Preview and predictions: Washington State has backs for the future, will rely on youth from QB, RB positions

PULLMAN – Welcome to a new era in Washington State football.

This fall the Cougars, one of two schools left in the collapsed Pac-12, will play a schedule unlike any other in program history. Their matchup with rival Washington is a nonconference affair. Instead of squaring off with USC or Stanford, WSU will play the likes of Boise State and Fresno State, part of a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference.

There is a lot of new for a WSU program going through uncharted waters. The Cougars still have games to play, though, so let’s get into the personnel and trends that will shape this season.

Countdown to kickoff

• How will John Mateer fare as WSU’s starting quarterback? The redshirt sophomore Mateer, who backed up former WSU QB Cam Ward each of the previous two seasons, gets his chance at calling the shots in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s offense. A native of the Dallas area, Mateer’s performance will go a long way in determining the way this WSU season unfolds.

• Can the Cougars establish a credible running game? Last fall, WSU’s absence of any reliable rushing attack played a key role in the six-game losing streak that cratered its season. This year, running backs Leo Pulalasi and Wayshawn Parker will lead the charge on that front, trying to convince defenses to respect their ground game in an effort to open up the rest of their offense.

Playing a key role in this effort, too, will be the Cougars’ offensive line. Their struggles in the run-blocking department last season were well-documented, but this year’s unit includes two new faces. What difference can they make?

• Can Washington State’s new-look secondary flourish? The Cougars will be rolling out several new pieces in their secondary. Cornerbacks Stephen Hall and Jamorri Colson will be thrust into much bigger roles. Junior Jackson Lataimua is moving from nickel to strong safety, and Akron transfer Tyson Durant will man the free safety spot. Whether these new pieces gel and shut down opponents’ passing attack will tell us a lot about this WSU season.

Men of the hour

• John Mateer, QB: Mateer, the Cougs’ new QB1, has a lot on his plate. He has a huge arm, a key reason head coach Jake Dickert selected him for the starting role, and he’s one of the fastest players on the team. If Mateer can connect with the team’s new group of receivers – and use his speed and scrambling ability on the ground – WSU will be better for it.

Mateer did throw a handful of interceptions during fall camp, which may be one area to watch with him. Can he limit turnovers and turn the Cougs’ passing attack, complete with a host of new receivers, into a threat defenses commit extra defenders to?

• Buddah Al-Uqdah, LB: Al-Uqdah may not be the most experienced of WSU’s linebackers – he joined the starting lineup midway through last season, and that honor would go to sixth-year senior Kyle Thornton anyway – but he’s likely the most talented. Athletic and rangy, Al-Uqdah will play a major role in the second level of the Cougars’ defense, which is introducing new players in several spots. If Al-Uqdah can be a stopper, WSU’s defense might develop into a real strength .

• Kyle Williams, WR: An 800-yard receiver for the Cougars last year, Williams is the team’s best pass catcher, a bona fide deep threat whose experience figures to pay serious dividends for WSU. Williams, a former UNLV transfer, is a threat to break out and take the top off an opposing defense at any moment. Can he develop an effective rhythm with Mateer this fall?

If so, watch out for Washington State’s offense. Arbuckle has fashioned his take on the Air Raid, and for that to work effectively, Williams will likely have to be on the same page as Mateer.

Defining moment

Washington State may open the season with a home matchup with an FCS foe, but after that, the club’s biggest tests of the season begin. The Cougars’ four September games are home against the Big 12’s Texas Tech, in Seattle against rival Washington, home against San Jose State, and on the road against Boise State, a perennial Mountain West power.

Plus, a week later, WSU travels to Fresno State, which was picked third in the Mountain West preseason poll this summer.

That five-game stretch will likely make or break the season for the Cougars, who will play in front of big crowds in at least four of those games, including four national TV games.

Game-by-game predictions

Here are our game-by-game predictions for the upcoming Washington State football season. We’re anticipating the team’s strongest year under Jake Dickert, as the Cougs take on a bunch of unfamiliar opponents. Times listed if available.

Aug. 31 vs. Portland State (Noon)

If WSU has any trouble dispatching FCS Portland State, which was picked to finish 10th of 12 teams in the Big Sky this season, something has gone wrong for the hosts. The Cougars will roll past the Vikings and head into its Week 2 showdown with Texas Tech on a high note.

