Monday Musings: Washington State Upset Bid Falls Short in 24-20 Loss to James Madison
Seeing their bowl hopes put on ice for another week with only one game left to play, the Washington State Cougars lost a hard-fought 24-20 contest to the James Madison Dukes on Saturday.
It was a performance that mirrored many of the Cougars' road games this season with a strong first half followed by an inability to score in the second half. They were only able to muster three points after halftime, which ultimately cost them a winnable game against an opponent that remains in the hunt for a College Football Playoff at-large bid. Now, Washington State heads into their final regular-season matchup at home against Oregon State with bowl eligibility still on the line.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s defeat:
Allowing Big Plays Altered Game For Cougs’ Defense
For the most part, the Washington State defense put together another solid performance on the road against a high-powered offense led by quarterback Alonza Barnett III. They allowed just 17 total points on the day, holding James Madison’s offense in check for much of the game. However, the unit gave up two huge plays in the second half that ultimately proved to be decisive in the Dukes stealing the contest. A 68-yard touchdown pass from Barnett to Braeden Wisloski and a 58-yard touchdown run by Wayne Knight tilted the game back into James Madison’s favor. Washington State’s defense had done a good job all season of preventing such explosive plays, but these two long touchdowns were an indictment on the Cougars' inability to finish the game.
Caleb Francl was a standout on defense, leading the team with eight tackles and an interception in the loss, while safety Matthew Durrance also had a steady performance with eight tackles and a pass breakup. Despite the strong overall performance locking down Barnett and company in the first half, however, the defense couldn’t avoid surrendering back-breaking plays down the stretch, which proved to be the difference in a close one.
Second Half Struggles on Offense Persisted
Washington State’s offense has struggled to score in the second half all season, especially on the road, and that trend continued against James Madison, as the Cougars only managed to score three points after halftime. Over their last six road games, Washington State has scored just 27 points in the third and fourth quarter, an average of only 4.5 points per game. They haven’t scored a touchdown in the second half of any of their last three road games, and it’s safe to say when you struggle offensively as much as the Cougars have after halftime, it’s tough to finish out wins against quality opponents.
Zevi Eckhaus, who started at quarterback, finished the game 19-for-31 for 171 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Unfortunately, the interception came on a poorly executed decision that resulted in a pick-six by Justin Eaglin. On a positive note, Eckhaus did rush for a touchdown on the ground, showing his ability to make plays with his legs when necessary and somewhat amending for the poor throw earlier in the game.
Running back Maxwell Woods had his best game as a Cougar, totaling 71 yards on 13 touches. Woods has shown flashes of the dynamic playmaking ability in both the run and pass game Washington State needs, but the offense couldn’t capitalize on his efforts by finishing drives with touchdowns. Tony Freeman was another bright spot, catching six passes for 81 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown reception. However, these individual performances weren’t enough to overcome the team's second half struggles moving the ball in general.
A Frustrating Loss Puts Bowl Eligibility in Jeopardy
This loss couldn’t have been much more frustrating for Washington State, which now has lost road games to Ole Miss, Virginia, and James Madison by less than seven points in each contest. Just one of those swinging the other direction would have already cemented bowl status for coach Jimmy Rogers in his first season at the helm. Instead, with another close defeat, the Cougars fell to 1-5 on the road this season and 0-5 against teams that have spent time in the AP Top 25 poll.
Despite these setbacks, the Cougars still have a chance to finish the season on a positive note. With more than 70 new players and a first-year coaching staff, there is still time for the program to build momentum and finish strong for the future, as Washington State will need a redemption win against Oregon State, who already beat them in Corvallis, in their final regular season game to become bowl eligible.
