Cougars prep for season-opener against Portland State

PULLMAN — A long off-season ends for Washington State on Saturday, as the Cougars prepare to host Portland State in the 2024 season's opening game. 

“To finally be here, there’s just so much excitement for our team, our coaching staff, hopefully our university, our fan base — it’s all come, and the sights and sound of football are here,” WSU Head Coach Jake Dickert said at a press conference Monday. “What an opportunity that’s afforded to us.” 

The Vikings enter 2024 after a 5-6 season a year ago, going 4-4 in the Big Sky with wins over Cal Poly, Northern Arizona, Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado. Portland State also played two FBS games in 2023, suffering road losses to both Oregon (81-7) and Wyoming (31-17). 

In conference games, the Vikings averaged 32.1 points per game and ran for 242.6 yards per game, checking in at fourth and second in the Big Sky, respectively. 

“They bring multiple formations, they have a lot of different style backs,” WSU edges coach Frank Maile said. “Quick, speed, powerful running backs. Their quarterback is special — he's a dual threat guy, he can throw the football. We’ve got to catch this guy; he’s going to be a problem. We’ll have our hands full.” 

PSU quarterback Dante Chachere is the team’s leading returning rusher, amassing 629 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground in addition to 1,573 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. Leading rusher Jobi Malary transferred to James Madison in the off-season. 

“They have a great quarterback, and they have a pretty hungry team,” cornerback Stephen Hall said at a press conference Tuesday. “We have to come in Saturday ready to compete, which I know we will be. We’re not the kind of guys who take people lightly. We focused, we ready.” 

Redshirt sophomore quarterback John Mateer will step under center for the Cougars on Saturday, who beat out Bryant transfer Zevi Eckhaus for the starting gig. Mateer completed 13-of-17 passes for 235 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in appearances off the bench last fall, and now replaces quarterback Cam Ward, who transferred to Miami. 

Dickert passed along advice of “play within himself” to Mateer. 

“He doesn’t need to be anybody else other than John Mateer, and I told him that a million times,” Dickert said. “That’s good enough, it really is. If he plays within our system, we’ve surrounded him with a ton of playmakers to get the ball out, and then when it’s time to go and be him, go do that. We’re going to use John and all his strengths — that's running, that’s throwing, that’s moving the pocket.” 

After Josh Kelly transferred to Texas Tech and Lincoln Victor exhausted his collegiate eligibility, receiver Kyle Williams is WSU’s leading returning pass catcher from 2023; in his first season in Pullman after beginning his college career at UNLV, Williams hauled in 61 passes for 842 yards and six touchdowns. Dickert said Williams’ role will be expanded this fall. 

“Kyle’s our greatest playmaker,” Dickert said. “We’ve got to find ways to get him the ball, but his greatest strength is the vertical stretch game. We need to utilize that strength in many different ways against all kinds of different matchups.” 

With each team across the country bringing something new to the field this upcoming season, leading to difficulty in scouting, Dickert described Week 1 as a “rules and principles game.”  

“I don’t know what they’re going to do; it’s a new team, it’s a new time, it’s a consistent coaching staff,” Dickert said. “At the end of the day, the correct effort, energy and execution on our part always leads to success.” 

Kickoff between the Cougars and Vikings is at noon Saturday in Pullman. WSU holds a 3-1 advantage in the all-time record against Portland State, with its most recent win being a 44-24 game in 2021.  

“We have a year where the spotlight is on us; people do want to see what happens to the Cougs, what happens to the Pac-12,” Dickert said. “My mindset to the team our organization is we can’t worry about all that.” 

    Portland State quarterback Dante Chachere, in white, looks to evade an Oregon defender during a game against the Ducks last season. Chachere, a dual-threat quarterback, is Portland State’s leading returning rusher from 2023.