A season ago, WSU football started 4-0 and was ranked 13th in the country going into a week five bye. Following the bye, the Cougs went 1-7 finishing the season at 5-7, missing a bowl game. In 2024, Wazzu again started 4-0, receiving votes in the AP Poll, but fell 45-24 in week five to Boise State. The goal now is to not allow last year’s fate to return this season.
“After we wiped the film in the morning, we told the guys that ‘you’re gonna tell [the coaching staff] what kind of competitor you are.’ I’ve said it since January, I think we’ve got a team full of competitors,” WSU head coach Jake Dickert said.
In Wednesday’s practice the Cougs were focused on correcting mistakes from the BSU game and turning the page to game prep for Fresno State, Dickert said. The team has an extra week to prepare for a rebound opportunity in their third game of Mountain West competition this season.
As the Cougs seek to right the ship and put thoughts of a 2023 repeat out of mind, the main catalyst will be mental fortitude and having the right mindset week in and week out, Dickert said.
“I meet with every kid after the season, and unfortunately [in last year’s exit meetings] too many kids came in and said ‘We probably just assumed we were just gonna show up every Saturday and win.’ That’s the worst level of competitor that you possibly can have.”
After missing 26 tackles vs BSU, WSU leads the nation with 87 missed tackles and a PFF tackling grade of 29.7, the lowest in the nation. They also allowed seven sacks, lost the penalty battle and were outrushed 276-89.
It is safe to say Saturday was a rough day at the office, but often the way a team responds to adversity is what defines it. If the Cougs want to prove their metal, they need to be able to recognize problems, respond and improve, Dickert said.
“We fell short in some execution points, I thought we pressed,” Dickert said. “There were some hard conversations [post BSU], there were some long faces. No one likes seeing themselves do bad stuff. More importantly, no one likes how it makes them feel. We gotta get over that… We can’t look the other way. Great teams have hard conversations, not just coach to player but player to players.”
The world is not ending and the season is not over. Even in the BSU game “it wasn’t all bad,” Dickert said. The Cougs had the same amount of first downs, outpassed the Broncos 327-184 and were only outgained 460-416 in total.
The other good news for WSU is that health and depth can become a strength over the next two weeks. As always with a bye week, any players nursing injuries have a chance to get back to full health, players like nickel corner Kapena Gushiken and safeties Jackson Lataimua, Tanner Moku and Adrian “Boogie” Wilson who are all limited as of now.
But beyond that, the Cougs have seen multiple projected starters return to the practice field in wide receiver Carlos Hernandez, who had 24 catches for 258 yards as a true freshman last season, and cornerback Jamorri Colson, who had an interception and three passes defended in eight games a year ago. Dickert said that both are expected to be on some form of a snap count but are expected to play against FSU.
With the highs come lows as running back Dylan Paine, who had two touchdowns against San Jose State, will miss the remainder of the 2024 season with a torn ACL. The injury provides more opportunity for RBs Leo Pulalasi and Wayshawn Parker.
Overall, with the chance to take a week to assess, improve and get healthy, the Cougs have a favorable stretch the rest of the way. After playing four straight games against a team over .500, with a combined record of 13-5, only two of WSU’s final seven games are against opponents under .500 with all seven having a combined record of 10-19.
If Dickert’s words come to fruition and the Cougs can get right on the bye week, WSU has a chance to get back on the horse and finish strong, potentially even regaining the national attention they had a week ago.
Dickert’s goal is “to be ranked at the end of the season,” he said, and the Cougs have a chance to prove over the remainder of 2024 that they are better than what they showed against BSU and that they are not destined for the same fate as the 2023 team, and it all starts with a bye week.
