Washington State leaves the state for the first time on Saturday, as the Cougars have their biggest test of the season ahead of them, facing No. 25 Boise State on the infamous blue turf of Albertsons Stadium.

The Cougars (4-0) now have their first true road test of the season this weekend, having not only a top 25 team to face but on the road as well.

WSU sits right behind Boise State (2-1) in the rankings, as the "No. 26" ranked team in the country, receiving votes to enter the rankings. Dickert talked in his press conference on Monday about how this will be a true test for his team, knowing how loud that environment can get from his time at Wyoming.

“Tough place to play. I mean, really tough place to play,” Dickert said. “It’ll be packed, it’ll be lively … It’s going to be a great environment and a great atmosphere to play in and I think our guys are excited about it.”

The last time these two teams faced off, it was almost a similar situation -- just the complete opposite.

Boise State came into Pullman, unranked, against a ranked WSU team in 2017 and had a 31-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter over the Cougars, until a miraculous comeback to force overtime. Three overtimes later, the Cougars walked away with the home victory. Now flash forward to this season, where the Cougars are going into Boise, unranked, against a ranked Boise State team.

“We understand we got the target on our back; this is going to be one heck of a football game. … Execution is going to win,” Dickert said.

Injury report

The Cougars still remain a little banged up in the special teams department, as senior punter Nick Haberer will be out for this game, dealing with the reoccurring back injury that has held him out so far.

Additionally, the Cougars lost sophomore kicker Ryan Harris, who is in charge of kickoff duties, right before the last game against San Jose State with an injury and he will also be out for this weekend’s matchup as well. Harris is expected to return after the Cougars’ bye week next week.

Dickert said redshirt senior tight end Billy Riviere III will be "out for a couple weeks" with an undisclosed injury.

Junior tight end Andre Dollar and redshirt sophomore Djouvensky Schlenbaker both missed last week’s game with injuries but are both expected to be back for this game as well, according to Dickert.

Redshirt junior Jamorri Colson and sophomore wide receiver Carlos Hernandez are also inching closer to a return after being out all season. Dickert said both are expected to make their season debuts after the bye week as well. Colson sustained a broken jaw near the end of fall camp and Hernandez had a foot injury that required immediate surgery.

Offense: What to expect vs. Boise State

Boise State’s defensive pressure ranks near the top in the country, as the Broncos average four sacks a game with their core seven up front that likes to bring pressure to opposing quarterbacks.

Dickert said the key for this offense to be successful is to stay ahead of the chains and keep moving forward offensively.

“We got to make sure we’re having a net positive up front at the line of scrimmage.” Dickert said.

Dickert talked after Wednesday’s practice about how the Broncos lean on their edge rushers to lead the defensive pressure.

“I think they’re a little aggressive in different situations than what they’ve been in the past, but physical up front.” Dickert said. “These two edges, [Ahmed Hassanein] and [Jayden Virgin- Morgan] are just really impressive players. … On third down, they want to dictate the action.”

To combat the aggressive play style that Boise State likes to run defensively, Dickert said his team has to prepare sophomore quarterback John Mateer for whatever comes his way, similar to last week against the Spartans.

“We've got to protect John and make some plays in space.” Dickert said.

Defense: What to expect vs. Boise State

For Boise State, the big name is running back Ashton Jeanty, one of the Heisman favorites this season. In just three games, Jeanty has rushed for 586 yards, which is second in the nation, and is averaging 200 yards a game on the ground.

The Broncos already faced a similar back to Jeanty earlier in the season in Washington running back Jonah Coleman.

“If you think you’re going to tackle him above the waist, it’s not happening,” Dickert said on Jeanty’s ability to break tackles. “You got to get through his legs, you got to kill his motors, you got to have a gang to tackle this guy. … I don’t know if there’s a running back out there that’s really great without being a really good offensive line too.”

Redshirt senior defensive back Tyson Durant talked after practice Tuesday on how the defense needs to stop Jeanty on the ground, or try to limit his breakout ability.

“[Jeanty] is in the Heisman race and everything,” Durant said. “Swarming to the ball, like we did for Jonah Coleman … we’ll have a good chance to take this game and get it done.”

Safeties and nickels coach Jordan Malone talked after practice Wednesday about how important tackling in the secondary is going to be this week.

“The best tackle is any tackle,” Malone said. “It’s being able to really focus on the strike zone, run through his stiff arm. … We’re just focused on being scrappy and accelerating on contact."

Dickert also said that the offensive line of Boise State reminds him of Oregon State from last year, how they were able to establish the run through their offensive line.

“They are going to dictate to you quickly.” Dickert said. “We know we have to load the box and force them to throw.”

The Cougars have had some trouble in back-to-back weeks limiting big, explosive plays, whether in the air or on the ground, and Dickert said they have to stop those plays early, especially with how the Broncos like to use Jeanty in many facets.

“Their play-action pass game is incredible, they have two giant receivers that they throw the ball to as well,” Dickert said.

Game Outlook

The Cougars opened as 7-point underdogs on the road Saturday night against a ranked Boise State team, with an over/under set at 64.5 points (All odds according to ESPNBET).

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PST (8 p.m. MST) from Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho and will be broadcast on FS1.