In WSU’s final fall scrimmage, QB Ward puts arsenal on display in dazzling performance

PULLMAN – The show belonged to Cameron Ward, the magician who is working honing all his tricks. Across these two weeks of fall camp, Washington State’s blossoming quarterback has drilled the fundamentals, the long balls, the details that might unlock his game and unleash the Cougars’ offense.

On Saturday night, in WSU’s second and final scrimmage this fall, Ward looked like a quarterback capable of doing all of that and more. The numbers looked good – Ward completed 13 of 16 passes for 194 yards and four touchdowns – but the magic was in the junior’s accuracy, his creativity, his willingness to try plays other quarterbacks wouldn’t.

The receipt came in the plays. Ward tossed his first touchdown of the evening to transfer receiver Isaiah Hamilton, who came wide open for a 27-yard pass in the middle of the field. Later in the scrimmage, he scrambled to his left, spotted freshman wideout Carlos Hernandez and made a throw across his body – a rope that found the target, good for a 24-yard touchdown completion. Hernandez was flagged for excessive celebration after the play, a strange development for a fall camp scrimmage, but that was beside the point in this case.

Ward kept going like he was getting paid by the touchdown. One series later, he faked a handoff, scrambled to his right, then realized he wouldn’t have time to set his feet before launching it downfield. Off his backfoot, he delivered a precise pass to senior receiver Lincoln Victor, who walked in for a 35-yard touchdown.

Ward’s next feat looked like this: Down inside the 5, he faked another handoff, did a full 360 and spun a quick screen pass to transfer receiver DT Sheffield, who walked in thanks to a block on the edge.

“Just trying to manipulate guys into space,” Ward said, “especially with that quick game, put the ball, place it on the receivers where they can drop-step, get upfield, do what they do. So just trying to do that, stay consistent to the process, and the rest will take care of itself.”

What the rest looks like is what makes Ward’s outing in this scrimmage so intriguing. If all you saw of Ward was what he did Saturday night, you might think he’s in line to become the top pick in next year’s NFL draft. He looked athletic and precise, smooth and measured, intelligent and convicted. What more could you want?

That’s the thing: So much of Ward’s improvement, the strides he made to be able to play like he did on Saturday night, come back to fundamentals. New offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is helping his new signal-caller understand that the key to making sterling plays like these has to do with the basics – the footwork, the drop-back, the minutiae that unlocks all the fun stuff he unfurled here in this scrimmage.

“I think this is just the culmination of a great week of practice,” WSU head coach Jake Dickert said, “great situations, him going out there and commanding the offense and then throwing strikes. Tonight, he was just fantastic. I told him today – he’s gonna take us to places even he didn’t think he could. We’re gonna go as he goes. I’m all in. He’s got the keys to the car and just be himself.”

Dickert shared all that and more with Ward in a meeting on Saturday before the scrimmage. He wanted to keep some of those details private, he said, but here’s the main theme: Don’t put pressure on yourself. It’s not about whether Ward throws for a million yards this fall.

“It’s the intangible pieces that he has,” Dickert said. “And I think he has it on tape. Sometimes they put pressure on every throw. The bottom thing is just accountability and how he has to hold everyone around him accountable.”

Everyone around Ward feels he can make a real difference with his leadership. By nature, Ward is a quieter, thoughtful guy, who would rather lead by example than with his voice. That might fly for other positions – or even quarterbacks at lower levels of competition.

Ward, though, is not in that kind of position. He’s the starting quarterback for a Pac-12 team. Vocal leadership might not be mandatory, but it comes close. So coaches and teammates have encouraged him to speak up, to feel confident in getting the offense organized, even – and especially – when it means holding his guys accountable.

Turns out, Dickert likes to get that message across to players via podcasts and other clips. On Saturday, he showed Ward a video of Kobe Bryant, the former NBA star who treated accountability like gold. Ward took it to heart. He might take these Cougars to even greater heights this fall.

“I feel that’s the biggest thing that’s next in my journey,” Ward said. “I need to get better at that. Coach Dickert has been there for me since Day One. He wants nothing but the best for me. I’m just excited to play for a coach like that.”