough reason alone to have faith in the Flames. Malachi Nelson’s PFSN College QBi grade is one of the worst in the country, ranking 151st compared to Vasko, who enters this Liberty vs. UTEP matchup as the 31st-ranked quarterback in the country by the same measure.
Grades don’t make a game, obviously, but turnovers do, and the UTEP offense has been far more turnover-prone than Liberty’s. There is a case to be made, and a very good one to boot, that the UTEP defense should be well-equipped to force mistakes from the Flames, with Xavier Smith and Ashaad Hall establishing themselves as two of the top players in CUSA this fall so far.
Meanwhile, Liberty has been brutalized on the ground so far this fall, allowing 5.49 yards per carry and third-most rushing scores in CUSA. However, the Miners haven’t really been able to get the ground game going, despite Hahsaun Wilson’s 6.6 yards per carry, so even if the UTEP defense puts the offense in situations to extinguish the Flames, can they punish them?
The answer is likely not.
Prediction: Liberty 17, Â UTEP 10
