BIG time COUG football win over Wisconsin. Read what the Spokane S-R, Wisconsin State Journal and Cougfan has to say about it. Go, Cougs!
‘It’s hard to put it into words’: Washington State
upsets No. 19 Wisconsin, securing major accomplishment for Cougs’ program and
coach
By
Colton Clark Spokesman-Review 9/10;2022
MADISON, Wis. – Jake Dickert choked
up when he spoke about the support of his family and the spirit of his team. His
voice was heavy with emotion throughout his postgame news conference on
Saturday evening.
The Washington State coach’s
feelings were more than warranted.
He had just led an incredibly
memorable victory – certainly a win he will always cherish, and a win that will
probably go down as one of the most celebrated triumphs in WSU program history,
considering the storylines surrounding Saturday’s game.
In his first season as WSU’s head
coach, Dickert returned to his home state and guided an upset win over the team
he grew up idolizing. Hundreds of his friends and family members were in
attendance. Clearly, this was the most significant individual accomplishment of
his career so far.
“I just know each and every one of
them is proud of me and they’re proud of this program, and I’m proud to wear
Dickert on my back, because I represent them,” he said.
The Cougars, who entered the matchup
as considerable underdogs, proved themselves on a national stage in an
immensely challenging environment. They used a resilient effort to stun the
19th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers, grinding out a 17-14 decision in front of 80,000
fans at Camp Randall Stadium.
“It’s hard to put it into words,”
Dickert said when asked about his initial reaction to the final whistle, when
his players swarmed him in a congratulatory mosh. His loved ones greeted him
with long embraces outside the Cougs’ locker room. “We’re going to celebrate
this one, but there is so much more to do. It shows us what we can do, what we
are capable of.
“We can beat anybody if we don’t
beat ourselves.”
The Cougars’ defense – a unit that
has become known for forcing turnovers, playing with tenacity and bending but
not breaking – collected a red-zone takeaway with about five minutes remaining,
recording the final blow in a hard-fought contest that featured constant
momentum changes.
On the 17th play of the Badgers’
final drive – and just the fourth passing play of the series – WSU edge rusher
Quinn Roff poked the ball free from Wisconsin tight end Clay Cundiff’s grasp,
and Coug safety Sam Lockett pounced on it. Two plays earlier, the Badgers had
committed a would-be turnover when quarterback Graham Mertz was popped in the
backfield by WSU edge rusher Ron Stone Jr., whose hit caused the pass to dangle
in the air. Defensive tackle Christian Mejia came down with an interception but
promptly coughed the ball up, right back into Wisconsin’s possession.
WSU’s offense hadn’t been able to
sustain much success throughout the day, but the Cougars’ Air Raid found a
rhythm late and worked its longest drive of the day, a 10-play series that
killed the clock and sealed the important victory. WSU gained 22 of its 53
total rushing yards on its final series.
“We played a gritty 60 minutes of
football,” Dickert said. “We played a gritty second half. (Wisconsin) is going
to win a lot of football games, and they’re going to do it by wearing people
out.
“Our guys have a fight in them. I’m
so damn proud of them and how they played and kept fighting. That’s what it
takes to win football games on the road.”
The Badgers dominated the Cougars in
several stat categories, including time of possession (38:02 to 21:58), first
downs (23 to 10), third-down conversions (8 for 15 against 2 for 11), total
plays (75 to 50) and total yardage (401 to 253). Yet WSU’s defense limited big
plays, and the Cougs’ offense made just enough of them to clip the Badgers
(1-1) on the scoreboard.
“We just knew it was going to be
whoever did their job the longest, and we did that today,” Stone said. “It was
just about strain, start to finish.”
The Cougars (2-0) dialed up hidden
pressure packages and received laudable effort from their defensive line and
linebackers early in the game, containing Wisconsin’s superpowered rushing
attack. WSU’s offense had few answers in the first half against the Badgers’
defensive front. Quarterback Cameron Ward was often pressured and the Cougars’
ground game couldn’t find any holes against one of the nation’s best
run-stopping defenses, resulting in short possessions and a gassed WSU defense.
Wisconsin capitalized with two
scoring drives in the second quarter. Mertz, taking advantage of a shorthanded
WSU secondary that lost starting cornerback Derrick Langford Jr. to an injury
early on, fired two touchdowns to Cundiff to open a 14-7 halftime lead.
“I felt like we did a good job
stopping the run,” Dickert said.
The Badgers, traditionally one of
the top rushing teams in the FBS, totaled 174 yards on 44 carries. All-American
Braelon Allen had 98 yards on 21 attempts.
“We got a little leaky (later in the
game),” Dickert said. “We made them play a different game. Unfortunately, they
were successful playing that game for a while, throwing the football.”
The Cougars had only two drives of
note in the first half – a 43-yard catch-and-run from Renard Bell moved them into
the red zone on their first possession before Ward threw a risky pass toward
the goal line and had it picked. On his third series, Ward completed a 33-yard
floater to tight end Billy Riviere, setting up a short TD scamper from Nakia
Watson, a first-year WSU starter at tailback and a former backup running back
for the Badgers in 2019 and 2020.
“We were in the halftime locker room
and there was so much belief,” Dickert said.
Bell sparked the Cougs out of the
locker room with a 73-yard kickoff return, setting up a 26-yard field goal from
Dean Janikowski. WSU then forced Wisconsin into a rare three-and-out and took
the lead on the next possession – with a little good fortune.
