No. 21 James Madison University bested WSU in Harrisonburg, Virginia, defeating the Cougars 24-20.
WSU’s first drive resulted in a punt, but an interception on JMU’s first pass saw the Cougars secure their fourth interception of the season. Despite being in the redzone, they were forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal. The lead did not last as JMU stormed down the field and tied it up with a field goal of their own.
The rest of the first quarter saw a lackluster drive for both teams. Some highlights still came as junior wide receiver Tony Freeman caught a contested catch on the sideline that went for 18 yards.
The Cougars’ momentum fell flat early in the second, with quarterback Zevi Eckhaus throwing a pick-six, allowing the Dukes to take their first lead of the game. The mistake led to an offensive spark for the Cougs, who scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives. The first came from Freeman, who blew by his coverage and scored a 48-yarder, and the second came from Eckaus, who ran it in from the Dukes’ fourth yard line. The explosiveness allowed WSU to lead entering the half.
After half, it was smooth sailing until Dukes wide receiver Baeden Wisloski caught his first and only ball of the game, which was a 68-yard haymaker. This tied the game, but JMU’s lead did not last long as WSU had a fourteen-play drive that ended in a field goal to retake the lead.
All the Cougs had to do was hold off the Dukes, which was too much of an ask as Wayne Knight ran for a 58-yard game-winning touchdown. The loss marked WSU’s third loss to an Associated Press top 25 team this year. The Cougs lost those three games by a combined nine points.
“This is a team loss, and it’s on me,” head coach Jimmy Rogers said.
Eckhaus threw and ran for six, but that costly pick-six taints his performance.
“There was some good,” Eckhaus said of his own performance, “We just came up short.”
Cougar football has seen constant peaks and valleys during games, often struggling to close out games despite executing the game plan effectively. The team has little stamina in staying sharp when in the lead.
Both Rogers and Eckhaus echoed the issue during their press conferences.
“We got to learn how to finish games,” said the coach and his quarterback.
Not having center Brock Dieu was a key factor in not being able to finish the game. The redshirt senior exited the game early and was sidelined for the rest of the match. Dieu’s ability at the center of the line is the heartbeat of what gets the Cougar offense going.
WSU will play Oregon State next, the second time this year, hoping to bounce back from both this loss and the loss to OSU earlier in the month. The goal is to win and clinch a bowl game.
“It’s not my last game as a Coug if we win,” said Eckhaus.
