Two-minute drill: Washington State's keys to victory against No. 21 James Madison

Nov. 21—Here is what to watch for when Washington State takes on No. 21 James Madison at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

When James Madison has the ball...

The Cougars have tackled a little better in recent weeks, but in that department, they will be tested like few other times before. They'll get the challenge of bringing down JMU quarterback Alonza Barnett III, a dual-threat athlete who stresses opponents with both his arm and his legs. On the year, he's completed 62% of his passes for 2,089 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions, plus 396 rushing yards and 12 scores on 86 carries.

WSU has found ways to negate the impact of missed tackles, rallying to the ball quickly and wrapping up from there, but the numbers remain alarming. The Cougars are dead last in Pro Football Focus' tackling grades, and with 155 total missed tackles, they've whiffed the second-most times in the country. Linebacker Caleb Francl has been playing some of his best football lately, but even he remains tied for the fourth-most missed tackles in the country with 22.

But the Cougs won't only have to worry about Barnett, who has forced 13 missed tackles this season. They'll also have to keep an eye on running QB Matthew Sluka, who has 40 carries for 231 yards and three touchdowns, underscoring the way the Dukes give opponents different looks at the QB spot.

Perhaps complicating things for the Cougs' passing defense, which is permitting only 169 passing yards per game, No. 15 nationally: Veteran safety Cale Reeder may not be able to play. He was a surprise scratch in WSU's last game, a win over Louisiana Tech, and he plays a key role in making his team's secondary so solid. On Monday, WSU coach Jimmy Rogers said "we're hoping" he can play against JMU, "but I don't know. We're expecting him back for Oregon State (the following week) more than anything."

To bother Barnett, WSU will have to rustle a JMU offensive line that Rogers spoke highly of, calling the Dukes' front five one of the best his team will have faced this season. This fall, JMU's starting offensive line has allowed only five sacks, keeping Barnett upright for the most part. Can WSU defensive ends like Isaac Terrell and Buddha Peleti generate meaningful pressure? If they can't bring him down, can their teammates?

That much may swing Saturday's game.

When WSU has the ball...

To give themselves a chance to win and overcome what remains a 131/2-point spread in favor of the Dukes, the Cougars can't beat themselves. They've made a habit out of that on the road lately, piling up 10 penalties for 90 yards against Oregon State and seven for 33 against Virginia, five of those coming in the fourth quarter. That cost them a chance at upsetting the Cavaliers, who won the fourth quarter to the tune of 12-0.

Just as importantly, quarterback Zevi Eckhaus can't throw interceptions against JMU's defense, which ranks 14th nationally with only 168 passing yards allowed per game. The Dukes also keep things in front of them: Opponents are averaging just 6.2 yards per pass, which is a top-20 mark. Several of Eckhaus' eight interceptions have come on deep passes, so he can't afford many poor decisions down the field.

On that front, the return of right tackle Christian Hilborn and center Brock Dieu should boost the Cougs' offense like it did last week in a win over Louisiana Tech, which managed only three pressures on Eckhaus. But JMU's pass rush looks a little more formidable, offering edge rushers like Aiden Gobaira (five sacks, 18 pressures), Sahir West (four sacks, 19 pressures) and a trio of linebacker Trent Hendrick and pass rushers Xavier Holmes and Amar Thomas, each of whom have three sacks.

But even if the Cougs can't give Eckhaus time to throw, they can go to the ground, where they ground out 157 rushing yards last weekend against La Tech. With third-year sophomore running back Leo Pulalasi back in the fold and healthy, WSU's rushing offense has been humming along. Still, it hasn't faced many defenses like JMU's, which ranks ninth nationally with a 75% stop rate, which is the percentage of a defense's drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs.

Here's a wrinkle the Cougs might try to throw at the Dukes: They could try to utilize Eckhaus more in the rushing game. They've done so effectively in their past three games. In two of those, Eckhaus has cleared 50 rushing yards, including a 74-yard binge against Toledo's defense (which is fourth nationally in stop rate). When he's been turnover-prone, WSU has often tried to pivot away from that and get Eckhaus going on the ground.