WSU takes on the No. 4-ranked Ole Miss Rebels this Saturday at 9:45 a.m.
The Wazzu defense came up strong against the Rams and will have to do so again in Oxford. Ole Miss has scored 203 total points this season in dominant victories, including at the time No. 4 LSU. While Ole Miss has put up points, the Cougs have let up 144, with 118 of those points coming against North Texas and Washington. The Cougs’ defense had a great showing in their most recent game against Colorado State after only holding them to 3.
After Jaxon Dart was drafted first round in the NFL, the Rebels had a QB controversy of their own after their starting QB got injured. Trinidad Chambliss would come off the bench hot for the Rebels. Chambliss threw for 314 yards against then No.4 LSU. He leads the Rebels’ offense with 1,033 passing yards.
Quarterback Zevi Eckhaus has been a shining spot for the Cougs with 540 passing yards and 6 touchdowns in 2 starts. Zevi talked in an interview about facing No. 4 Ole Miss.
“We’re going to do things to try to beat the opponent, but the biggest thing for us is how can we grow as an offense, whether that’s running the ball, passing the ball, doing a combination of things,” he said.
The Cougs will have to avoid turnovers to secure a win. The Cougs have turned over the ball in 4 out of 5 of their games. Turnovers have cost the Cougs in both of their losses this season. Another issue for the Cougs has been the run game. The team only has 389 rushing yards in all 5 games and is ranked 132nd in rushing out of 136 teams.
Isaac Terrell showed up for the Cougs by gaining 7 pressures on 42 snaps against Colorado State. Head coach Jimmy Rogers talked about Isaac Terrell’s abilities as a player.
“He’s got a relentless pursuit of the ball, but also, you guys see him on the field. It’s kind of how he lives his life. I think it carries over. So, he’s got a great work ethic,” Rogers said. “He’s extremely explosive and strong and he cares a lot about this place and his teammates and I think he showcases it on game days.”
This game will be a challenge for the Cougs, with many factors including the crowd, the explosive offense and Ole Miss’s dominant defense. This will be a test for the Cougs to see if they can still compete at a national level with such a new staff and team.
“These environments are kind of what you live for as far as as a coach,” Rogers said. “This is the pinnacle of the sport. You’re playing the number four team in the country with a really great program and a great coach who has a lineage of success throughout his career. And yeah, it’s going to be a challenge for sure, but we’re excited about it.”
Ole Miss is a 33.5-point favorite to win the contest. Ole Miss fans and head coach Lane Kiffman took shots at Wazzu on X after @BarstoolBigCat tweeted that Wazzu could take a sneaky win. Kiffman reposted a picture of a photo, saying #1 SEC school vs #1 Pac-12, possibly taking a shot at the Pac-12’s status. As well, Kiffman responded on X to Big Cat, saying, “Needed this!!! Thanks, BC @OleMissFB fans we need you Saturday!!!”
The last time Wazzu defeated a top 5 opponent was in 2017 against USC. They will look to do the same this Saturday. The game kicks off in Oxford, Mississippi, on Oct. 11 at 9:45 A.M.
