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Tuesday CUSA close: Middle Tennessee and Jacksonville State win by three cover
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Tuesday CUSA close: Middle Tennessee and Jacksonville State win by three

A late touchdown in Murfreesboro and a field-goal finish in Jacksonville decide both October 13 games.

By Beat Chuck Sports Desk / 1 source / Published October 14, 2026

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  • Tuesday's two Conference USA games ended with the home teams winning by three points, each after a long fourth-quarter drive changed the lead. Middle Tennessee beat Delaware 33-30, and Jacksonville State held off FIU 27-24.

    GameFinalDeciding sequence
    Delaware at Middle TennesseeMiddle Tennessee 33-30Roman Gagliano's 14-yard touchdown pass to Neo Clifton with 3:06 left
    FIU at Jacksonville StateJacksonville State 27-24Garrison Rippa's 26-yard field goal with 44 seconds left

    Gagliano and Clifton finish the comeback

    Middle Tennessee faced a 30-26 deficit and poor field position before going 93 yards in 10 plays for Clifton's second touchdown reception. The Blue Raiders had already lost a kickoff fumble following Delaware's go-ahead score, but their defense forced a punt before the winning possession.

    Bryce Williams intercepted Tyler Bell on Delaware's next drive, and Middle Tennessee finished the game on the ground. Gagliano accounted for four touchdowns, with 291 passing yards and one rushing score. Bell threw for 306 yards in Delaware's defeat.

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  • Read the full Middle Tennessee–Delaware recap.

    Rippa delivers; FIU's final kick misses

    Jacksonville State and FIU entered the fourth quarter tied at 24. The Gamecocks' final scoring drive covered 82 yards in 13 plays, putting Rippa in position to convert from 26 yards. FIU drove back into range, but Robert Czeremcha missed a 49-yard attempt on the last play.

    Caden Creel threw for 214 yards and rushed for 95 for Jacksonville State. FIU's JJ Kohl threw for 278 yards, with Maguire Anderson catching eight passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers outgained the Gamecocks 404-387, but Jacksonville State produced the fourth quarter's only points.

  • Conference USA shared the Creel–Luke Gilbert touchdown that opened Jacksonville State's scoring.

  • Read the full Jacksonville State–FIU recap.

    Jacksonville State remains unbeaten in league play at 3-0. Middle Tennessee gets its first CUSA win to reach 1-1; FIU is also 1-1, and Delaware is 0-2. Next Tuesday pairs Middle Tennessee with FIU in Miami, while Delaware hosts Missouri State. Jacksonville State returns October 28 at New Mexico State.

    Sources

    ESPN: FIU–Jacksonville State final box score and play-by-play · ESPN: Delaware–Middle Tennessee final box score and plays

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