First look: WSU looks to spoil No. 21 James Madison's CFP hopes in road matchup

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Nov. 17—PULLMAN — Here is a first look at Washington State's road game against No. 21 James Madison on Saturday.

What is it?

Looking for its sixth win to secure bowl eligibility for the ninth time in the last 10 full seasons, WSU is set to take on a surging James Madison team, which checked in at No. 21 in this week's AP Top 25. The Dukes likely need this win to cement their case for the College Football Playoff, while the Cougars can knock them out of the race with a victory.

WSU and JMU scheduled this game last fall, helping the Cougs fill out their schedule with opponents from across the country before the rebuilt Pac-12 launches next year.

This game was rumored to be hosting College GameDay last weekend, but on Sunday morning, the show announced it's heading to Eugene for the matchup between No. 6 Oregon and No. 16 USC.

Where is it?

Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

When is it?

Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. local time)

Where can I watch it?

ESPN+ will stream the game.

Who is favored?

As of Monday afternoon, WSU was around a 13.5-point underdog in most sportsbooks.

How did the Cougars fare last week?

In a 28-3 win over Louisiana Tech, WSU's defense shined, holding a second opponent without a touchdown this season. Malaki Ta'ase generated 1 1/2 sacks and Buddha Peleti added one for the Cougs, who allowed only 167 yards of offense to the Bulldogs, — a squad that played without their injured starting quarterback. Still, with this result, Washington State's defense has permitted only 10 points per game in its last four outings.

Quarterback Zevi Eckhaus rushed for two touchdowns and threw for one more for WSU, which also got a rushing score from running back Kirby Vorhees, who capped a 14-0 fourth quarter. With veteran offensive linemen Christian Hilborn and Brock Dieu back in the fold, both returning from injuries, the Cougs' offense looked far more stable than it did in a 10-7 loss to Oregon State the previous game.

WSU was whistled for nine penalties totaling 75 yards, a concerning trend for coach Jimmy Rogers, who lamented his group's mistakes on that front. But outside of four straight drives that ended in punts — "most things worry me," Rogers said about that, laughing a bit — the Cougars' offense looked much improved.

Perhaps most importantly, Eckhaus avoided throwing any interceptions. Entering the game, he had tossed six in his last three games, many of them coming at inopportune times for the Cougars. But against the Bulldogs, who entered with 15 picks on the season, Eckhaus took care of the ball, completing 17 of 25 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown pass, which went to senior wideout Josh Meredith.

That kind of ball security helped WSU stay in good field position on offense, and it prevented putting the Cougars' defense in tough spots as well. One trend on WSU's defense: True freshman Sullivan Schlimgen has started each of the past two games at middle linebacker, earning more snaps than redshirt freshman Anthony Palano, whose snap count has dwindled under 30 each of the last three games, including just eight snaps against Louisiana Tech.

"They're both very intelligent. They both have had huge moments inside of many games, Anthony included," Rogers said. "It just got to a point. They're competing, and Sullivan has tackled better. Anthony will still play, and Anthony's still gonna get in the game and rotate. If Sullivan's off one day, it's good to have Anthony jump in, and hopefully we don't skip a beat."

Scouting James Madison…

In head coach Bob Chesney's second season with the program, the Dukes (9-1, 7-0 Sun Belt) are enjoying one of their best seasons in the FBS ranks, which they joined ahead of the 2022 season. On offense, the tip of the spear is dual-threat quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who has completed 159 of 278 passes (62%) for 16 touchdowns and five interceptions, adding 12 rushing touchdowns and spearheading an offense that has averaged 52 points in the last four games.

On the ground, the Dukes have also gotten a lift from junior Wayne Knight, who has registered 840 yards and seven touchdowns on 136 carries, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Senior tailback Jordan Fuller has added 415 yards and five scores. Also in the mix has been backup quarterback Matthew Sluka — the same one who departed UNLV last season amid an NIL dispute — who has chipped in 231 rushing yards and three touchdowns, finding a niche as a running QB.

"I think they're really good up front, at O line," Rogers said of JMU, which ranks seventh nationally with an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 93.3. "I think their special teams are really good. Their running back has got elite speed and great balance. And I think their quarterback does a phenomenal job of kinda reading defenses, but then he uses his legs to hurt you."

On defense, where James Madison ranks No. 11 nationwide with a stop rate (percentage of a defense's drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs) of 73.3%, the Dukes are led by several players. Safety Tyler Brown leads the team with 46 tackles, plus one interception and four pass breakups, while linebacker Trent Hendrick has 45 tackles to pair with three sacks.

JMU's defense is allowing only 4.3 yards per play, which ranks eighth in the country, and that group is permitting a shade under 17 points per game, which ranks 11th.

What happened last time?

WSU and JMU have never met.

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