Ward took a hit on third-and-10 and
threw an off-target pass into the hands of Badger cornerback Jay Shaw, but
Cougar slotback Lincoln Victor sped across the field and blindsided Shaw,
forcing a fumble that was recovered by WSU center Konner Gomness to give the
Cougs a fresh set of downs. The visitors continued to plug away with short plays
until Ward made an improvisational highlight on a second down, sliding around
in the pocket and flipping a pass to Watson, who spun away from traffic and had
only open field ahead of him for a 31-yard touchdown, which fashioned the final
score at the 5:12 mark of the third quarter.
“Normally, I’m not a person that
cries,” Watson said. “But I cried a little bit, I’m not going to lie.
“I had a lot to prove today … most
definitely a chip on my shoulder, playing against the old (teammates).”
Watson produced 54 yards from
scrimmage and two scores in his return to Camp Randall. Ward, a highly touted
FCS transfer who was playing in his first game against a major opponent,
completed 17 of 28 passes for 200 yards with one TD and two picks. Ward
appeared to settle down as the game progressed and distributed passes to seven
receivers.
“For the program, I think it means
everything coming to the the Big Ten, on the road and beating a good Wisconsin
team,” Ward said. “It was big for us. We accepted the challenge that coach
Dickert preached all week: ‘It’s going to be a big stage, probably one of the
biggest stages we’re going to play in all year.’ For myself, it was a big
moment, going on the road in a big-time Power Five game. I just feel like it
was a stepping stone in my journey.”
WSU’s deep and talented defensive
front impressed again, combining for six tackles for loss in the run game and
three QB hits. Wisconsin’s ground-and-pound approach had the Cougs on their
heels during a lengthy possession late in the third quarter, but the Badgers
had to settle for a 43-yard field-goal attempt after three run stops near the
line of scrimmage. The kick was shanked and fell short. The Cougars tightened
up in the final period and outmuscled the favored opponents to claim their first
road win over a ranked nonconference opponent since they topped No. 17 Colorado
in 2003.
Of course, this one meant a bit
more. The new-look WSU, playing with a first-year staff and freshly installed
offensive system, introduced itself to the college football world while
securing an exceptionally meaningful victory for both the Cougs’ program and
its coach.
“I just think Cougs across the
country are real proud of these guys,” Dickert said. “For me, I think the
gravity of it will hit me at some moment. … I wouldn’t be sitting here today
without the people that were in the stands.
“I’m proud to be here and to
represent Washington State – that’s first and foremost. It’s a place I love,
and I can’t wait to keep this thing going.”
::::
‘We’re all so
proud of him’: WSU coach and Wisconsin native Jake Dickert has 200 family and
friends in support at Camp Randall
Sept. 10, 2022 Updated Sat., Sept.
10, 2022 at 5:11 p.m.
By Jim Hoehn for The
Spokesman-Review
MADISON, Wis. – Welcome to
Dickertville, Wisconsin, a small, unincorporated festive hamlet of roughly 200
people – at least for today.
A couple hundred Cougar-clad family
members and friends of Washington State coach Jake Dickert, a Wisconsin native,
gathered for a Saturday morning tailgate and catered barbecue before the
nonconference game against the 19th-ranked Badgers.
The gathering on the front lawn at
Edgewood High School, little more than a mile from Camp Randall Stadium, the
80,000-seat home of the Badgers, was a mixture of smiles, stories and immense
pride in Jake Dickert’s rise through the coaching ranks to the head job at a
Division 1 program.
“It’s such an honor. It’s just
unbelievable,” said Jill Davis, wearing a shirt that read on the back, “Coach
Dickert’s Favorite Auntie.” “We’re a really, really close family. We’re all
just so proud of him.”
Jeff Dickert, Jake’s dad, said the
tailgate plans started almost as soon as they saw Wisconsin on the schedule.
“We started in about May and we
started a ticket list,” he said, interrupting his conversation to greet a group
with “ ‘How are you doing today?’ Which drew the response, ‘Go Cougs!’ ”
“We had relatives already signed up
at Christmas,” Jeff Dickert said. “I had some contacts previously who helped me
get the location, Jake’s wife’s mother knew the caterer. So, once we got the
location and the caterer, we just told everyone to bring your own chairs, beer
and that, and drinks and off you go – it will be a good old-fashioned Wisconsin
tailgate.
“We have 200, we kind of kept it
tight. Once the newspaper articles came out, I’ve been getting buzzed about
every hour asking, ‘Where are you guys tailgating?’ So, we’ve got others coming
now. But, it’s mainly family or extended family that knows Jake.”
Jake Dickert’s 83-year-old
grandmother, Marilyn, brought his favorite strawberry jelly, which she made,
although she couldn’t deliver it to him personally.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited,” she
said. “But I gave the jelly to his wife because I didn’t know how I’d get it
into the stadium. But, I’m so very proud of him.”
Gary Dickert, Jake’s great uncle,
played defensive line at Wisconsin in the 1970s. He traveled with his wife,
Kathy, from Tucson, Arizona.
“I think Pullman fits Jake and his
family because he’s got that smaller town Wisconsin mentality and it’s a good
fit for them,” said Gary Dickert, also sporting WSU attire.
John Miech, the former head coach at
Wisconsin-Stevens Point where Jake Dickert played collegiately and got his
coaching start as a grad assistant, made the trip from his home in Florida.
Miech said he wasn’t surprised at
Jake Dickert’s coaching success.
