PULLMAN, Wash — Jake Dickert experienced a moment of clarity last December as he reflected on a season unlike any other in the history of Washington State football.
Amid the uncertainty about what was going to happen with the Cougars in the future, Dickert came to the realization he needed to stop trying to take on everything — rumors, realignment, the loss of history, all the drama that came with the collapse of the Pac-12 that left Washington State in college football purgatory.
"I think early on I tried to battle everything. And it wasn't a distraction but you allowed the noise in, right? Instead of just staying internal and what we can do and how we're going to invest in the future of Washington State," Dickert said. "So I learned a lot about that. I tried to take everybody on and the best thing I can do is provide the best experience for our players, our football program that will continue to let Washington State shine."
The Cougars, along with Oregon State, will spend the season trying to display their value in the reshaped college football landscape, and in the process secure their future beyond the next two football seasons.
The simplest way to draw attention and elevate the stature of the program is to win.
"This next year, we're going to have a spotlight on us. Everyone wants to know what's going to happen to the Cougs," Dickert said. "A year from now, that story goes away. So we have an opportunity to represent ourselves, our football team and why 95% of this team stayed here, it's because of this opportunity and what we can go out there and do together."
Dickert said the realization that the team needed to focus inward came a few weeks after the last season ended. The Cougars started last season 4-0 to gain some national attention, only to lose six straight and then wrap up the year with a 24-21 loss to Washington in the Apple Cup.
"I thought we could do better of keeping everyone's attention to the daily task, to doing your job, to continuing to get better each and every day," Dickert said.
Washington State should have a chance to be successful. While their former Pac-12 brethren are off playing in the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC now, the Cougars and Oregon State will play mostly against Mountain West competition. Washington State's roster wasn't raided by the transfer portal and the vast majority of the players returned to Pullman.
There are questions mostly on the defensive side of the ball. But Dickert is confident.
"We've gone through a lot of hard things," Dickert said. "I think we have a very connected team that they like each other and I think they believe in our vision for them as people and as players."
Under Center
John Mateer will be the starter following Cam Ward's transfer to Miami. Mateer has appeared in 12 games during his two seasons and played sparingly. He's thrown 19 total passes in his career, but adds a running element to the position.
If Mateer falters, the Cougars can turn to transfer Zevi Eckhaus, who was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the top player at the FCS level last year at Bryant.
Defensive Concerns
Washington State will need to replace four key players on defense after the loss of defensive linemen Brennan Jackson and Ron Stone Jr. and defensive backs Jaden Hicks and Chau Smith-Wade.
Dickert hopes better interior defensive line play will help make up for the loss of Jackson and Stone, and he has high hopes for Utah Tech transfer Syrus Webster. In the secondary, Dickert knows the first few games will be needed to sort things out.
The Schedule
The Cougars will open with Portland State on Aug. 31 before a challenging four-week stretch that will set the tone for the season. Washington State hosts Texas Tech, faces Washington in the Apple Cup played at Seattle's Lumen Field, hosts San Jose State on a short week and travels to Boise State.
The Cougars also face road trips to Fresno State, San Diego State and Oregon State in the back half of the season and close out with Wyoming at home on Thanksgiving weekend.
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