WATCH: #19 Washington State's Jake Dickert Previews New Mexico Matchup

Joe Londergan | Nov 11, 2024

Nov 9, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Jake Dickert looks on against the Utah State Aggies in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

Washington State head football coach Jake Dickert has his team off to their best start since the 2018 season (8-1) and with an outside shot at the College Football Playoff, if they win out. First, however, they need to get through a road matchup with the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday.

Dickert met with local media on Monday to discuss the matchup with Bronco Mendenhall's squad in Albuquerque this week. Watch the full presser below.

NOTES

- On going on the rod for the next two weeks: "It's a new and different challenge. I think that's the way the guys look at it. So you know we'll play em' on a hay field, a grass field a be- it doesn't matter where we play, like we got to have the same mentality. Sometimes when you do something, you go on the road you know kind of shows the makeup of your football team.

-On New Mexico: "This is a team on the rise. I would say there's no doubt about it. Coach Mendenhall is well respected, not just by me, but in our profession. [I] got an opportunity while he was out of it for a while to sit down and talk with him on some of his podcasts and just an amazing human being. Obviously coach Mark [Atuaia] was with him for a very long time. [He] speaks just the world of him, how he coaches, how he motivates, and you can see that he's building something. And when you build something it takes a little while to kind of see the fruits of your labor and those early games were setting a foundation."

"I think he might be doing the best job in the country of utilizing their personnel. this quarterback is a problem, okay. He has more yards from scrimmage than John [Mateer] does and hopefully that wakes everybody up. Like, this guy is real. He's shorter, he's super fast, he has one of the highest explosive play rates in the country. Number six at tailback has been really, really good and they run a wildly unique scheme. This is something that you just don't see every day. So they're fitting. He's doing what great coaches do and fitting the scheme to the players...It's going to be a hell of a football game down there."

-On John Mateer: "I think he's the best quarterback on the west coast, in my opinion. And I say that very firmly. So I think he's going to continue to grow and get better...He's doing some amazing things and we're going to do everything we can, for John and to keep him here"

-On Cam Ward and John Mateer's dynamic: "Really proud of what Cam's doing and never forget he's a Washington State grad. He'll bounce back this week too. They always had a great rapport that I thought they were both themselves and John has done a good job not trying to be Cam."

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