The pick: Why No. 23 Washington State will beat Northern Colorado

PULLMAN – Washington State has earned a bit of a break.

A week after toppling Wisconsin, the No. 23 Cougars get a little respite Saturday, hosting FCS Northern Colorado in a 2 p.m. game. That is exactly how WSU projects to treat this one.

In the teams’ only previous clash, in 2019, Washington State dominated Northern Colorado 59-17 . Why expect anything else this weekend? The Cougars have proven their mettle twice this fall, with wins over Colorado State and Wisconsin to open the season, and there’s a reason why they scheduled this third nonconference game.

The reason was to warm up for Pac-12 Conference play, which WSU will begin Sept. 23 at home against No. 16 Oregon State. WSU quarterback Cameron Ward will get a chance to improve on some of the areas that flummoxed him last week, like a couple of scramble plays on which he couldn’t find any receivers. WSU’s backup edge rushers will get chances to ascend the pecking order for conference play.

More important, though, Washington State wants to follow the win over Wisconsin better than it did last season. Last fall, the Cougars dismantled Colorado State, only to drop four of their first five conference contests.

“We want this to be the starting point of where we can go,” WSU head coach Jake Dickert said. “Obviously, we know how hard the Pac-12 is, so it’s gonna be a weekly challenge.”

What better way for Washington State to prepare for conference battles than to get reps against an overmatched foe? The Bears, picked to finish 10th of 12 teams in the Big Sky, will struggle to contain Ward and the Cougars’ receivers. Washington State should have no issue dispatching UNC.

The pick: Washington State 49, Northern Colorado 10