A Grip on Sports: On a crowded college football Saturday, the nation’s eyes turn to Fresno … well, the region’s eyes at least

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Two words Washington State doesn’t want to hear today? Déjà vu. Nope. No one associated with the Cougars wants any call-backs to 2023 this evening in Fresno. Smart.

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• There is only one way to stop it, though. Win. Tackle better. Protect John Mateer better. Play smarter. And then figure out a way to win.

On paper, or your favorite rectangle’s screen, it shouldn’t be all that hard. The Bulldogs, whose schedule mirrors WSU’s over the past couple weeks, are 3-2 and coming off a bad loss, 59-14 to a UNLV team breaking in a new quarterback. Their other loss came in the season opener, 30-10 in the Big House against defending national champion Michigan. Fresno’s wins? Over New Mexico’s duo, the University of and State, along with the obligatory Big Sky foe, Sacramento State.

In other words, wins against a gantlet of folks with velvet gloves.

The Cougars are also coming off a bad loss, albeit a more-understandable one. Boise State wasn’t breaking in anything two weeks ago. Ashton Jeanty, as he has done against everyone, instead broke Wazzu in the 45-24 blue-carpet rout. Doesn’t matter, though, if the Broncos are the second-best team on the West Coast – they are – or not. Just by losing after opening the season with four consecutive wins – including one over Big 12-leading Texas Tech and in the first early season Apple Cup – brought on some traumatic memories from last year.

Four wins. Six consecutive losses.

This year is different, right? After all Fresno State isn’t Arizona, loss No. 2 in that 2023 streak. And no one on the Cougars’ remaining 2024 schedule matches up with Oregon, a top-10 team last season. Then again, Cal and ASU and Stanford were also part of the half-dozen, bowl-killing stretch, so overlooking Fresno (or future foes Hawaii or Utah State or anyone else) is not an option.

Not if Jake Dickert’s team wants to write a new narrative. And build toward the reborn Pac-12’s future.

• We found a bar downtown last night showing the NLDS game between L.A. and San Diego. Harder than you might of thought. But we persevered and prevailed.

Our diligence was worth it.

Good baseball. Good outcome for the team of our youth.

Then we sat back and watched college football. All the way to the end of Arizona State’s hard-earned 27-19 victory over free-falling Utah. It was a game that made us wince more than once.

Mainly every time Cam Rising tried to throw a pass.

The Utes have been playing the role of Didi and Gogo, waiting for their own Godot. He arrived back on the scene – a raucous Sun Devil Stadium – last night from a finger injury, but was immediately banged up anew. It’s been Rising’s failing the past few years, a body that hasn’t cooperated as he’s tried to recreate the Joe Namath-like magic he brought to Kyle Whittingham’s program a couple years ago.

Last night he looked like Joe Willie alright. The Joe who played for the Rams at the end of his career.

Sixteenth-ranked Utah, with a healthy Rising, wins the game last night. Is probably 6-0, not 4-2. In the Big 12 driver’s seat. Then again, similar results were in play last year in the Pac-12. And the year before during bowl season. Didn’t happen. Won’t happen this season.

The Sun Devils? Kenny Dillingham has them playing at a level they never came close to touching in last year’s 3-9 season, his debut. They are 5-1. Every game has been close, even their one-score loss at Texas Tech. But they are finding ways to win.

Last night the plot was simple. Don’t mess with success. Just keep giving the ball to their Cam, Skattebo, and let the Sac State transfer bounce around, through and over the Utah defense. The tree trunk with legs finished with 162 yards and two touchdowns, the last of which came from 47 yards out and sealed the win. Add in his 50-yard third-quarter score and he earned star of the game honors. Star of the season honors is more like it.

Of the Devils’ unexpectedly successful season.

