<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0cB0Bs_0w6urH7E00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0cB0Bs_0w6urH7E00" width="1146" height="600" >PULLMAN -- During and after Washington State's 25-17 victory over Fresno State on Saturday, there were <a href="https://x.com/CindyBrunsonAZ/status/1845243230813909213">perplexed Cougar fans</a> asking why Wazzu elected to go for two after WSU scored its first TD in the first quarter. During his press conference Monday, Cougfan.com asked <a href="https://247sports.com/coach/Jake-Dickert-4455">Jake Dickert</a> to explain his thought process."We're going to play to win," Dickert said. "We're not going to be afraid of losing. We've had that play up the last four weeks. We didn't score first the last couple of weeks, and we felt like we were going to try to take advantage of something. We didn't execute it exactly how we wanted, but we're going to play with an edge. I actually went into the game thinking we were going to play a high-scoring football game and to try to get them chasing us. It ended up being us chasing them."Indeed, on multiple occasions after the failed two-point conversion, WSU found itself trailing instead of tied and was chasing points. At the end of the game and after another failed two-point conversion, WSU had to protect an eight-point lead rather than the 10-point lead it likely would have had if the Cougs would have kicked that first extra point."When you don't get it, you know the risk involved with that," Dickert said. "We've done that I think four or five times the last couple of years. Some work and some don't. That's what goes into it as a calculated play that we feel like is going to work. And when it doesn't it makes you look kind of silly."On the first two-point attempt WSU attempted some trickery, with <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/John-Mateer-46078807">John Mateer</a> flipping the ball to <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Trey-Leckner-46116552">Trey Leckner</a> and the backup tight end looking to throw. But it was defended well by Fresno State and nearly cost the Cougars down the stretch.[See video above for Dickert on what he saw from the game tape]THERE WERE ALSO questions over the lack of running plays called for the backs. <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Wayshawn-Parker-46139098">Wayshawn Parker</a> was finding some success running the ball in the first half but OC <a href="https://247sports.com/coach/Ben-Arbuckle-4982">Ben Arbuckle</a> went in a different direction in the second half ... until the fourth quarter when the Cougars were attempting to burn clock. Parker finished the day with 12 carries for 63 yards."We feel like we had some outside zone stuff, and that's what we got going late," Dickert said Monday. "We've just got to get to it earlier. I put that on obviously Ben calling plays but the whole staff, myself (included), we're in charge of all those things that put our guys in the best positions to win football games. And you know I've said it for two years, running the football is a big part of that."IF THE COUGARS knock off Hawaii at 12:30 p.m. in Pullman on Saturday, it would move them to 6-1 and make the Cougs bowl-eligible. There are still bigger goals on the horizon for Wazzu but after missing a bowl last season, reaching that benchmark would be an important step for the Cougars."It's a 'one week at a time with an end-of-the-year vision,'" Dickert said. "I think it is a good accomplishment. I think it shows that your program is in the top half of FBS football and I think that is good. But hopefully if we win this game, we're not gonna sit there and dwell on it. We're gonna accomplish something that is important to us, it's important to our fans. "I'm never gonna act like that's not a big step in our football program to win those games. But as soon as we celebrate it for 24 hours, we're gonna wash it."OVER ON DEFENSE Saturday, WSU had more success getting after the quarterback. While the Cougars were only credited with two sacks, there was late pressure on Fresno State's QB, making him uncomfortable on the final drive as the Bulldogs attempted to tie the game up. Dickert mentioned a linebacker in that context."<a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Keith-Brown-46077002">Keith Brown</a> did a good job of causing some pressures," Dickert said. "It's real simple defensive football that lasts over time. You can't get there with three? Bring four. Can't get there with four? Bring five. We have to get pressure on the quarterback. To allow a player like that to sit back there and be comfortable, it's just not gonna work."Brown was credited with a sack on a grounding call where he forced the QB to chuck the ball away while still in the pocket. Brown's speed could be a weapon going forward, particularly when paired with starter <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Taariq-Al-Uqdah-46086189">Buddah Al-Uqdah</a> on blitz packages."So really happy with the way they went out there in the final two minutes and really shut the door with four-man pressure. But we have to be more versatile and we have to do the same thing this week."WHILE THE PASS RUSH found some life, the run defense stumbled again. The Bulldogs' starting running back had 20 carries for 120 yards (6.0 ypc) and had too many explosives. The Cougars at the midway point are 93rd in the country in run defense, yielding 166.5 ypg."There was some schematic stuff," Dickert said. "They did a good job. We probably didn't react fast enough to it, to some FIB jet motion (formation into the boundary). Offenses are good. They find ways to get different guys in fits. They got <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Kapena-Gushiken-46137244">Kapena (Gushiken)</a> in the fit on a couple different things and he misfit something sometimes. They cracked us out of the 'closet set,' ... We have to keep staying ahead of the chains and being aggressive in those situations. So a lot of 'learns' because people will continue to do that to us."Stay tuned, we have more of Dickert's thoughts coming up shortly, plus the 2025 Apple Cup has a game date</div></body>

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Jake Dickert explains decision to go for two in WSU's win over Fresno State

PULLMAN -- During and after Washington State's 25-17 victory over Fresno State on Saturday, there were perplexed Cougar fans asking why Wazzu elected to go for two after WSU scored its first TD in the first quarter. During his press conference Monday, Cougfan.com asked Jake Dickert to explain his thought process.

Jake Dickert explains decision to go for two in WSU's win over Fresno State

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