“He was a young man, sitting as a
player in a room, and he got in 3½ minutes while it took us 20 minutes to
explain it to everybody else,” Miech said. “He had a really, really high
football IQ. And, he’s been around a lot of outstanding football people.”
Jeff Dickert, who was in education
as a teacher, principal and then superintendent, noticed Jake’s attention to
football detail even earlier.
“Already in Pop Warner football, he
knew all the plays, he knew everybody’s position,” Jeff Dickert said. “I knew
he had the knack for understanding the game and seeing things before they
happened. I figured when he became a teacher, he’d be a coach, of course.”
At one of his early collegiate
coaching stops, Jake Dickert was the special teams coordinator and defensive
backs coach in 2011 at South Dakota, which suffered a 59-10 loss to a Badgers
team that included running backs James White, Montee Ball and Melvin Gordon.
“This is awesome, it’s
unbelievable,” said Jake’s brother, Jesse Dickert, who also played collegiately
at Wisconsin-Stevens Point. “This is what you dream as kids. We were big
Badgers fans. Our dream was to play, but coming now back coaching against the
Badgers, it’s wild.”
“And this time, he has a shot,”
Jesse Dickert said. “Last time with South Dakota, he was an assistant coach and
it was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to kick your butt.’ Today, it’s like, if our
kids play well, we’ve got a chance to win this thing.”
Jake Dickert’s wife, Candice, whom
he met in college, hails from Stoughton, about 20 miles southeast of Madison.
“We played the Badgers 11 years ago
when Jake was an assistant at South Dakota,” she said. “If someone had told me
11 years ago … not that it’s come full circle, but I’m just so proud of him. It
feels that all the sacrifice, not that it wouldn’t have been worth it, but it
just feels that much sweeter when it’s something like this.”
::::::::::::
TV Take: Mix a close game with a professional
broadcast and a WSU upset and you get the perfect Saturday afternoon
By Vince Grippi For The
Spokesman-Review 9/10/2022
If you are going to sit in front of
the big screen for more than three hours watching a college football game,
having a close one is certainly preferable. Professional announcing also helps.
And then a win by the team you’re watching? That’s the helmet sticker everyone
wants.
All came into play Saturday
afternoon as Washington State, with new coach Jake Dickert returning home,
upset host Wisconsin 17-14 in Madison.
“Come to their coach’s home state,”
Fox play-by-play man Jason Benetti said as the camera showed Dickert crossing the
field, his voice gone but his emotion showing. “He said, at some point it will
be a dream come true to be on this field. How about right now, with zeroes,
with an upset win this September Saturday?”
“That’s a program changer,” analyst
Brock Huard added after praising the play of quarterback Cam Ward, who
completed 17 of 28 passes for 200 yards and what proved to be the game-winning
touchdown . “A program definer for a head coach whose team played their tails
off for him today.”
What
they saw
• Huard isn’t flashy. He’s just good
at what he does.
Yes, Huard, the former University of
Washington and Seahawk quarterback, can talk too much. That’s not unusual. What
is, however, how often he says only a little but covers a lot.
Take the 31-yard third-quarter touchdown
reception Nakia Watson had to give the 17.5-point underdog Cougars the lead for
good.
The play was jump-started by Ward’s
feet and made possible because Watson, the former Badger, made safety Kamo’I
Latu miss in the flat.
Huard marveled at how “the ultimate
team game so often comes down to those man-on-man battles.”
• The narrative going in focused
upon Washington State’s race-car speed defensively against Wisconsin’s dump
trucks up front. And, yes, Huard acknowledged it early, saying “in time, those
body blows wear down” the smaller opponent. But he didn’t dwell on it.
He came back to the supposed
mismatch on a Wisconsin’s final fourth-quarter drive – that turned into two
drives. The first was 14 plays, ending in an interception that was, for the second
time, fumbled back to the offense. The second was two plays, ending in what
turned out to be a game-clinching Wisconsin fumble.
• Huard also delved deeper into the
ancillary aspects of the Cougars’ emphasis on rush defense. The secondary was
going to be on its own at times as WSU tried to clog lanes and pressure
quarterback Graham Mertz.
Both first-half touchdowns came
against man coverage, as the Cougars were forced to single cover Clay Cundiff.
The coverage was tight, but the tight end was better.
• It wasn’t the turning point, but
the last minute of the first half could have been. And Huard was all over it.
The Cougars were tied at 7 with the ball and about 90 seconds left. But they
were deep in their territory.
“Get the first first down,” Huard
encouraged Ward and the Cougar offense. “Heck, just one first down, get to
halftime, (you) get the ball to start the second half, you can’t give the ball
back.”
They didn’t listen. Maybe it was
because the Cougars thought Ward had picked up a first down with a quick pass
to Lincoln Victor. Many – including Benetti – thought so.
The person who spotted the ball
didn’t. Was Victor to the line? Maybe. It wasn’t reviewed. The second play was
blown up, as was the third. Wisconsin got the ball back with about a minute and
scored in four plays to take a 14-7 lead at intermission.
• The final Huard statement came
late and could have been referring to the WSU defense being on the field for 75
plays – and shut out the Badgers after halftime. Or it could have been about
Victor’s forcing of a fumble after a Wisconsin interception. Or a bunch of
others. Whatever he was referring to, it was simple.
“Effort. Effort. Effort,” he said as
the clock wound down. “It’s what these Cougs have given (Jake Dickert).”
