Coming off a bye week after defeating LSU at home, No. 4 Ole Miss is aiming to stay sharp on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. against a Washington State team that would love to play spoiler to the Rebels’ postseason hopes.
Washington State’s season has been rocky through six weeks. The Cougars started with two wins against Idaho and San Diego State before being blown out by North Texas (59-10) and Washington (59-24). Their most recent game was a 20-3 win against Colorado State.
Like Ole Miss, Washington State has seen a changing of the guard at quarterback this season. Jaxon Potter, the starting signal-caller at the beginning of the season, was benched in favor of Zevi Eckhaus during the North Texas game. Eckhaus has remained the starter since.
Eckhaus, like Rebel quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, had an unconventional path to Division I. He started at the FCS school Bryant for three years before transferring to Washington State. Last season, he was the backup to current Oklahoma starter and Heisman-hopeful John Mateer.
The offense under Eckhaus has looked more developed than it did under Potter, but there is room for improvement for a unit that has scored more than 30 points once.
Eckhaus’ good throws are offset by his poor decisions, such as his two costly interceptions and fumble against Washington, which hurt the Cougars’ comeback odds after they entered the fourth quarter trailing by only one touchdown.
Washington State’s glaring weakness is its subpar rushing attack. Against Washington, the Cougars managed only 25 rushing yards on 28 carries — averaging less than a yard per carry. The Cougars average only 78.2 rushing yards per game, which is fourth-worst in the nation.
The Rebels, who sit at their highest AP ranking in a decade, are clicking on offense and defense. Ole Miss’ 322.6 passing yards per game is sixth best in the country, and their 208 rushing yards per game are No. 25 nationally. Moreover, the passing offense ranks No. 3 in the nation in yards per completion (16.29).
Over the past three games, Chambliss has led the Rebel offense to 22 “big plays,” which are considered passing plays of 15+ yards. For reference, Washington State has had 26 such plays all season.
Yes, Chambliss has been throwing well, but his receivers have put on a pass-catching clinic. Four Rebel pass-catchers — Harrison Wallace III, Deuce Alexander, Dae’Quan Wright and Cayden Lee — have more than 200 receiving yards this season.
The rushing attack is led by running back Kewan Lacy, who has 445 yards and eight touchdowns. In a press conference after the LSU game, Chambliss spoke about how Lacy’s emergence helped take the load off his arm.
“Having a back in the backfield with me does wonders for a quarterback,” Chambliss said. “It takes a lot of pressure off you, and a running back can get some yardage and help you with the run game as well. … Kewan (Lacy’s) a great player, and it just shows every week.”
On the other side of the ball, the Ole Miss defense matches up favorably with Washington State. The Rebel defensive line, led by linebacker Suntarine Perkins, defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and defensive end Kam Franklin, should pressure Eckhaus all game.
The Cougars are aware of this. The key for Washington State, Eckhaus said in a press conference, will be to establish the run game — which, for one of the weakest running teams in the nation, will be no easy task.
“If we’re going to pass the ball successfully, we have got to be able to run the ball,” Eckhaus said. “When you establish a run game, it just really takes the life out of a defense.”
