Eckhaus Produces Through Air and Ground in Narrow Loss to JMU

STAT LINE: 19/31 (61%) 171 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 26 yards rushing, 1 TD

GAME NOTES

After a hard-fought effort against a JMU squad making a College Football Playoff push, Washington State ultimately came up short, falling 24–20. Zevi Eckhaus had a solid day through the air, completing 61% of his passes for 171 yards, one touchdown, and a costly interception that was returned for a score by the Dukes.

On the ground, Eckhaus continued to make plays for the Cougs and once again added another rushing touchdown to his stat sheet. The pick-six occurred early in the second quarter, giving JMU their first touchdown of the day, a mistake that proved costly given the final score.

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However, Eckhaus’ resilience and short memory, two core traits every high-level quarterback must possess, were on full display shortly after. On the following drive, at the 4:42 mark in the video below, Eckhaus responded with a 48-yard touchdown strike as if the interception never happened.

As seen in previous weeks, Eckhaus’ running style provides a unique blend of elusiveness and power. He continues to show he’s willing to run through tackles for any extra yardage he can get. Check out the 5:57 mark in the video below, where he makes three defenders miss on a scramble and then bounces off two more on his way into the end zone.

With a bowl berth on the line, Eckhaus and the Cougs host Oregon State in a rematch, looking for redemption after dropping their first meeting with the Beavers earlier in the season.

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BEST PLAY BREAKDOWN

At the 4:42 mark in the video below, JMU brings a Cover 0 blitz, featuring the boundary corner at the top of the screen as a blitzer in the six-man pass rush. The pressure overloads the left side of the Wazzu offensive line, prompting Eckhaus to climb the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield.

Wazzu has a switch concept called at the bottom of the screen, pulling the safety in man coverage toward the out-breaking route and leaving the post runner one-on-one with the corner. As Eckhaus climbs the pocket, he releases the ball off-platform and downfield, placing it perfectly into his receiver’s hands for a 48-yard score.

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