As the dust settled around conference realignment in college football, Washington State has been left to blaze its own path as one of the remaining "Pac-2" programs not gobbled up by other leagues.

That said, there is still optimism for the season ahead, as the Cougars open Saturday at home vs. FCS foe Portland State.

Head coach Jake Dickert announced that third-year sophomore John Mateer will be the starting quarterback for the Cougars, after a long battle against senior Zevi Eckhaus, the transfer from Bryant University, that lasted the entirety of the offseason.

Both quarterbacks had their bright spots throughout the competition, but Dickert gave the job to Mateer, who backed up for former WSU QB Cam Ward for two seasons in Pullman.

Even with some of the competitions being finalized in camp, Dickert said throughout the season there might be some potential depth chart changes, as he evaluates and tries to find the best fit for his offense and defense.

“The guys that perform, that have the hot hand, will be in there and we’ll continue to adjust as we go, but there is a starting point.” Dickert said. “... Only 11 guys can break the huddle the first time.”

The excitement level throughout the locker room is growing, with new players in new positions, and new faces getting their opportunity at the spotlight after all the offseason shuffling.

“We have a young team, we have a lot of new starters at a lot of different positions,” Dickert said. “The greatest teams learn from Week 1 to Week 2.”

Dickert talked about the feeling of the first game of the season, describing how the college football world we live in today has shaped the landscape for more unpredictability.

“I’ve always felt game one is a rules and principles game,” Dickert said in his press conference on Monday. “I don’t know what they’re gonna do, it’s a new team, it’s a new time."

Injury notes

Dickert said Monday redshirt junior defensive back Jamorri Colson will ‘miss an extended period of time’ with an injury, as he was slated to start in the secondary alongside redshirt junior Stephen Hall.

WSU will lean on redshirt freshman Ethan O’Connor, who shined during fall camp, to step up in place of Colson while he recovers from injury.

Dickert also mentioned redshirt junior offensive lineman Fa’alili Fa’amoe is cleared to return from his torn ACL injury but needs time to gel back with the team before being immediately thrown into the starting rotation.

The Cougars are targeting Fa’amoe to return to game-action around the Apple Cup game on Sept. 14.

Sophomore wide receiver Carlos Hernandez sustained an injury during fall camp, and Dickert hopes to have him back on the field during WSU’s first bye week, which would set him up for a return against Fresno State on the road Oct. 12, but Hernandez is currently in a walking boot in the meantime.

Offense: What to expect Week 1

With some changes throughout the entire roster, the focus of the offense remains the same. With offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle still calling plays and producing a top-20 offense last season, optimism remains high.

Mateer still has senior wide receiver Kyle Williams as the top pass-catcher on the team, already on the preseason Biletnikoff watch list, but the plan is to get as many players involved, seeing where they best fit in this offense.

Dickert talked about how Williams’ role expanded with all the change throughout the receiving room, giving him a chance for some postseason recognition.

“We’ll use Kyle in a very different role than he was last year -- he won’t just be sitting out at ‘X’ receiver,” Dickert said. “Kyle’s our greatest playmaker, and we got to figure out ways to get him the ball.”

Dickert mentioned the running back room along with the receivers are some of the position groups being analyzed on gamedays for potential depth chart shifts, to see the best fit.

“Guys got to go out there and perform. We’re going to evaluate this, and I think we got a lot of guys on a similar plane,” Dickert said. “I would say running back … the receivers, this stuff has to be sorted out on gameday too.”

With Mateer’s first start, Dickert said he just wants him to play football within himself and rely on the receivers when need be, or his legs.

“He doesn’t need to be anyone else than John Mateer and I’ve told him that a million times,” Dickert said. “We’ve surrounded him with a ton of playmakers to get the ball out. … You’ll see the complete arsenal of John Mateer in game one because we got to see him respond in every area.”

Williams talked about his relationship with Mateer after practice on Tuesday, and how he and Mateer are becoming closer throughout the offseason, but there’s still plenty of time to grow and learn as a wide receiver-quarterback duo.

“It’s a pretty strong connection, but we still have to continue to build,” Williams said. “That comes with off-field chemistry, watching film in the classroom … getting on the same page.”

The running back room can see many potential names see a couple downs, with redshirt sophomore Djouvensky Schlenbaker leading the charge, but Mateer’s dual-threat ability also will come into play.

Dickert’s expectation of this unit is to execute and try to stretch the field vertically, utilizing all the playmakers at the Cougars’ disposal.

Defense: What to expect Week 1

The Cougars are facing Vikings senior quarterback Dante Chachere, who has a similar playstyle in Mateer where he has that dual-threat ability and can make plays out of thin air.

WSU last faced this Portland State team back in 2021 in Pullman, when the Vikings had Davis Alexander as a pocket passer, with that offense focusing on a pass-first oriented offense.

Now, with Chachere running the offense for PSU head coach Bruce Barnum, the Cougars look to take advantage of the film sessions and similar playstyle to Mateer by limiting his scrambling ability.

“[Chachere] is a unique talent, you can see it in the Oregon game,” Dickert said. “ How much he plays off-script … unbalanced formations, trick plays, they try to get the defense on their heels really in everything they do.”

“Everyone you talk about on this Portland State team, well-coached, well-disciplined, very creative offensively to get you on your heels,” Dickert said.

Dickert announced earlier last week that senior EDGEs Syrus Webster and Andrew Edson will get the start against the Vikings, alongside Nusi Malani, who will be a key part of the rotational depth at the EDGE position for WSU.

With Colson going down with an injury, Dickert is looking to O’Connor, along with other guys in the secondary that are looking for their shot to step up in Colson’s place while he recovers.

“[O’Connor] is a freshman corner that’s going to make mistakes and that’s fine,” Dickert said. “Stephen Hall, one of our captains, has been an amazing leader for that room. … Warren Smith has got to be ready, Jaylon Edmond, Kenny Worthy III, guys that have been working their tails off behind the scenes.”

Hall talked after Tuesday’s practice about the outlook of Portland State’s offense, giving respect to Chachere and his gameplay. Hall also said the defense has to come to the game ready to play at full intensity.

“They have a great quarterback,” Hall said. “They have a pretty hungry team … we are not the guys who take people lightly.”

Game Outlook:

The Cougars open as 29.5-point favorites at home against the Vikings, with a total set at 60.5 points. (All odds according to ESPNBet)

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. PST from Gesa Field in Martin Stadium and will be broadcast on The CW Network.