JMU football faces perhaps its most intriguing opponent of the year Saturday, when Washington State visits Bridgeforth Stadium. The Cougars are 5-5 on the year, with one-possession losses to a pair of teams ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings. 

How to watch

Kickoff time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN+ with Curt Dudley and Brian Barlow on the call

Weather: The forecasted high temperature is 58 degrees, and there’s a chance of rain in the morning. Weather shouldn’t be a major factor by kickoff.

Opponent preview: Washington State

Record: 5-5, 0-1 Pac-12

Coach: Jimmy Rogers, 32-8 overall, 5-5 at Washington State

Top players

Zevi Eckhaus, QB: The Cougars improved as a team when they went to Eckhaus at quarterback, although he’s been solid rather than spectacular. He’s thrown 10 touchdowns to eight interceptions, but his rushing ability (248 yards and 6 TDs) adds an element to the offense. He’s a good player, but he has thrown two interceptions in four of his seven starts. 

Isaac Terrell, DE: Washington State’s leader in sacks with five, Terrell has a PFF grade above 80 and leads the Cougars with 27 pressures this fall. He’s an exceptional pass rusher and will test JMU football’s offensive tackles. 

Tucker Large, S: He has 61 tackles this fall and boasts a PFF grade above 75. He followed Rogers from South Dakota State, where he was an elite FCS player. He can ball.

Key to the Game: Embrace the grind

In its past six games, Washington State has allowed an average of 11.6 points per game. The Cougars can defend well, but their underlying metrics aren’t all that great. Washington State ranks 104th nationally in defensive success rate and 95th in EPA/rush. The Cougars have played some good defense this fall, but they’ve also given up 59 points to both North Texas and Washington. They also don’t really force turnovers, only generating six all season. 

Ole Miss scored just 24 against the Cougars, but it had four scoreless drives end in Washington State territory. The Cougars made that game look closer than it was. In large part, Washington State has beat up on bad offenses. Of the four FBS teams the Cougars have defeated, none of offenses rank in the top 70 of ESPN’s SP+. The average SP+ offensive ranking of the four teams? 99th nationally.

JMU ranks 33rd in ESPN’s SP+ offense rating. And at 25th defensively, this will be one of the best defenses the Cougars have played this season.

That’s concerning for Washington State because it ranks just 109th in total offense, averaging just over 300 yards per game. The Cougars struggle to move the football, while the Dukes have held the majority of their opponents under 300 yards.

JMU is capable of dominating Washington State’s offense and getting the running game going with Wayne Knight and Jordan Fuller/Jobi Malary. The Cougars are steadily improving and hard to blow out, but they also lack the obvious ingredients (turnover creation and an explosive offense) to pull an upset. Washington State often finds ways to perform greater than the sum of its parts, but the on-paper comparison suggests JMU’s improving offense and steady defense could make this a tough spot for the Cougars to keep it close.

Score prediction

JMU should come out fuming after being left out of the CFP rankings yet again. Its Senior Day for the Dukes, and it’s going to be a sold-out crowd. 

Washington State won’t be scared of the environment, and the Cougars have endured plenty of cross-country travel this season. They know the drill. Still, JMU has the more complete football team. If the Dukes can win the turnover battle, it could get out of hand Saturday. JMU needs all the style points it can get.  

The pick: JMU 31, Washington State 13

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications