​HONOLULU, HAWAII – SEPTEMBER 12: Aj Williams Iii #11 of the New Mexico State Aggies celebrates catching a pass against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on September 12, 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) | Getty Images Welcome to the fourth season of Weekday CUSA.Originating in 2023, Weekday CUSA has become the official name of the conference’s series of nationally televised showcases throughout the month of October. The first Weekday CUSA slate typically features Thursday and Friday night contests, before the conference fully shifts its games to Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Week 5 features the first pair of Weekday CUSA games this season. On Thursday night, WKU travels to New Mexico State, with the Hilltoppers looking for their third-straight win over the Aggies. Then on Friday, Liberty makes its first-ever trek to Newark for a battle with Delaware. Everyone else in the conference has a bye this week, except for Middle Tennessee which faces Kansas on Saturday.Here is a glance at the two matchups ushering in Weekday CUSA for the 2026 season:WKU @ New Mexico StateThursday, Oct. 1 at 8 pm ET on CBS Sports NetworkSpread: New Mexico State (-2.5)Over/under: 57.5Western Kentucky (1-3, 0-0 CUSA) had quite the rocky non-conference start. The Hilltoppers are dead last in the country in scoring differential against FBS opponents, dropping their three matchups — all on the road — by an average of 41 points. Facing Georgia and Indiana back-to-back is an impossible stretch for almost any team outside the Top 25, but the true disaster was the 49-14 loss at Nevada in Week 1. This will be WKU’s fourth road game in five weeks, and it hopes the cathartic 52-7 win over Mercyhurst last Saturday can springboard into some success. Rodney Tisdale Jr. reclaimed the starting quarterback role and posted a 19-of-23, 309-yard, 4-touchdown performance for an offensive traditionally known for its passing prowess. Star receiver KD Hutchinson still hasn’t played this year, thrusting Jonathan Stafford Jr. and Cameron Flowers into the lead receiver roles. While WKU is improving in this area, the Hilltoppers will only go as far as the run defense lets them. They currently rank fifth-to-last in the FBS with 221 yards rushing yards allowed per game on a 6.3 average. The passing defense hasn’t been much better, holding a 10-to-1 ratio of passing touchdowns surrendered to interceptions. WKU needs this conference opener badly, or else it matches last year’s total in the loss column.New Mexico State (1-3, 0-0 CUSA) looked ready to compete in Week 0. The Aggies provided a first half scare at Florida State, but the offense has faded since a strong start in Tallahassee. New Mexico State still hasn’t broken 20 points against FBS competition this year, most recently falling 42-18 to archrival New Mexico in Week 4. The Aggies are moving the ball, owning the country’s 30th-ranked passing offense while featuring t