No. 18 Washington State is back on the road this week as the Cougars head down to Albuquerque to face New Mexico in a nighttime shootout Saturday.

The Cougars will begin their final road stretch with two back-to-back games away from Pullman before returning to Martin Stadium on senior day, and it will begin against another high-powered offense.

WSU (8-1, 0-0 Pac-12) will have to match its performance against Utah State last week to be able to contain the Lobos (4-6, 3-3 MW), who are eighth in the country in rushing offense led by their dual threat quarterback Devon Dampier.

WSU quarterback John Mateer and Dampier have similar playing styles with how they can both attack on the ground at any moment, and both sophomores also use their arms if the pocket collapses too fast.

Head coach Jake Dickert feels that Dampier presents a challenge for opposing defenses because of how he can use both his legs and his arm when need be.

“[Dampier] is a problem, he has more yards from scrimmage than John does,” Dickert said.

Mateer now ranks second in the country in offensive touchdowns, behind former WSU and current Miami quarterback, Cam Ward, who has 35 total touchdowns in ten games. Mateer has totaled 33 scores through nine games.

Dickert believes his quarterback is playing at an elite level right now especially with his ability to play without turning the ball over and improvising when he needs to.

“I think John Mateer is one of the ten best quarterbacks in the country,” Dickert said. “He’s the best quarterback on the west coast, in my opinion.”

Dickert gave his kudos to Lobos head coach Bronco Mendenhall for what he is able to do with the task he was given from the beginning of the season to now.

“I think [Mendenhall] might be doing the best job in the country of utilizing their personnel,” Dickert said. “He’s doing what good coaches do, fitting the scheme to the players.”

The Lobos are coming off a big road win against San Diego State, where they did just enough to edge out a victory following back-to-back losses against Colorado State on the road, and Wyoming at home.

Dickert said he knows what is at stake for both teams heading into this contest with New Mexico still fighting for bowl eligibility and needing to win out to accomplish that feat.

“We’re going to get their best, and our best will be required, there’s no doubt about it,” Dickert said.

Dickert said in Monday’s press conference redshirt junior wide receiver Tre Shackelford has a heel contusion from the game against Utah State, but there is hope he can play against New Mexico on Saturday.

True freshman running back Wayshawn Parker left last week’s game with an injury, but Dickert said Monday he “feels pretty good” about Parker’s availability for Saturday.

Senior edge rusher Quinn Roff, who missed the game last week against Utah State, is a game-time decision for Saturday after being limited in practice this week.

Defensively, the Lobos have allowed their fair share of yards and points to opposing offenses, almost allowing 228.1 rushing yards per game on the ground, the fifth worst in FBS, and 38.3 points per game, the fourth worst in FBS.

The defensive scheme at first for New Mexico didn’t fit what Mendenhall was trying to emphasize for his team, running a 4-2-5 type of defense, but Dickert said the Lobos switching from a 4-2-5 to a 3-3 scheme could be the real difference maker for how the Lobos are winning in the recent stretch.

“They went to the 3-3 and I just feel like it fits their personnel, their schematics and they’ve been better at that,” Dickert said. “They take away all of your quick passes.”

If the Cougars want to have offensive success, they will need to establish the run early.

Dickert said the offensive game plan will be a run-heavy start while trying to win the battle in the trenches.

“We got to find a way to run the football, be aggressive, make them come down and try to get it back over the top,” Dickert said. “If you out-rush your opponent, you’re going to win.”

The main weapon for this New Mexico offense is centered around Dampier, and how much success he can have on the ground and in the air.

He is able to create plays in open space and it could be a real challenge for Dickert’s defense.

“[Dampier] is shorter, he’s super-fast, he has one of the highest explosive play rates in the country,” Dickert said.

Alongside Dampier in the backfield is his right-hand man, Iowa State transfer running back Eli Sanders, who is coming off back-to-back 180 yard-performances that have allowed him to become much more of a focal point offensively.

“[Sanders], the tailback, he’s been really good for them and they run a wildly unique scheme,” Dickert said.

The Cougars opened as 14-point road favorites against UNM with the spread now down to 10.5 with the over/under at 71.5 according to BetMGM.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. PST from University Stadium and will be broadcast on FS1.