‘Once the bowl is kicked off, none of that other stuff matters’: After tumultuous stretch, Washington State meets Fresno State in LA Bowl

LOS ANGELES – For Washington State, it hasn’t been an optimal postseason.

The Cougars suffered attrition in their coaching staff, attrition in their roster. While balancing those issues, they still had to find time for recruiting trips ahead of the NCAA’s early signing period, which opens Wednesday. They also had to stay sharp for a looming bowl game, against one of the best teams in the Group of Five.

“Through all the chaos of the last few weeks – when that ball is kicked off, it’s time to play ball,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said.

“Once the bowl is kicked off, none of that other stuff matters.”

WSU (7-5) could use some relief in what’s been a tumultuous month. The Cougars are looking to offset the pains of this postseason when they meet Mountain West champion Fresno State (9-4) in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.

Kickoff is slated for 12:30 p.m. Saturday at SoFi Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.

The Bulldogs are 3.5-point favorites, which makes sense when considering the Cougars’ circumstances.

WSU will rely on backups at a couple of positions after losing two starting receivers and three key linebackers this month. Outside receivers De’Zhaun Stribling and Donovan Ollie both entered the transfer portal Dec. 5. Francisco Mauigoa and Travion Brown, who shared reps at middle linebacker this season, also hopped into the portal. Outside linebacker Daiyan Henley, an All-Pac-12 first-teamer and the team’s best player, opted out of the LA Bowl and declared for the NFL draft.

“Even with all the external stuff, when you can focus on the internal love for the game, all that other stuff kind of gets washed away,” said edge rusher Brennan Jackson, a team captain. “That’s been my biggest message to the guys: Keep playing the game and understand that everything’s going to be fine. Everything’s going to balance itself out in the end. Just continue to trust your fundamentals, trust the people that are still here to coach you, because these guys love you.”

Three WSU assistants said farewell to the program recently, leaving WSU with big shoes to fill and not much time to do so ahead of the bowl game. Defensive coordinator Brian Ward took the same job at Arizona State early this month. Edge rushers coach A.J. Cooper also left to join the Sun Devils.

The defensive coaching departures shouldn’t cause too much alarm. After all, this is Dickert’s scheme. He installed the defensive system in early 2020 and coordinated the unit for two years before earning the head coaching gig. Ward added a few tweaks, but WSU largely stayed consistent on that side of the ball in 2022.

“(Dickert’s) transition was like going over one of those small, little road bumps real quick, then you’re back on the road,” Jackson said. “This is his defense that we’re running, how we ran it back in 2020 and 2021. He told us the other day in a meeting that it’s like riding a bike again. He was just so excited and he’s been bringing that energy to practice.”

The more concerning news came on Tuesday, when offensive coordinator Eric Morris abruptly left the team after one season for a head coaching opportunity at North Texas. The Cougars’ offense, a modified version of the Air Raid, is Morris’ system.

Play-calling duties have been handed down to offensive line coach Clay McGuire (ground game) and receivers coach Joel Filani (passing game), both of whom enjoy a deep background in the Air Raid. They played under the late Mike Leach at Texas Tech in the mid-2000s and have experience working under the coach who pioneered the Air Raid. Morris also hails from Leach’s fruitful coaching tree.

The Cougars will wear helmet stickers honoring Mike Leach, who led a resurgence for WSU’s program during his eight-year tenure as head coach (2012-19). Leach died Monday from complications related to a heart condition.

“He impacted so many people’s lives,” Dickert said Friday of Leach. “To hear his stories from Eric Morris and Clay McGuire and Joel Filani, who were personally coached by him, all the way through our administrative people and fans in general – they love coach Leach. He’s made a lasting impact not only locally, in Pullman, but nationally.

“We’re excited to honor coach on Saturday. … Hopefully, everyone will understand there’s a gravity to the moment. We lost a great ambassador for the game.”