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WSU: For the Cougars to have success today, they’ll have to shore up a few areas of their defense. Areas Greg Woods details in this preview of the 4 p.m. game (FS1). He also has his two-minute drill, with the keys to the game, and his pick. … Questions concerning the future for Washington State (and Oregon State) play a big role in Jon Wilner’s latest mailbag. And in this Athletic Group of Five one as well. … Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, Wilner returns with a recruiting summary, which he passes along in the Mercury News. … You want picks? Predictions? We can pass along this story that covers both for an incredibly deep day of football. … For Oregon State to keep winning, the defense has to get better. And some more surprising players need to step up and fill key roles. The Beavers are at Nevada today. … Washington is at Iowa today for an early morning (by body clock) game. It kicks at 9 on Fox. … ESPN’s College GameDay – without Lee Corso again due to health issues – is in Eugene for the showdown between the third-ranked Ducks and second-ranked Ohio State (4:30, NBC). It marks the second consecutive week the show has been on the West Coast. Who says realignment hasn’t helped the region’s college football profile? But, hey, your airport needs a longer runway. … We have a question. Are Dan Lanning and the Ducks finally ready to come up big in a big game? … The best feature stories today? A couple that delve into Chip Kelly, one on his impact on Oregon, the other his impact on OSU coach Ryan Day. … After blowing its game against Miami, California tries to bounce back. On the road. Against undefeated and 22nd-ranked Pittsburgh (12:30, ESPN). …Stanford also has a tough road game at the same time (NBC). At 11th-ranked Notre Dame. … Colorado is still humming along even though it lost a key offensive component. The Buffs host Kansas State today (7:15, ESPN). … Everyone saw what we saw. Rising was awful in his first game back. And yet Whittingham did not change quarterbacks in the 27-19 loss to Arizona State. … Is it possible for UCLA to actually win a Big Ten game? … USC is coming off a road loss. At home, can the Trojans get past No. 4 Penn State (12:30, CBS)? … Arizona must bounce back again, this time at 14th-ranked BYU (1, Fox). … In the Mountain West, San Jose State takes on Colorado State (12:30, TruTV) and we’re not sure who the Spartans will roll out at quarterback. … Can Utah State turn around its so-far lost season? The Aggies did not look like it in last night’s 50-34 loss to visiting UNLV. … For Wyoming to do the same against San Diego State (12:30, CBS Sports), one player has to be more involved. … Expect Jeanty to be a big part of the Boise State attack at Hawaii (8, CBS Sports). … Not sure you should take it to the bank, but one person believes New Mexico will have little trouble today with Air Force (4, TruTV). … In basketball news, Oregon State lost most of the women’s roster. But coach Scott Rueck remains, so don’t count out the Beavers.

Gonzaga: Drew Timme is going to spend his season in the same time zone in which he spent his college career. Theo Lawson has this story on Timme being traded to Sacramento’s G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings.

EWU: It is do-or-wait-until-next-season time for the Eagles. Winning in Sacramento, something it hasn’t done in seven years, is imperative for Eastern to have any hope of a postseason berth. Dan Thompson has things to watch in the 6 p.m. contest. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, winless Northern Colorado is busing to its matchup with 20th-ranked Weber State. And will start a new quarterback. … It has been six years since Idaho State has been above .500 in football. There is a good chance to get there today with Portland State in town. … There is a lot to watch as No. 14 Montana hosts 24th-ranked Northern Arizona.

Idaho: The biggest of Big Sky football games today? No. 7 Idaho at third-ranked Montana State. It’s on ESPN2 at 7:15 p.m. The winner may not be assured of the conference’s title – too many games remain – but they will have a helmet ahead. Peter Harriman has what to watch.  

Preps: There were quite a few good football games last night. We start with Dave Nichols’ coverage of host Gonzaga Prep’s 28-0 win over Shadle Park. The victory kept the Bullpups tied with Mead atop the league standings at 6-0. … University picked up its first win of the season last night and, in the process, kept Ferris winless. The Titans prevailed 30-10. Greg Lee has the story. … Dave returns with a roundup of the night’s other games.

Chiefs: Despite Berkly Caton’s goal, Spokane fell 2-1 in Saskatoon last night in a battle between two of the WHL’s best.  … Kailer Yamamoto is back in the NHL, with the Utah Hockey Club.

Seahawks: It doesn’t look as if Geno Smith and DK Metcalf are happy. Mad at each other? At how sloppy the Hawks are playing? At offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb? Whatever, it’s a test for first-year coach Mike Macdonald. … The secondary is really banged up. … Questions? We pass along answers. … We don’t make picks. But Sam Farmer does.

Kraken: The lines have changed but one Kraken duo is still together.

Mariners: Will Seattle have to trade starting pitching to improve its offense? Yes. Luis Castillo will be the bait. A better third or second baseman will be the goal. … We enjoyed how well the Dodgers played last night. A rich team defeating another rich team. Next up is the richest team, the Mets. Maybe one of the lower-spending squads like, say, the Yankees, will win the American League title and give underdogs everywhere hope.

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• There is no doubt about it. We are a creature of habit. It’s a big reason we do this column nearly every day, whether we are in our 40-year-old residence or on the road or somewhere in-between. The habit is a comforting one. Add in a couple cups of caffeine and the endorphins race through our body in the morning, improving everything in our life except our posture. Until later …