Oct 11, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Zevi Eckhaus (4) passes the ball during the first quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Eckhaus Continues to Be the Catalyst for Cougs’ Offense in Near Upset

Originally posted on Washington State Cougars on SI
By Jorge Pola | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 6:00 AM ET

STAT LINE: 24/31 (77%) 218 yards, 2 TDs | 18 yards rushing (@ Ole Miss)

GAME NOTES

On a day that ended in heartbreak for the Cougs, who came up just short of a massive upset over Ole Miss, Zevi Eckhaus continued to show promise. With two passing touchdowns, 218 passing yards, a 77% completion percentage, and no turnovers, Eckhaus once again produced while remaining efficient.

He was completing passes to all areas of the field—from underneath to downfield—and from several different platforms, including a few very high-level throws. Check out the 3:02, 3:12, and 11:39 marks in the video linked below.

On the ground, he continues to show that he can add an entirely different dimension to the Wazzu offense—not only as a scrambler, but also on designed quarterback runs. Skip to the 5:37 mark in the video below, where Eckhaus takes off for a 20+ yard gain on a designed run, displaying both burst and physicality as he finishes the play.

Despite the clean game from Eckhaus, it was too little too late for the Cougs offense, as Ole Miss managed to outlast them down the stretch, holding on for the win after Wazzu pulled within three late in the fourth quarter. Eckhaus will look to continue being the main catalyst for the Cougs’ offensive production going forward as they begin preparations for another road trip—this time to Charlottesville, VA, to take on the Cavaliers of Virginia, who also enter the matchup ranked in the Top 25.

BEST PLAY BREAKDOWN

At the 3:12 mark in the video linked below, we get a glimpse of what stellar offensive creativity looks like. Eckhaus lines up in the running back position, while backup Julian Duggar takes the snap at quarterback. The slot receiver goes into orbit motion, and at the snap, Eckhaus takes the handoff and fakes the toss to the receiver in motion.

All the misdirection in the backfield completely neutralizes the deep zone coverage responsibilities of the secondary, as Eckhaus quickly sets his feet and delivers a touchdown strike to his receiver—who easily slips past the Rebels’ defense for the wide-open score.

One more play like this, and national media this week would be discussing one of the biggest regular season wins in WSU history.