HC Jake Dickert's Comments After Cougars' 25-17 Win Over Fresno State

Washington State is now 5-1 overall.

Keenan Womack | Oct 14, 2024

Sep 20, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Jake Dickert looks on during a game against the San Jose State Spartans in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

On Saturday, the Washington State Cougars improved their record to 5-1 overall by beating a scrappy Fresno State team, 25-17. They overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to pull off the victory, scoring nine straight points in the final period to get the eight-point win after Fresno State kicker Dylan Lynch hit a 27-yard field goal to put the Bulldogs ahead of the Cougars, 17-16, with 11:04 left in the game. From there, it was all Washington State.

"What a grind. What a grind-it-out win," began Dickert, discussing his team's defeat of the Bulldogs. "It was a complete team win. [Dean] Janikowski was nails making those field goals. Offense did enough...Defense made a big play, Ethan O'Connor's pick-six...It was a game changer. We said one thing last night: get it to the fourth quarter, and we'll grind it out for a win. That's what we did."

When asked about his quarterback John Mateer's two turnovers (one fumble, one interception), Dickert had this to say: "I think he's definitely bummed out, I think some of the other offensive guys are bummed out, but winning ugly is pretty. He'll have tons to learn from this. We kind of stalled out in the red zone. That's where the one fumble was, where the pick [was], he signaled to the guy...We gotta be better. We gotta protect him better, we gotta get the ball out in space better...It's way better learning from a win though, I'll tell you that."

When asked about the impact that cornerback Ethan O'Connor has had, Dickert had this to say: "He's still a redshirt freshman. Loads of talent...one of those guys where we're still working on the intangible pieces to continue to get better, but when he stays in the moment and deletes mistakes, he's as good as there is. And he's just getting started."

You can find the full audio of the press conference below.

Published Oct 14, 2024

KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.