The last time WSU faced off against a top-five opponent, they were battling the rival Huskies in Seattle in the 2023 Apple Cup. WSU, led by future No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward, lost 24-21 against the No. 4 Huskies, who went on to finish as the NCAA runner-ups.

Nobody expected a similar outcome in 2025, when the Cougars, under a first-year head coach and with senior Zevi Eckhaus making just his fourth start at QB for the team, left for Oxford, Mississippi, to take on the No. 4-ranked Ole Miss Rebels.

Leave it to the Cougars to shock the world again.

WSU stopped Ole Miss in a crucial goal-line stand in the first quarter, which set the tone for the game. Tough and gritty. Not at all the 33-point defeat that the odds makers were predicting.

WSU scored the first points of the game and trailed just 10-7 at halftime. They reclaimed the lead in the third quarter, going up 14-10, but allowed 14 unanswered points, falling behind 24-14 in the fourth quarter. Still in the game, Zevi Eckhaus led a touchdown drive to put the game within three points, and the Cougar defense made things interesting, getting a stop and giving the ball back to WSU with just around a minute left to play.

While the final drive came up short for WSU, it was still a tremendous effort. To go on the road against the fourth-best team in the country and lose by just three points is impressive.

WSU next takes on Virginia, another ranked opponent on the road.