<body><div>PULLMAN -- <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Jack-Thompson-46081858">Jack Thompson</a> has a simple message for Washington State fans. Put your money where your mouth is. No more complaining about ticket prices or anything else. Make a difference, and get your butts in the seats. Much of the 2024 Cougar season depends on fan support, the Throwin' Samoan tells Cougfan.com.Showing up, being loud, and creating a homefield advantage is pivotal for this season, says Thompson, whose company -- <a href="https://crosscountrymortgage.com/affinity/cougs-first/">The Thompson Group of Cross County Mortgage</a> -- is the official mortgage company of Cougfan.com. Here are Thompson's five keys to WSU finding success this season, starting with Portland State on Saturday.1. JOHN MATEER NEEDS TO CARRY THE TORCHMateer is following in the footsteps of so many great Cougar quarterbacks, with the hope that he's going to follow suit. The 6-1, 217-pound third-year from Little Elm, Texas, won the job during fall camp and brings an element of moxie and swagger. Most teams go as far as their quarterback takes them, and Mateer needs to prove it right from the beginning of the season, that he can be the guy to carry the torch and lead the way through unprecedented times.Thompson's takeaway: "He's a unique fit for Coug Nation. He's being looked at on a national level. He's at QBU. He comes at a very unique time in our history and we need him to carry that torch. I think he is uniquely gifted to do that because he has the ability to do two things. The majority of the quarterbacks before him, we all had that unique gift of throwing. But to be a runner extraordinaire is beautiful. He's uniquely gifted."2. COUG NATION IN SEATTLE AND PULLMAN NEEDS TO COME ALIVEThe fan base has been a prominent talking point. Too many games have featured empty seats, and even if the seats were filled at kickoff, by halftime many had filtered out. Thompson has spoken passionately about it for a long while and now more than ever, WSU needs its fans to show up. Everyone in Coug Nation stands firmly that WSU belongs in the Power Four. But that claim falls on deaf ears if Martin Stadium is half-empty on Saturdays.Thompson's takeaway: "We don't have time for folks to bitch and complain. It's time to put your money where your mouth is. We're going to be on display at a national level like never before with the CW contract. It's great for us, but we need to step up. Enough of the BS. We need optics. We need turnout and loud, obnoxious, Cougar fans. That is a big element in every home game. We need to show the nation it doesn't matter who we play, we show up."3. SPOKANE COUGS NEED TO GET OFF THEIR ASSESThe above sentiment comes directly from Thompson, who last year moved from the west side to Spokane. Seattle is five hours away, and it is difficult for Cougs on rgw west side to make the trek every game. But Spokane is just 90 minutes from Wazzu. The non-student section section needs to be filled just like the student section. There's not enough locals in Pullman to do so, nor enough WSU fans making the journey from Seattle every game. The onus falls on the Cougs in Spokane to pack Martin Stadium.Thompson's takeaway: "Spokane has to be to Pullman what Portland is to Eugene and Corvallis. And so we have the base here, we have 50,000 Cougs in the Inland Empire. We need people to show up more now than ever before. I'm going to start that mantra, by the way. I'm going to have get-togethers here in Spokane. I've learned a lot in this one year I've been here, but it's time to stop bitching. Cougars should own Spokane. Especially when it's not basketball season. We need our people to step up and give us a boost the way Gonzaga gave themselves a boost when they were in financial trouble."4. THE COACHING STAFFThompson has never been shy in making it clear his belief is Jake Dickert is not just as a football coach, but a leader in these uncertain times. The Cougar head man is so involved it's almost as if you say his name, and he appears somewhere in Pullman. Thompson firmly believes offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding are going to be x-factors in the 2024 season with all three at the forefront of the Cougars' plight.Thompson's takeaway: "I cannot wait to see what Coach Buck is cooking. I really believe he is a star in the making. And then on the other side, I love what Coach Schmedding is cooking up. But you know my thoughts on Dickert, I think the world of him. I believe we have an advantage in almost every game not just because of the way he coaches, but because of the way he leads the young men on our football team. He is the best fit for us at this time."5. THE DEFENSE CAN AND NEEDS TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPOn a number of occasions last year, the Cougar defense kept the team in games while the offense sputtered. But there were also slip-ups, such as the games against Arizona, Arizona State, and Oregon. But while they did graduate a number of players and sent a handful into the NFL, the depth is better and there is still a ton of rising talent. The offense should be more explosive than it was last year, but the Cougar defense needs to be stingy and take the will from their opponents.Thompson's takeaway: "Schmedding's got a former Auburn player playing on our team in Wes Steiner. And that linebacker that played at Oregon, Keith Brown, and then you've got Kyle Thornton. I think our defense is going to be a major element this year. We're deeper, we're faster, and I think we have a chance to be better, even with all we lost."Jack Thompson and CrossCountry are the Official Mortgage Company of Cougfan.com. Click the box to learn more!WSU-PORTLAND STATE GAME DETAILS:<ul><li>WHERE: Martin Stadium</li><li>KICKOFF: Saturday, noon</li><li>TV: The CW (Ted Robinson, Ryan Leaf, Nigel Burton)</li><li>RADIO: <a href="https://247sports.com/college/washington-state/article/wsu-football-games-can-also-be-heard-worldwide-on-the-internet-and-xm-satellite-radio-104234395/">Washington State IMG Radio Network</a></li><li>WEATHER FORECAST: 88 degrees, sunny, light winds</li><li>RECORDS: This is the first game for both teams</li><li>THE SERIES: Washington State leads 3-1</li><li>LAST TIME: WSU beat PSU 44-24 in Pullman in 2021</li><li>ESPN matchup predictor: 95.4 percent chance WSU wins</li><li>RANKINGS: Neither team is ranked</li><li>THE LINE: WSU by 28.5 </li><li>CF.C PREDICTION: 44-13 WSU</li></ul><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Z8OZd_0vFv3eUw00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Z8OZd_0vFv3eUw00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>John Mateer (Photo: Cougfan.com/Whittney Thornton)</figcaption></figure></div></body>

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WSU vs. Portland State: Jack Thompson's 5 keys for opener and season

PULLMAN -- Jack Thompson has a simple message for Washington State fans. Put your money where your mouth is. No more complaining about ticket prices or anything else. Make a difference, and get your butts in the seats. Much of the 2024 Cougar season depends on fan support, the Throwin' Samoan tells Cougfan.com.

WSU vs. Portland State: Jack Thompson's 5 keys for opener and season

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