What
we saw
• Not the first few plays of the
game. Instead we were treated to a My Pillow ad, a Fox promo, another ad,
another promo and then, well after Alabama had held off Texas – and the
obligatory Nick Saban interview – were we allowed to see the Washington State
game.
At least we were taken to Madison
before the Cougars’ first offensive possession. You know, their best one.
One other thing about the wait. It
was foreshadowing. The game wasn’t controlled by Wisconsin’s offensive line or
the Cougars’ edge rushers. Nope. It was dominated by commercials. Hundreds of
them. Fox must be already working to pay off the billion it owes the Big Ten in
the next media contract.
• Why is there review in college
football? It isn’t utilized well enough to continue.
One late first-quarter play
illustrated that perfectly. On a third-and-3 from its 17, Wisconsin threw an
out route to Chimere Dike, who wrestled the ball away from Armani Marsh and
made the catch. Fine. But the play should have been reviewed. Even though
Washington State called a timeout to give replay a chance to look at it, it
wasn’t. Not for the catch but, more importantly, not for the mark.
The ball was put on the Wisconsin
21, good for a first down. But the replay Fox showed made it clear Dike didn’t
wrestle the ball away until the Wisconsin side of the 20, as both came back to
the quarterback. No review of the mark, which should have made it fourth down.
When Fox brought Dean Blandino, the
network’s officiating analyst, examined the catch, all he discussed was the
mechanics of calling the catch.
Should Dickert have thrown a
challenge flag? Sure. He didn’t, but he shouldn’t have been forced to. The
system is designed, in theory, to avoid challenges. It failed.
:::::
Recap and Highlights: Washington State marches into
hostile environment and takes down No. 19 Wisconsin 17-14
Spokane
S-R 9/10/2022
Washington State Cougars quarterback
Cameron Ward (1) hands off to Washington State Cougars running back Nakia
Watson (25) for a touchdown during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium
in Madison, WI on Saturday, September 9, 2022. (Kirsten Schmitt/For The
Spokesman-Review)
Nakia Watson scored twice against
his old team and first-year Washington State coach Jake Dickert ensured his
return to Wisconsin would be one to remember, leading the Cougars to a 17-14
win over the 19th-ranked Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
Watson, who recorded 127 carries in
two seasons with the Badgers before transferring to WSU, punched in a 2-yard
rushing touchdown in the second quarter and scored the decisive touchdown on a
31-yard reception in the third quarter to give the Cougars a three-point lead.
It marked WSU’s first win over a
ranked team since the Cougars beat No. 25 Iowa State in the 2018 Alamo Bowl.
The Cougars (2-0) return home for their
next three games, starting next Saturday with a 3 p.m. kickoff against Mountain
West foe Colorado State (0-2).
Trailing by three points, Wisconsin
squandered an opportunity to take the lead or tie the game late in the fourth
quarter when WSU edge rusher Quinn Roff forced Badgers tight end Clay Cundiff
to fumble on the Cougars’ 22-yard line. Safety Sam Lockett, a Spokane native
and Gonzaga Prep graduate, pounced on the loose ball to give WSU’s offense
possession with 5:14 to play, allowing the Cougars to secure the victory.
WSU quarterback Cameron Ward
overcame a pair of early interceptions to finish 17-of-28 passing for 200 yards
and one touchdown. Wisconsin’s Graham Mertz was 18-of-31 with two touchdowns
and one interception.
The Cougars’ stingy defense forced
three turnovers, including two Wisconsin fumbles, and the Badgers failed to
score on the ground despite 174 total rushing yards on 44 carries.
WSU’s win may have come at somewhat
of a cost, however, as three defensive starters left the field with apparent
injuries and did not return. Cornerback Derrick Langford returned to the
sideline in the first half with a boot on his left leg, linebacker Travion
Brown walked off the field in the second half holding his shoulder and safety
Jordan Lee didn’t return following a second-half injury.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Washington
State coach Jake Dickert receives applause, Cougars field healthy roster at
Wisconsin
By
Colton Clark Spokesman-Review 9/10/2022
MADISON, Wisconsin – A sizable
section of the crowd at Camp Randall Stadium let out a burst of applause when
Wisconsin’s PA announcer introduced the first-year head coach from Washington
State.
Cougs boss Jake Dickert is back in
his home state, leading his underdog WSU squad against his childhood team: the
Wisconsin Badgers. Hundreds of his friends and family members are here in
support. They all switched allegiances for the weekend and, for the first time,
are sitting on the visitors’ side of this iconic venue.
Dickert tried to hide his emotions,
putting on his best poker face as he led the Cougars out of the tunnel in front
of a rocking crowd that grew to about 80,000 by the time the teams kicked off
Saturday afternoon.
WSU is playing with a healthy roster
in its most significant nonconference matchup in recent memory. Every player
listed on the Cougs’ Week 2 two-deep was available. Backup outside receiver
Zeriah Beason was not present – he is apparently still working through
eligibility issues that kept him off the field in Week 1. Rotational tight end
Cooper Mathers sported a walking boot and watched Saturday’s game from the
sideline.
The Cougs returned backup left
tackle Fa’alili Fa’amoe, who was absent last Saturday in WSU’s win over Idaho
for unspecified reasons. Star edge rusher Ron Stone Jr. has returned to full
strength after playing in a limited capacity last weekend and throughout the
preseason because of an undisclosed injury.
WSU’s defensive front is playing at
maximum power – and it showed early in the game. The Cougs totaled five tackles
for loss across Wisconsin’s first three possessions. The Badgers’ ground game –
one of the nation’s elite rushing attacks every season – struggled to find
holes between the tackles as WSU disguised its pressure packages, sending
linebackers and safeties on blitzes while its defensive linemen produced steady
push.
