‘Our team belongs at the highest level’: Washington State proves its worth with upset win over No. 19 Wisconsin

PULLMAN – Pat Chun was about to answer the question on the minds of thousands, about to chat about which conference Washington State will land in after this season, when he had to pause. He turned his eyes toward the field where Brennan Jackson had just recovered a fumble in the end zone, an enormous touchdown that handed the Cougars a three-score lead on No. 19 Wisconsin.

A wide grin washed over Chun’s face. He pumped his fist. Washington State wasn’t just dismantling Wisconsin. The fans at Gesa Field were celebrating wildly. The Cougars were doing so before the eyes of the nation, in a prime-time win over a ranked Power Five foe, delivering on an opportunity that may never visit this town again soon.

WSU’s 31-22 win over No. 19 Wisconsin Saturday has become one of the most important wins in program history. To produce a win in this fashion in any other year would amount to an accomplishment. To do so this season, as the Cougars wade through the wreckage of the Pac-12 and look for their next home, is a statement.

That’s the way WSU brass viewed this game – an opportunity to prove to the country what it believes it shouldn’t need to: their team deserves a place in a conference that reflects its ability to win games like these with regularity. To the Cougars at the top, Chun to WSU President Kirk Schulz to head coach Jake Dickert and everyone around them, this is the reality: The win will echo throughout the halls of the program.

“Our team belongs at the highest level, our program does,” Dickert said. “That’s in my heart. I believe that. I say that with a meaning. For all this stuff to go on, I think it’s just another way that our guys went out there and proved who we are. What’s the merit? What’s the merit?

“We go out there and do more with less than maybe anybody in the country. So why is there a situation or circumstance where we can’t continue to do this at the highest level? I mean that. Are we going on wins? Are we going on location? Are going on revenue? Market? I don’t know what it is. For us not to be where we should be – I’m not trying to give ourselves a distraction – but I’m just really proud of these guys.”

Many Cougars were responsible for the win. Quarterback Cameron Ward completed 20 of 32 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns; he added 43 rushing yards on 17 carries. Receiver Lincoln Victor had seven receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown, plus a 39-yard completion on a double pass. Ron Stone Jr. supplied the play of his life, strip-sacking Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai at the goal line. Jackson made sure the play entered program lore by recovering the fumble in the end zone.

The Cougars made many plays that fit that description. Victor’s double-pass to Cooper Mathers will go on WSU highlight videos for years to come, as will Nakia Watson’s 1-yard touchdown run, the one that sealed the win. Jaden Hicks’ back-to-back plays, the giant hit he delivered and the pass he broke up, also made this win possible.

The mettle WSU displayed made the Cougars believe they can show it on stages larger than this. They faced an array of chances to fold. When Wisconsin running back Chez Mellusi scored to trim WSU’s lead to 24-16. When the hosts’ offense went three-and-out at their goal line. When Stone came inches away from a sack and instead Mordecai brought his team within two with a touchdown pass.

In moments like those, the possibility of the opportunity going to waste felt tangible . The fans who rushed the field, celebrating a win that will resonate , had seen this movie before – heck, as recently as last season when Oregon came to town.

Instead, they went home happy because the Cougars understood the moment. They proved as much after the game. Ward said the field rush reminded him of the iconic picture of Gardner Minshew celebrating among fans in 2018, that magical year on the Palouse. Jackson said he could see his fumble recovery someday making a cameo on the program’s “Back Home” highlight video.

“It’s cool to see glimpses of me on there,” Jackson said. “So if that’s a staple, that’s gonna be great.”

Seconds later, Jackson paused. He realized he had made a mistake: He assumed he was being asked about one strip sack in particular.

“Wait,” Jackson said. “Which one are you talking about? There’s two of them.”

That elicited roars of laughter from reporters in the room, but Jackson had a point. In the second quarter, Stone strip-sacked Mordecai for the first time. Jackson recovered it. The Cougars’ offense couldn’t cash in, going three-and-out, so all Jackson and Stone did was come to the rescue again – on Wisconsin’s next drive.

That Stone and Jackson supplied such plays won’t surprise anyone who’s been watching them in the past five years. That they did so in this spot may well be the accomplishments of their careers.

“It’s a dream come true,” Stone said. “To be on the field three different times when the field’s been rushed, one at a different opponent’s stadium, it’s fantastic. It’s a great feeling. It’s something you wanna keep chasing. It’s something that you expect, having those big wins, that consistency in your program. All we’re doing now is really just building the foundation to continue to do things like that.”

As the program moves on from this win, as players see their highlights on SportsCenter and their faces in newspapers, they’ll have much to think about: What does this win do for our program? Does it give us any more leverage in conference realignment? What does this change, if anything?

For WSU, as it tries to parse the reality of this situation, that it may well deserve a spot in a power conference and the privileges those provide, all it can do is prove it in small doses. In the end, there may not be much at all they can do because the factors that swing decisions like those are largely out of their control.

All the Cougars can do is keep capitalizing on opportunities. On Saturday night, in front of 33,024 fans, they took advantage of perhaps the biggest one in program history.

“This a crux point for Washington State and Washington State football,” Dickert said. “We’re carrying the flag for all the transition. I get that, and this is a pivotal moment of where we want to go. Wherever we end up, we gotta commit to being great. And I think that’s what this statement means, is that we’re here. We can be. And we’re fighting, even as college football is changing, we’re still getting pretty good results.”