Comments from HC Jake Dickert after Cougars’ 25-17 win over Fresno State

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

“What a chore. What a hard-fought victory,” Dickert began, discussing his team’s loss to the Bulldogs. “It was a complete team win. (Dean) Janikowski made those baskets. The offense did enough… The defense made a big play, Ethan O’Connor’s pick six… It was a game changer. We said one thing last night: Get to the fourth quarter, and we’re going to fight to win.”

Asked about quarterback John Mateer’s two turnovers (one fumble, one interception), Dickert responded: “I think he’s really disappointed, I think some of the other offensive guys are disappointed, but to win ugly is is pretty. He We’ll have a lot to learn from this We kind of stalled in the red zone, that’s where the only escape was, where the choice was, he motioned to the guy. … We have to be better, we have to get the ball out in space better… But it’s much better to learn from a win, I’ll tell you that.

Asked about the impact cornerback Ethan O’Connor has had, Dickert said: “He’s still a redshirt freshman. There’s a lot of talent… one of those guys to who we are still working on the intangible pieces to continue to improve, but when he stays in the moment and erases his mistakes, he is as good as he can be.

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

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