Notebook: WSU to ‘finish what we started’ with DC Jeff Schmedding, plus injury updates

PULLMAN – Even amid serious struggles on defense, Washington State coach Jake Dickert is sticking with his defensive coordinator.

He indicated as much on Monday, saying that he wants to “finish what we started” with second-year DC Jeff Schmedding, whose unit allowed Oregon State to score a season-high 41 points in Saturday’s win over WSU – more points than the Beavers had scored in their previous three games combined.

“Just like anything else in our program, I’m in a constant evaluation on what’s best for the team,” Dickert said, “and as we go throughout this game, I think it’s important that we finish what we started. We’ll constantly evaluate, just like I do everything in the program .

“This isn’t just the defensive coordinator. It’s offense, it’s personnel, it’s all our support staff. It’s myself, first and foremost. So we’ll continue to do that as we continue to go forward.”

After WSU’s loss to OSU on Saturday, I asked at what point he would consider making a change at defensive coordinator, Dickert said much the same thing: “These are all things I keep in-house. Just like anything else, I evaluate everything for the best of the team constantly, and I’ll continue to do that.”

Schmedding – who came to WSU in 2023 after spending the previous two seasons at Auburn, the first as linebackers coach and the second as defensive coordinator – has had little luck stabilizing the Cougs’ defense lately. On top of allowing a depleted OSU offense to erupt for 41 points, WSU permitted 38 to New Mexico in a loss the previous week, and quarterback Devon Dampier racked up nearly 200 yards on the ground, including three rushing touchdowns.

Schmedding has done well this season to generate timely turnovers, including six takeaways from third-year linebacker Buddah Al-Uqdah and four interceptions by redshirt freshman cornerback Ethan O’Connor, but his unit has largely struggled otherwise. The Cougars remain one of the worst tackling outfits nationwide, missing 152 tackles, which is third-last nationally – ahead of only Oklahoma State and Southern Miss, the latter of which fired coach Will Hall last month amid what is now a 1-10 season.

Dickert has attributed a lack of adjustments to the Cougs’ woes on defense, which came in spades against Dampier and the Lobos, who were not coy about their use of Dampier in the QB keeper game. In a 4-2-5 scheme, Schmedding and the Cougars could not find ways to slow Dampier, who surged for the winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Washington State also permitted 28 points in a win over Utah State earlier this month, seven coming on a long touchdown rush with the game out of reach. The Cougs limited Hawaii to just 10 points and Fresno State to 17, but they also gave up 52 to San Jose State and 30 to FCS Portland State.

WSU’s defense is allowing 29 points per game, No. 98 in the country. The Cougs are permitting 260 passing yards per game, No. 118 nationally, and they are permitting 177 rushing yards per game, No. 100 nationally.

Schmedding served as Boise State’s defensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020 under head coach Bryan Harsin, who brought Schmedding with him when he accepted the head coaching job at Auburn in 2021. In 2022, when Harsin was fired midseason, Schmedding was the only assistant retained by interim head coach Cadillac Williams.

After that season, when Hugh Freeze took over Auburn’s full-time head coaching job, Schmedding was not retained. That led him to WSU.

Pair of injury updatesWSU tight end Cooper Mathers will miss Saturday’s game against Wyoming with an ankle injury, Dickert said Monday. The injury happened late in WSU’s loss to Oregon State, Dickert said. The loss of Mathers, WSU’s record-holder for single-season touchdowns by a tight end with six, amounts to a costly one for the Cougs.

They have turned to him most often in the red zone, which is a key reason why he’s hauled in six touchdown passes this year, and he’s been effective as a run-blocker as well. With TE Andre Dollar sidelined much of the season with his own ankle injury, it’s likely WSU will ask senior Billy Riviere to step in against Wyoming.

The jury is still out on center Devin Kylany, who missed WSU’s loss to Oregon State with a knee injury, his first absence of the season. On Monday, Dickert said the team will “see what Tuesday brings” in regard to the status of Kylany, who will get his knee drained once this week before proceeding with practice, Dickert said.

“He’s a warrior,” Dickert said.

In Kylany’s absence, WSU reshuffled its offensive line by moving right guard Brock Dieu to center, where he was “phenomenal” in his first time playing the position in college, Dickert said. Left guard Christian Hilborn moved to right guard, which he hadn’t played since 2021, and Rod Tialavea stayed at left guard.

In Saturday’s game, WSU QB John Mateer took only one sack, which didn’t go against the Cougs’ offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus. That data indicates Dieu finished with a team-best pass-blocking grade of 77.1, allowing only one pressure on a hurry, while Hilborn and Tialavea each allowed two pressures, both hurries.