Prediction: WSU 55-10

Sept. 7 vs. Texas Tech (7 p.m.)

For the third straight year, the Cougars will find a way to capitalize on an early season primetime matchup, following wins over Wisconsin the previous two years, with a victory over the Big 12’s Texas Tech. There are a lot of question marks about the Red Raiders’ offense, which works in the Cougs’ favor.

Prediction: WSU 35-24

Sept. 14 vs. Washington in Seattle (12:30 p.m.)

In the first nonconference Apple Cup, this one at the Seattle Seahawks’ Lumen Field, WSU will suffer its first defeat of the season. WSU is largely unproven in the secondary, which is where UW can capitalize with playmakers like QB Will Rogers, RB Jonah Coleman and WR Jeremiah Coleman. The latter two had success against the Cougs at their previous schools last fall.

Prediction: UW 24-20

Sept. 20 vs. San Jose State (7 p.m.)

WSU will rebound from its loss to UW with a relatively easy win over SJSU, which was picked to finish 10th of 12 teams in the Mountain West preseason poll. The Spartans don’t return much experience, not even in first-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo, and the Cougars will enter a two-game road swing with some positive momentum.

Prediction: WSU 41-20

Sept. 28 at Boise State (TBD)

In what profiles as WSU’s most difficult road game of the season, playing in front of a consistently hostile crowd in Boise, the Cougars will learn the Mountain West isn’t such an easy conference in which to compete. Boise State will give WSU a rude welcome to MWC affiliate membership with a win.

Prediction: Boise State 27-21

Oct. 12 at Fresno State (TBD)

The Cougars will get no respite when it comes to hostile crowds, visiting a Fresno State club picked to finish third in the Mountain West preseason poll, but WSU will find a way to eke out a win. The Bulldogs might have the advantage on offense, returning their starting quarterback and a host of talented receivers, but the Cougs will cash in on a shaky FSU defense.

Prediction: WSU 34-31

Oct. 19 vs. Hawaii (12:30 or 7 p.m.)

The Rainbow Warriors might try to win this one through the air, returning 3,500-yard passer Brayden Schager to this year’s team, but that’s not such a great idea against WSU. Look for the Cougars to score with ease and create a turnover or two on defense, leading to a relatively comfortable win.

Prediction: WSU 35-24

Oct. 26 at San Diego State (7:30 p.m.)

San Diego State may be rolling out some new pieces this fall – including first-year head coach and a true freshman starting at quarterback in Danny O’Neil – but games in Southern California have long troubled WSU, which hasn’t won in SoCal since beating UCLA in 2015. Those opponents have mostly been UCLA and USC, granted, but the Cougs have had trouble on the road.

Prediction: SDSU 28-20

Nov. 9 at Utah State (12:30 or 7:30 p.m.)

The Cougars will get a chance to exact revenge on the Aggies, who came to Pullman and won in 2021, and this year’s game won’t be nearly as close. Look for WSU to capitalize on this new-look USU squad, which is looking to replace 25 players it lost to the transfer portal over the offseason, and roll to a win.

Prediction: WSU 27-13

Nov. 16 at New Mexico (TBD)

In what figures to be one of the easier games on the Cougars’ schedule, expect them to dispatch the Lobos with relative ease. Picked second to last in the Mountain West preseason poll, UNM is trying to incorporate a new head coach in Bronco Mendenhall and a host of new starters, which gives WSU a real advantage.

Prediction: WSU 34-20

Nov. 23 at Oregon State (4 p.m.)

WSU might be buddy-buddy with OSU off the field, partnering with the only other Pac-12 holdover, but advantages on the field are clear. The Beavers lost a ton over the offseason, including quarterbacks DJ Uiagalelei and Aidan Chiles and running back Damien Martinez, making first-year head coach Trent Bray’s job tough.

Prediction: WSU 20-6

Nov. 30 vs. Wyoming (3:30 p.m.)

Wyoming is a bit tricky to project this season, rolling out first-year coach Jay Sawvel and a host of key skill position players, but also returning a solid run game that carried its offense last season. By this time in the season, WSU will have turned its front seven into a strength, leading to a win on Senior Night.

Prediction: WSU 23-12