The Cougar offense produced its
biggest gainer of the season so far on its first play from scrimmage.
Quarterback Cameron Ward connected with slot receiver Renard Bell on a quick
screen pass, and Bell made a number of cuts, weaving upfield for a 43-yard
gain. WSU’s opening drive ended in the red zone when Ward threw an errant pass
into tight coverage at the goal line and was intercepted by cornerback Max
Lofy.
The Badgers are playing without two
starters and two rotational players. First-team right tackle Riley Mahlman and
starting free safety Hunter Wohler were scratches because of injuries. Reserve
cornerbacks Alexander Smith and Justin Clark were also out.
:::
Wisconsin
State Journal 9/10/2022
The University of Wisconsin football
team has prided itself on not making mistakes that cost it games, forcing
opponents to execute well enough to win.
That didn’t happen Saturday in the
No. 19 Badgers’ 17-14 loss to Washington State at Camp Randall Stadium. UW
committed 11 penalties, costing itself 106 yards, but that figure grows when
considering the offensive plays those penalties negated.
A hands-to-the-face penalty on left
tackle Jack Nelson wiped out a 25-yard pass play to Chimere Dike in the second
quarter; a hold on center Joe Tippmann nixed a gain of 16 by tailback Braelon
Allen in the third quarter, and another Tippmann hold spoiled a 12-yard Allen
run in the fourth. Those don’t mention the delay of game UW took at the Wazzu
5-yard line or the 15 yards tight end Clay Cundiff cost the team after pulling
a defender off a pile-up following a fumble.
“I'm anxious to see those plays,” UW coach
Paul Chryst said. “Because it's not that you're going to change it, but … we
got to practice right. And are we doing that? How can you help? This has got to
be one that … burns, stings to where it drives you to get better.”
UW quarterback Graham Mertz wasn’t
able to get transfer receiver Keontez Lewis involved in the Badgers’ opener
against Illinois State. But the junior hit his sophomore target twice for big
gains that were critical in giving the Badgers a chance to win.
Lewis’ first catch in a Badgers’
uniform was a 40-yard gain up the right seam to set up a go-ahead touchdown
before halftime. Mertz led the speedy Lewis beyond the cornerback and outside
of the safety coming over, and Lewis made a nice catch through contact. Lewis
hauled in a Mertz pass along the sideline for 22 yards to convert a
third-and-17 late in the third quarter as well.
Lewis transferred in from UCLA and
showed during spring and fall practices he can be a deep threat, and that’s
starting to translate to the field.
UW held the Cougars to 53 yards of net
rushing on 22 attempts, marking the second opponent the Badgers have held under
60 yards on the ground after Illinois State mustered 57 in Week 1.
::::::::::::::::::::;
Former Badger proves himself with 2 TDs to beat Wisconsin football
The game clock struck zero, and Nakia Watson had fireworks going
off in his head.
The former
University of Wisconsin running back returned to Madison and played an instrumental
role in Washington State's 17-14 upset win Saturday inside Camp Randall
Stadium. He recalled becoming emotional with his position coach, Mark Atuaia,
thanking him for believing in him and pushing him.
“Normally I’m
not a person that cries, but I cried a little bit, I’m not gonna lie,” Watson
said laughing.
A huge smile
glowed across Watson’s face following the win. He departed UW following the
2020 season after rushing for 522 yards, a 4.1 yards per carry average and five
touchdowns.
Watson
finished with only 33 rushing yards on 10 carries and one reception Saturday,
yet his two touchdowns made the difference. His 2-yard touchdown run in the
second quarter opened the scoring for the game and capped off a four-play,
53-yard drive to give Washington State a 7-0 lead.
The Cougars
trailed 14-7 at halftime, but they scored 10 unanswered points in the third
quarter to take the lead and never look back. Watson’s second touchdown of the
day, a 31-yard reception, was the game-winning score.
That
second-and-5 play saw the back initially stay in pass protection, but Watson
trickled out to the left side of the field. Quarterback Cameron Ward scrambled
but stayed within the pocket, eventually finding Watson in open space at the
31-yard line.
UW safety Kamo’i Latu, sprinting and on target, met Watson directly. The Cougar
spun off the defensive back’s attempt to bring him down, however.
Watson said he
realized it could be a big play when he made Latu miss. He proceeded to beat a
slew of Badgers on way to the north end zone for the go-ahead score.
“When I
spinned off of him, I’d seen nothing but green grass and I’d seen ‘OP’ (Orion
Peters), one of our receivers, blocking downfield,” he said. “He had his guy,
and I knew it was gonna be a touchdown from there.”
Latu, who
recorded six tackles and one sack Saturday, gave an honest assessment of the
missed opportunity, something he knows he has to address next week.
“It’s just a one-on-one tackle, something I
need to work on come Monday,” Latu said. “I tried to execute it, and things
happen. It's football. So come Monday, correct the mistakes.”
Watson called
UW “the old stomping grounds" and said that he “had a lot to prove”
Saturday because he transferred from the program. He recalled speaking with two
former teammates this week in running back Isaac Guerendo and defensive lineman
Gio Paez.
The matchup
created easy motivation.
“I feel like
that's the type of mentality that you have to have when you play against people
that you know,” Watson said. “Just having that chip on your shoulder, that
edge, fighting to the echo of the whistle.”
