OXFORD, Miss. — Zevi Eckhaus almost swung his arm off his shoulder. He was standing squarely on the Ole Miss logo, the spot at midfield where he had just slung a touchdown pass to help Washington State take an early lead on No. 4 Ole Miss, and he twirled his right arm in a circle, over and over, rotation after rotation.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon down south, Eckhaus was all smiles. So were the Cougars, who were playing some of their best football of the season. They entered the game as nearly five-touchdown underdogs. With one strike, a 26-yard scoring strike to freshman Landon Wright, they were making oddsmakers look silly.
Even in a 24-21 loss, WSU spent the next two hours making them look even crazier. The visitors held the Rebels to their lowest scoring output of the season. They took a second lead on Ole Miss, leaving those in attendance at Vaught Hemingway Stadium stunned, before Rebels pulled away in the fourth quarter.
All game long, this question seemed to hover over the red-and-blue clad fans, who waved their pom-poms in one motion and asked this question in the next: Who are these crimson-and-white clad players, and why weren’t they rolling over?
WSU is heading back to Pullman with a loss, but if there was anything resembling a moral victory, this was it. The Cougars were never expected to compete with a team of the Rebels’ caliber. Heck, this game was never supposed to be played in the first place, but the two schools scheduled it last year as WSU tried to cobble together opponents for this fall.
In that way, the Cougs will likely look back at this game and see things to smile about. With about 70 seconds to play, they got the ball back deep in their own territory, down only three, with a chance to take the lead on the country’s No. 4 team. That effort went for naught — WSU didn’t have time, and its final play came up short — but for a team never expected to be in any position like this, it amounted to a promising effort.
WSU (3-3 pulled within one score in the fourth quarter, thanks to a backfoot touchdown throw from Eckhaus, who found speedy receiver Tony Freeman open in the corner of the end zone. With that score, the Cougs were down only 24-21 with under three minutes to play, threatening to come all the way back in crunch time.
Plus, in the third quarter, they retook the lead on a 46-yard rushing touchdown by Kirby Vorhees, who now looks like the team’s clear-cut RB1. They forced a fumble on Ole Miss, courtesy of third-year defensive end Isaac Terrell, who collected a pair of sacks on the game.
To do that, WSU needed one stop from its defense, but that group couldn’t keep it together. Ole Miss got the yardage it needed to run out the clock and hand the Cougars their third loss of the year.
WSU also totaled 127 rushing yards, the group’s second-straight game clearing the century mark, perhaps a real sign of progress for that unit. The Cougs had struggled to run the ball all year, even in their win over Colorado State two weeks prior, and that part of their game remained a meaningful question mark.
WSU, which gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns, had to play without starting right tackle Christian Hilborn, who was seen on crutches before the game.
1:58 - WSU 7, MISS 0: Freshman Landon Wright breaks free from the Ole Miss defense and catches a 26-yard touchdown from Zevi Eckhaus.
What a play call from WSU OC Danny Freund — Julian Dugger in the backfield with Zevi Eckhaus, who fakes a handoff and finds a wiiiiide open Landon Wright for 6. Cougs take an early lead.
6:31 - WSU 0, MISS 0: Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro misses from 47 yards.
WSU takes over at its own 37.
10:49 - WSU 0, MISS 0: Ole Miss marches down the field but Washington State gets the turnover on downs after an incompletion in the end zone.
The Cougars take over at their own 4.
WSU comes up with a goal line stop and holdsOle Miss scoreless after a long opening drive. Cale Reeder with a wicked hit in the end zone — and naturally, something to say afterward pic.twitter.com/PTxIvmmlWn
0:31 - MISS 10, WSU 7: Chambliss throws a 2-yard strike to Dae’Quan Wright for the Rebels’ first touchdown.
WSU S Cale Reeder a tad behind the play and Ole Miss takes the lead on a TD pass. Cougs couldn’t slow the Rebels’ offense on that drive — but they’ll get the ball in the second half with a chance to retake the lead.
6:19 - WSU 7, MISS 3: Carneiro hits from 40 yards to give the Rebels their first points of the game.
10:10 - WSU 7, MISS 0: WSU kicker Jack Stevens is short on a 54-yard field goal attempt.
12:51 - WSU 7, MISS 0: Isaac Terrell bursts through the line to sack Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and force fourth down.
After review, Chambliss fumbled and the ball was recovered by Bryson Lamb.
WSU gains possession at its 36.
Halftime
Washington State’s defense made it tough sledding for No. 4 Ole Miss for most of the first half.
The Rebels finally took the lead with less than a minute until halftime when Chambliss was able to find some rhythm and throw a 2-yard touchdown to Wright.
WSU quarterback Eckhaus is 9 for 14 with 79 yards and one touchdown.
Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy has had the most success, totaling 98 yards on 13 carries.
Third quarter
0:32 - MISS 17, WSU 14: Chambliss escapes the rush and scrambles for a 17-yard touchdown.
Ole Miss retakes the lead on a Trinidad Chambliss scramble and score. Cougars had him contained — but that’s a true freshman LB against an SEC QB. Advantage Chambliss.
1:07 - MISS 24, WSU 21: Cougars force a punt and will take over at their own 10.
2:43 - MISS 24, WSU 21: Eckhaus completes a 19-yard touchdown pass to Tony Freeman to draw the Cougars within a field goal.
Eckhaus up to 176 passing yards and no turnovers.
Zevi Eckhaus off his back foot to Tony Freeman, who hauls it in for 6, and the Cougs are back in the ballgame. They’re within three with a few minutes to play.
3:56 - MISS 24, WSU 14: The Cougars are able to avoid a turnover on downs after defensive holding on Ole Miss.
WSU down to the Rebels’ 29.
6:51 - MISS 24, WSU 14: Chambliss connects with Cayden Lee for a 35-yard touchdown.
Pretty solid rep from WSU’s defense at first, but Cougs had to be in coverage for too long, leaving Cayden Lee open. He made a couple defenders miss en route to a TD.