Two of Leach’s disciples are overseeing the offense, and an accomplished Air Raid quarterback will lead “in a Mike Leach fashion,” McGuire noted. WSU QB Cameron Ward, who has piloted an Air Raid offense for the past three seasons, will be asked to function as an on-field coach – much like Leach’s QBs during his time at WSU, Texas Tech and Mississippi State.

Ward has been impressive in his first season at WSU, particularly on improvisational plays.

“When your quarterback is one of your hardest workers, I think there’s some real magic to that,” Dickert said. “Cam came to us in January (from Incarnate Word) and really built a trust over time with the offense.

“We’ve had to kind of slug through some lulls, some highs and lows and everything in between (on offense). Cam has stayed the course and I think consistency matters. Consistency in your approach gains credibility with your team. Cam has went out there and made a lot of plays, and a lot of his stuff has been off-script. It hasn’t always been perfect, and he always looks in the mirror first. Excited for Cam to go out there once again and compete – he’s an ultimate competitor.”

WSU’s offensive success will likely depend on Ward’s ability to stay under control in an adverse situation and keep clean behind an offensive line that’s been shaky this year. The Cougars will count on standout slotback Robert Ferrel and tailback Nakia Watson, who’s riding a hot streak , to deliver. It’d certainly help if WSU returns senior slot Renard Bell, who is questionable to play.

Another entertaining quarterback will take the stage in Fresno State’s Jake Haener, a senior who is among the nation’s most efficient passers. Haener missed four games early this season due to an injury, but when he returned in October, the Bulldogs found another gear.

“When you talk about purpose and preparation and commitment, I don’t think there’s anyone stronger in those areas than Jake,” Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford said. “Jake has been the most disciplined guy I’ve ever been around. He’s just been a blessing. I’m going to miss him.”

Haener sets the pace for a Fresno State offense that led the Mountain West in passing and ranks 27th nationally at 269.8 yards per game. The Bulldog passing game shares some similarities with Washington’s aerial attack, which torched the Cougars’ defense last month. UW coach Kalen DeBoer led Fresno State’s program over the past two years, during Tedford’s brief retirement for health reasons.

WSU’s defense, which performed admirably in all but two games this year, is eager to bounce back after a rough showing against the Huskies. Dickert expects the “communication and confidence” of his team’s secondary to improve with the return of senior nickel Armani Marsh, who was sidelined in the Apple Cup with an injury.

“We’re coming with a chip on our shoulder coming off (the 51-33 loss to UW),” WSU safety Jaden Hicks said. “This game will be different.”

Fresno State has won eight consecutive games after starting its season 1-4. Dickert, who spent three years as an assistant at Wyoming (2017-19), said he has “so much respect for the Mountain West.

“They’re tough, physical. They’re going to be prepared,” he said.

In this age of conference realignment, the Bulldogs are making a strong case as a candidate to join the Pac-12, assuming the conference elects to expand in the coming months.

“We have a tradition of being highly competitive, no matter who we play,” said Tedford, who has led the team to a 35-18 record over four seasons.

“With conference realignment, there are so many conversations going on, but those are being had at a whole different level than (coaches). We’ve done a good job of competing with some of the best teams on the West Coast, and some in the nation. … What conversations are being had, I really don’t know. I hope that happens one day, because I think our program deserves to be at that level.”

The Bulldogs have lost just one starter to the transfer portal – cornerback Cale Sanders Jr.

“That really never even came up about if anybody was going to play in the game or not play in the game,” Tedford said. “Our guys are committed to the process and each other. … They have proven that leadership. I don’t think they’ve batted an eye.”

Dickert applauded the Cougars’ captains – namely Jackson, edge Ron Stone Jr. and receiver Lincoln Victor – for providing guidance for the team during the hardships of this month.

“Our leaders have risen to the occasion and put a stake in the ground,” Dickert said. “They know where we want to go and what we want to do. It isn’t just about this one game. It’s how this springboards into next season, how we continue to build a roster and a team, and a program. I’ve been proud of those guys.”