> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Analysis: 3 Keys For Washington State to Upset Ole Miss in Oxford - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/washington-state-cougars-keys-upset-ole-miss/ - Published: 2025-10-10T00:06:13.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:17:56.000Z - Author: Jacob Stevenson - Tags: Analysis, Washington State Football, Zevi Eckhaus, Jimmy Rogers, Jesse Bobbit, Trinidad Chambliss, Angel Johnson, Cougars The Washington State Cougars have their toughest task of the season coming up Saturday traveling south to face the fourth-ranked team in the country in the Ole Miss Rebels. Based on the current state of the two programs, asking for a win is a tall task. But regardless of the final outcome, there are positives that can be achieved in Saturday's game to showcase significant progress from the Cougars in year one under coach Jimmy Rogers. “They have a lot of really talented players, so we will have our work cut out for us.” Looking towards this weekend, here are three keys to the Cougs staying competitive and potentially upsetting the Rebels: **Sustain Long Drives** For Washington State to have any chance of stunning the college football world, they have to play keep away to extent with long, time-eating touchdown drives. It will be easier said than done against an elite team on the road. But the less Ole Miss has the ball, the less they have an opportunity to score, so when Washington State has the ball, they need to be efficient moving the chains and chew up some clock in the process. Against Colorado State, Washington State did a great job moving the ball in the first half with 20 first-half points. But their drives weren’t super long. Their longest scoring drive was a nine-play, 74-yard drive that lasted a mere four minutes and 54 seconds. If the Cougars could stretch that drive out a minute or two and finish with a touchdown, those types of possessions would be really beneficial against the Rebels. Ole Miss has a terrific offense led by Trinidad Chambliss, who has received some Heisman talk after combining for 385 yards of total offense in a win against LSU. Washington State’s defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit expressed concerns about Ole Miss’ fast-paced offense, particularly with Chambliss’ rushing talent as a dual-threat signal caller, so helping the defense by keeping them off the field as much as possible may be the only way to stay within striking distance on the scoreboard. **Establish Complementary Run/Pass Balance** Needless to say, Washington State can’t be one dimensional against Ole Miss if it wants to have any shot at hanging for four quarters. Against the Rams, they were able to run the ball much more effectively than they did in the first four games, with the exception of a half against San Diego State in Week 2\. In those two aforementioned games, the Cougars combined for 297 rushing yards compared to just 92 in their other three contests, and anything close to that dismal production will spell doom in Oxford. Getting Angel Johnson going will be really important for Washington State. The South Dakota State transfer, who was the expected number one running back heading into the season, has struggled so far in Pullman, rushing 40 times for just 73 yards this season. For Washington State to have a chance at keeping things close, quarterback Zevi Eckhaus can’t be asked to do everything and will need a run game to lean on to take pressure off of him. The Cougars will not only need to run the ball effectively and keep the Rebels guessing, but spread the ball around on offense effectively too when they do throw the ball, thus controlling the tempo and improving odds of stacking together long drives. **Protect the Football at All Costs** Turnovers will hurt you in any football game. But on Saturday, if Washington State wants to hang around, the Cougs can’t afford to turn the ball over and give the crowd a reason to celebrate. Nevertheless, the turnover differential has to be even at worst. Turnovers and creating turnovers have been something the Cougars have struggled with throughout their 2025 season. Over the first five games, the Cougars have had a turnover differential of minus six, which typically correlates with losing football. So far, Ole Miss has had a turnover differential of minus three, albeit with the Rebels facing a higher quality of competition. Given their struggles taking care of the ball, the Cougs may be able to steal a possession or two if they can capitalize on opportunities. For as much as Eckhaus has turned the offense around since replacing Jaxon Potter after Week 3, turnovers have been something he has struggled with in his three starts as a Washington State quarterback over the past couple seasons. But he didn’t have any against Colorado State and the Cougs were in control of the game from start to finish, a trend that hopefully continues in a hostile SEC environment. If it does, then they have a fighting shot at making things interesting against the odds.