Watson’s
longest run of the night gained 11 yards, but it came during a game-clinching,
10-play series with 5:14 to play. He grinded out 17 yards on four carries that
drive when the Cougars ultimately ran out the clock.
Washington
State coach Jake Dickert, a Waukesha native believes Watson was challenged all
week by Atuaia and responded.
“I'm so damn
proud of Nakia," Dickert said. "He came into an environment, he knows
a lot of people here, and he represented himself and all the work that he's put
in.
“I'm proud of
him, and that's the type of thunder and lightning we need with Nakia and then
you saw Jaylen (Jenkins) come in and hit some explosive plays, but you got to
be able to run the football to win games.”
::::
Defense gets the well-deserved glory,
but WSU offensive line stood tall at Wisconsin
By Jamey Vinnick, Cougfan
THE DEFENSE DESERVES credit
aplenty for Washington State's 17-14 upset victory over No. 18/19
Wisconsin on Saturday, but a massive shout out is also due the Cougar offensive
line. Were they perfect? No. But against a ferocious Wisconsin front, the
Cougar o-line did not get called for a single holding penalty.
The o-line helped WSU nearly match Wisconsin's yards per play
(5.1 to 5.3) while allowing 3 quarterback hurries, 2 sacks and 2 tackles
for loss, and stood tall despite the pressure and unconventional looks the Badgers
brought.
Maybe above all else, they came up with some
huge plays of their own -- none bigger than Ma'ake Fifita late
in the fourth pulling from his right tackle spot to chip a Wisconsin defender,
freeing Nakia Watson up for an 11-yard gain. How big was
that play? It gave WSU the game-sealing first down, allowing it to melt the
clock away.
The offensive line's standout performance came after entering
the season with more scrutiny (and fan angst) than any other position unit.
Between graduations, transfers and new faces, it was uncertain what this line
would look like and how they would do. They performed ably against Idaho, but
there were doubts on how they would handle Big Ten competition; the big boys in
the middle of the Badger line.
But they outplayed Wisconsin -- particularly
neutralizing Wisconsin All-American Nick Herbig linebacker. There was not a ton
of room on the ground, but enough for Watson and Jaylen Jenkins to make plays and pick up
crucial yards.
Saturday's performance should help alleviate a
lot of the concerns and answer a lot of questions as to whether or not this
group can hold up against top-tier defensive lines. It has become abundantly
clear through two games that Fifita, LT Jarrett Kingston, LG Christian Hilborn,
C Konner Gomness and
RG Grant Stephens are
a more than capable quintet.
ON THE OTHER side of
the trenches, the defensive tackles deserve major props as well. They were
inconsistent at times last year, shutting down certain rushing attacks but
having forgettable games against others. But faced with their biggest challenge
in the last two years, the interior rose to the task. On paper, Braelon Allen
rushing for 98 yards and the Badgers as a whole going for 174 yards is a good
day and below Wisconsin's standards.
Part of that was WSU eliminating the explosive
plays, not giving up a rush for more than 17 yards. Another part of that was
also just how consistently the d-tackles played. David Gusta had
a huge game with three tackles including a tackle for loss and continual
pressures. Christian Mejia had 5 tackles
including 0.5 TFL, and an interception. And both Nusi Malani and Amir Mujahid drew
holding penalties.
Obviously, WSU got plenty of support from the EDGEs and from the
linebackers, but most of Wisconsin's rushing success came when it went outside
the tackles and broke to the outside. Anytime the Badgers tried the middle of
the line, the WSU steakeaters were there to meet them.
By the way, and for the second week in a row,
linebacker Daiyan Henley was the Cougs'
leading tackler
LINCOLN VICTOR MAY have
only had 3 catches for 33 yards, but Washington State does not win this game
without him. His 18-yard reception on the final drive was huge, with a big
block from De'Zhaun Stribling helping out
as well. But it was his hustle and grit that stood out most.
Cameron Ward threw an
interception, and Victor was tied up with a Wisconsin defender out of bounds.
It would have been easy to give up on the play, let the shoulders sag and feel
disappointed. But Victor isn't wired that way. Instead, he bounced up and flew
in at Mach 3 to crush the intercepting player from behind. The ball came out,
and Gomness jumped on it. Victor is 5-9, 177 pounds, but he played like a
240-pound middle backer on that play.
Six plays later, Ward hit Watson for a touchdown, the score that
provided the winning margin. Victor has played and operated his whole life with
a chip on his shoulder, and that means he knows nothing less than full
throttle. A lesser player lets that play finish out and Wisconsin might have
gone on to score. But Victor is cut from uncommon stock, and his play turned
the tide of the entire game on Saturday.
THE STAT SHEET won't
show a fantastic day for Cam Ward. Going 17 of 28 (61
percent) for 200 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions is not what one would
call an elite game. But above all else, it is the quarterback's job to find a
way to win. And Ward did exactly that.
He started the day 2 of 7, before completing 15 of his next 21
passes, with a couple of those misses being drops and throwaways. But forget
the stats for a minute and look at the game-deciding crunch time.
When the Cougars got the ball back with 5:14 to go, Ward was looking
at one of the most critical drives of his career. His job was to burn clock and
help WSU see out a massive victory. After two quick completions, he was faced
with a crucial third down. With Camp Randall Stadium thundering around the
Cougar offense, the snap from Gomness was awry and had broken play written all
over it. But this is where Ward shined. He didn't panic, didn't throw into
coverage or just go down. Ward instead reacted quickly and darted forward to
pick up the first down.
