Wazzu’s Dickert: ‘We belong in the Power 5’

Washington State coach Jake Dickert pleaded that the unranked Cougars “belong in the Power 5” after his team’s 31-22 upset win over No. 19 Wisconsin on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward completed 20 of 32 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns in the win, also rushing for 43 yards. Running back Nakia Watson added a 1-yard touchdown.
• After going down 24-9 in the first half, Wisconsin closed the gap to two points at the end of the third quarter before Watson’s score sealed the Cougars’ win midway through the fourth.
• As one of the two teams slated to be left in the Pac-12 Conference next season, along with Oregon State, Washington State’s future home is uncertain. “This moment, it’s everything,” a hoarse Dickert told ESPN in his postgame interview. “These kids have worked their asses off. We’re all we’ve got. We’re all we need.”

What else Dickert said

“There’s a lot of things that I would really love to say. But at the end of the day, our team belongs at the highest level — our program does. That’s in my heart. I believe that,” he said. “For all this stuff to go on, I think it’s just another way that our guys went out there and proved who we are. What’s the merit?

“We go out there and do more with less than maybe anybody in the country. So why is that a situation, a circumstance where we can’t continue to do this at the highest level? Are we going on wins? Are we going on location? Are we going on revenue, market? I don’t know what it is.”

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

What the moment meant for Wazzu

This has been a no-good, very-bad year for this school and its athletic department. All Dickert and his players can do is play the games on the schedule, not knowing what the 2024 season holds or what league they’ll be in. All the Cougs can do is show that they can compete at the Power 5 level and that they do bring value to a major conference, even if they don’t draw eyeballs or deliver a major media market.

Everyone involved in this understands the reality of the road ahead, and that Oregon State and Washington State are going to have to take a step down, regardless of whether it’s to the Mountain West directly or whatever sort of reverse merger they end up exploring. But it’s still an important moment for a proud program that deserved and deserves better. — Auerbach

How was the atmosphere in Pullman?

The seating capacity in Martin Stadium is 32,952, which makes it the smallest football stadium in the Pac-12. But don’t let that number fool you. Cougars fans brought the energy and noise to make the venue a difficult place to play for Wisconsin. As the clock ticked under a minute remaining in the game and the outcome was decided, fans stormed the field to celebrate while a burst of fireworks exploded into the sky. They danced as “Jump Around” blared from the speakers, while the scoreboard read “COUGS WIN.” — Temple 

How the Cougs stuffed the Badgers

Washington State fed off the atmosphere and started fast with its up-tempo offense, which gave Wisconsin fits early in the game. The Cougars could have folded after the Badgers battled back from a 24-6 deficit to get within 24-22 in the fourth quarter.

But Ward would not let Washington State lose on the big stage during a primetime game. He snapped off two huge runs to set up the touchdown that sealed the game. And one week after Wisconsin rushed for 312 yards, the Badgers were held to 90 yards. — Temple 

Backstory

Oregon State and Washington State took legal action against the Pac-12 and commissioner George Kliavkoff this week “to confirm the governance structure of the conference, gain access to business information and protect the conference’s assets,” Oregon State said in a statement Friday.

According to the Pac-12 constitution and bylaws, if a member school gives notice of withdrawal, it immediately ceases to be a member of the Pac-12 Board of Directors, meaning Oregon State and Washington State should now make up the entire Board of Directors membership.

Both schools requested a temporary restraining order “to prevent the Pac-12 from permitting the departing members of the Pac-12 Board of Directors from meeting and attempting to take any action regarding the status or governance of the conference in ways that preclude OSU and WSU from potentially rebuilding the conference.”

The actions of the universities were taken to confirm that OSU and WSU are the sole remaining voting members of the Pac-12 Board of Directors.

The Pac-12 commissioner recently asked current and former members of the Pac-12 board to meet on Sept. 13 to vote on a “go forward governance approach” for the conference, which Oregon State said is in violation of the Pac-12 constitution and bylaws.

The temporary restraining order sought by OSU and WSU would try to prevent this meeting or similar meetings from taking place and grant both OSU and WSU to make business decisions on behalf of the conference. This would give both schools the option to potentially rebuild the Pac-12.

Required reading

(Photo: James Snook / USA Today)