Later on the drive, he executed a perfect pump fake to set
up Victor's big catch-and-run which put WSU in position to win the game. Ward
is more than capable of sharper play and far more productivity, but you saw
more of what was expected from the Cougar signal caller. When push came to
shove, he made the necessary plays to help WSU secure an early defining
victory.
Jake Dickert after WSU win: 'I can't
wait to find my wife and kids'
By Jamey Vinnick Cougfan
BEFORE HE WENT into
the locker room to celebrate Washington State's 17-14 upset victory over Wisconsin,
head football man Jake Dickert stopped to talk
to Fox about the game. Overwhelmed, he made sure to mention his family. "I
just can't wait to find my wife and kids," an emotional Dickert said.
"It's a big moment and I'm just really excited and proud of our football
team and proud of Cougs everywhere."
Right after his interview, members of Dickert's family joined
him for a massive embrace at midfield. Either his dad or brother, not sure
which, proclaimed with a profanity that “you %$#& did it!”
In the Fox interview, Dickert was also asked
what was required of his team to come in to Madison and get a victory. And with
long snapper Simon Samarzich embracing his
father Dave behind him, Dickert struggled to find the words.
"I can't really speak," Dickert said shaking his head.
"I just give all the credit to the team. Because since January they
trusted the process. We've been through a lot and they just kept pushing and
they knew that this could happen. And I'm just so proud of these guys, they
fought the whole damn game. And that's a good football team we just beat."
The victory stands as Dickert's signature win as WSU head coach
(so far), perhaps even displacing the dominating 40-13 victory over Washington
in the Apple Cup last year. It also propelled the Cougars to 2-0 this season
and stands as one of the biggest non-conference upset wins in program history,
and the first road win over ranked non-conference opponent since defeating
Colorado in 2003.
It also marked a homecoming win for Dickert, who got to beat
Wisconsin in his home state, with over 200 family members, friends and coaches
in attendance.
Emotional Jake Dickert thanks WSU's
graduated veterans after huge win over Wisconsin
By Jamey Vinnick, Cougfan
WITH HIS VOICE raspy
from yelling and the emotion spilling out, Washington State head coach Jake Dickert credited
some of the Cougars' graduated veterans after WSU's stunning 17-14 upset over
No. 18/19 Wisconsin. Dickert told WSU color commentator Alex Brink after the
game while those guys were not on the field today, they laid the foundation for
this defense to help secure a win today.
"This has been a build," Dickert
said of the defense. "We've been building this for three years, this
doesn't just happen. There's a lot of guys -- George Hicks, Daniel Isom,
Jahad Woods -- those guys laid the foundation for how we want
to play defensive football.
"And then the defensive front kept scrapping. Evan as
guys kept going down, the next man up was ready to keep playing."
WSU lost its top cornerback and strong safety
to injury during the game in Derrick Langford and Jordan Lee, respectively, plus a key cog at
linebacker in Travion Brown. Meanwhile, Saturday
may not have been the crispest performance for the Cougar offense
(albeit against a terrific and tough Badger defense). But the offense did
enough to get the job done, particularly in melting away the clock at the end
to seal the Wazzu win.
"There's an element to running the ball -- that wins big
games," Dickert said. "We couldn't have done that in the past. The
last two games, to chew up time like that at the end of the game and for those
guys being so happy for a team win. That's what it is. And there will be times
when we need the offense to score 40 points."
Brink asked how WSU takes this moment, celebrates, but then also
turns its attention to the next game -- one some pundits have pointed to as a
potential Saturday letdown against Colorado State in coming off Wisconsin.
"We'll we're gonna celebrate this one," Dickert said.
"And we're gonna enjoy this one and have a fun flight home. And then
Monday morning, we're gonna flush it, we're gonna learn from our mistakes. And
we're gonna attack a new week. But right now we're gonna have some fun."
After the game, Dickert said his emotions took over as he
celebrated the upset win in front of friends, family and coaches, coming away
victorious in his homecoming to Wisconsin.
"The biggest thing is I'm just so proud of that locker
room," Dickert said. "January 9th we had a meeting and I asked them
to believe in me. Believe in the change, believe in the New Wazzu. And we just
detailed the plan and they trusted the process and where we were going. And the
emotion of that locker room is what this game is all about. And they played for
each other. They fought for 60 minutes and never wavered."
IN ADDITION TO Dickert,
EDGEs Brennan Jackson and Ron Stone Jr. spoke
to Brink and sideline reporter Jessamyn McIntyre after the win. Jackson talked
about the feeling of having the defense come up big yet again.
"It's just believing in our coaches," Jackson told
McIntyre. "They put us in the best positions to make plays out there. And
that was a physical football game but that's what you love to see. Out here in
the Big 10, you know it's gonna be run the football downhill and we were ready
for the challenge. It's Washington State today, baby."
Jackson added that the execution came from being physical, and
gave credit to the Cougar defensive tackles, citing their week of preparation
in particular.
While Jackson was being interviewed, the Cougar fight song was
being sung in the background and Jackson called Cougar fans "the best in
the nation." He finished by shouting "Go Cougs!" at the top
of his lungs.
Stone told Brink that the mentality for the
game was inside football. And on that crucial turnover late when EDGE Quinn Roff punched the ball away and
safety Sam Lockett recovered, that it came about because
the Cougs see opportunity, and take advantage of opportunity. He added the plan
is always to outwork the other team and execute better than the other
team.
And when asked about the lack of respect WSU got heading into
this game, Stone made sure to quip, "It is always going to be Cougs vs.
Everybody."
As all-time WSU upset wins go, defeat of
Wisconsin among most memorable
By
Greg Witter, Cougfan
AS JAKE DICKERT’S
FAMILY — all born and raised Wisconsinites — swarmed him after the win
over the Badgers, his dad or brother, not sure which, proclaimed with a
profanity that “you %$#& did it.” The pride overflowed. The sheer joy
infectious.
And by "did it," this son of Wisconsin who used to
attend Badger camps and run pass routes as a little kid on this same Camp
Randall field, pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Washington State
University history.
WSU was a 17-point underdog in Madison today against the No.
18/19 Badgers. Wisconsin almost never loses non-conference games at home and
the Cougs were 0-fer in their last 13 games against ranked Big Ten teams.
Fueled by a tenacious, bend-but-don’t-break defense and an
offense that did just enough, the Cougars won 17-14 and are 2-0 on this young
season. To call this game "dramatic" is an understatement. It was a
pulsating donnybrook.
A text message to CF.C from Dickert's mom, Becky, said it all
shortly after the final whistle: "OMG!"
"Finally, we've got a Pac-12 school going
out of the conference and getting the big win. Leave it to the mighty Cougars.
I couldn't believe the type of defense they played. I mean, they stepped it up
... it was all about defense," former Husky coach Chris Petersen said on the Fox Sports post-game
panel.
As all-time upsets go, you look immediately
to Stanford in 1971, Nebraska in 1977, at
home against the Huskies in 1982 and then against USC in 1986. And of
course at No. 1-ranked UCLA in 1988.
The Cougars, if memory serves, were 17- to 26-point ‘dogs in those games and
came away with unforgettable victories.
)
This one today was special for so many reasons
… the Dickert homecoming … the Big Ten’s raid on the Pac-12 over the summer …
the preposterous amount of time WSU’s remarkable defense spent on the field …
the fiery grit of Cougar receiver Lincoln Victor, who came out of
nowhere to force a fumble on an interception … the late heroics of a Spokane
product, JC transfer Sam Lockett III, who had no
scholarship offers out of high school.
The list goes on.
You could hear the emotion in Dickert’s voice as Fox Sports
caught up with him at game’s end. He was proud of his guys -- and clearly his
family was proud of him. The unlikely series of circumstances that put Dickert
charge of these Cougars is a story unto itself. He was an assistant coach at
South Dakota just a few years ago. Now, pulling off this upset in front of
80,000 vocal Badgers fans, he's a national figure on the college landscape.
And Cougar Nation, after a summer hand-wringing about the future
of their conference, rejoices. This was one for the ages.
3 instant takeaways from WSU’s 17-14
monster upset win over No. 18/19 Wisconsin
By Jamey Vinnick Cougfan
THE COUGAR DEFENSE, in a word, was devastating. On a day where
the offense hardly had the ball and only mustered 17 points, the Cougar defense
made it abundantly clear they are one of the best in the conference and may sit
atop the throne.
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COUGS WIN! WSU pulls off huge upset at
No. 18/19 Wisconsin
From Cougfan
A FLURRY OF crazy turnovers by
both Washington State and No. 18/19 Wisconsin ratcheted up the pressure late in
the fourth on Saturday. And quarterback Cameron Ward, who had shown flashes but
was unable to sustain momentum. But with the game and one of WSU's all-time
upset chances on the line, Ward played his finest.
A broken third-down play on a low snap saw Ward improvise and
rush for a first down. And then Ward's run-pass option to Lincoln Victor was a
big gainer and another first down. A huge 11-yard gain by Nakia Watson and the
Cougs could taste it with two minutes left.
A huge stick by Victor on a Wazzu interception gave Washington
State a second-half spark at No. 18/19 Wisconsin on Saturday. But the Cougars
returned the favor late in the fourth with a 17-14 lead when DT Christian Mejia
picked off a deflected pass but a fumble followed and Wisconsin had another
bite at the apple. But Quinn Roff forced yet another fumble, Sam Lockett
recovered, and the Cougs had the ball again.
The Cougars, a 17-point underdog at No. 18/19 Wisconsin, entered
the fourth quarter up 17-14.
Third-down defense hurt the Cougars, both short and long. Midway
through the fourth, Wisconsin was 8 of 13. And Wisconsin enjoyed huge
advantages in both number of plays and time of possession. And injuries to CB
Derrick Langford, strong safety Jordan Lee and LB Travion Brown tested the
Cougars' depth.
But the Cougs were stellar on D most of the first half, fought
extremely hard on defense throughout the second despite being on the field so
long -- and allowed the Badgers zero points in the second half.
Victor (5-9, 177) in the third quarter dished out a punishing
hit to dislodge the football after an interception and continue WSU’s drive
inside Badger territory. On a scramble drill, Cameron Ward got it to running
back Nakia Watson in the flat and the former Badger pulled off a wicked
spin move and raced 31 yards into the end zone to put Wazzu up 17-14 with 5:12
left in the third.
WSU took its three-point lead into the fourth quarter but
Wisconsin had run 59 plays to WSU’s 37 to that point and the Cougars, even
though the coaches had rotated liberally on defense throughout, would have to
dig deep.
The defense turned back Wisconsin and forced a missed field
goal, but the Cougar offense went three-and-out and Wisconsin had the ball at
its own 35. But Wazzu sealed the deal time after time when it counted most.
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