COUGARS HEAD TO FRESNO STATE FOR SATURDAY MATCHUP
Washington State returns from its bye week with a trip to Fresno State. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Saturday on Fox Sports 1.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State has opened the season 4-1 for the third straight season and is seeking its first 5-1 start since 2018. The Cougars enter the week with the nation's No. 10 offense (495.4) and the defense is No. 26 in the country with nine takeaways. Quarterback John Mateer is second in the country in total offense (376.4), No. 14 in passing touchdowns (13) and wideout Kyle Williams is No. 13 in the country with five touchdown catches. Head coach Jake Dickert owns a 19-17 career record and is in his third full season. 

COUGAR QUICK GAME
TEAM
• WSU's 2024 roster features 49 newcomers including 15 transfers with 13 from four-year schools
• WSU's roster features 38 players from the state of California
• WSU opened the year 4-0 for the 2nd straight season, 1st time starting 4-0 in back-to-back seasons since 1906-07
• WSU had two Gesa Field sellouts in 2023 (Wisconsin, Oregon State), 4th in the last 3 seasons 
• Jake Dickert and Bill Doba (2003-07) are the only WSU HC with 2 Apple Cup wins in 1st 4 seasons since 1960's

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT (Player Notes Pages 10-12)
• QB John Mateer set a WSU record with 300 pass yards and 100 rushing yards in the win over San Jose State
• Mateer set a WSU record for rush yards by a QB with 197 rush yards in the week 2 win over Texas Tech
• WR Kyle Williams named to Biletnikoff Award Watch List, owns a catch in all 42-career games played
• RB Wayshawn Parker was the 1st Cougar true freshman with 1 rush TD and 1 rec TD in debut since 2018 
• Parker's 6 carries of 20+ yards are most among frosh RB nationally, 22 missed tackles forced are 2nd-most
• LB Kyle Thornton was a Burlsworth Trophy Semifinalist in 2023 (top former walk-on), led team w/ 87 tackles
• P Nick Haberer was named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List for the 3rd straight season, 44.4 avg/punt in 2023 
• OL Fa'alili Fa'amoe, DB Jackson Lataimua, Edge Nusi Malani, OL Esa Pole; Polynesian Player of the Year Watch List
• 2024 Reese's Senior Watch List (Fa'amoe, DB Kapena Gushiken, Malani, Edge Syrus Webster, Williams)
• RT Fa'alili Fa'amoe was named to watch lists for The Outland Trophy, Lombardi, Polynesian, Reese's Senior Bowl

SERIES HISTORY
WSU leads the all-time series 3-2 against Fresno State but FSU won the last meeting 29-6 at the 2022 Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl. The Cougars won the only meeting in Fresno, 39-37 in 1992.

COLLEGE GAMEDAY RECORD
Dating back to the 2003 season, ESPN College GameDay has had the WSU flag appear throughout the show. The streak reached 309 last week in Berkeley. The first appearance came in Austin, Texas (10/4/03) and the streak began two weeks later in Madison, Wisc. (10/18/03). Two flags – Ol' Crimson and Gray – have been flown in the background of the GameDay set. The Gray flag was added in 2014 after Whitey was retired in honor of Steve Gleason's "No White Flags." Appearance No. 217 was its first in Pullman (10/20/18), a 34-20 win over Oregon. 

MATEER PUTTING UP BIG DUAL THREAT NUMBERS
Redshirt-sophomore John Mateer has posted some eye-popping numbers in his first five starts.
• In 1st career start, threw for 352 yards and 5 TD, rushed for 55 yards including 40-yard TD run
• Mateer's 6 total TD vs. Portland State were most by a Cougar QB in 1st start in program history
• Mateer's 5 TD passes vs. Portland State matched the WSU record for TD passes in a first start 
    - Luke Falk, 2014 at Oregon State; Anthony Gordon, 2019, New Mexico State
• Mateer's 197 rushing yards against Texas Tech week 2 was a WSU record for QB rushing yards
    - 1st 100-yard game by a Cougar QB since 1987 (105,Timm Rosenbach vs. Oregon)
    - 8th 100-yard rushing game by a Cougar quarterback in program history
• Mateer had 2 rush TD and 1 pass TD in Apple Cup win, rushed for 62 yards, 245 pass yards
• In the win over San Jose State, set career-highs with 26 completions and 390 pass yards
    - 1st Cougar QB in program history with 300 pass yards and 100 rushing yards in a game
    - 2nd 100-yard rushing game of the season (197, Texas Tech - 111, San Jose State)
    - Mateer's 501 yards of total offense was the most by any player in the FBS this season
• Mateer had a rush TD and pass TD in each of the 1st four games this season
• Mateer's 5 rush TD are tied for 10th-most rush TD by a quarterback in WSU single-season history
• Mateer's 13 TD passes are No. 14 nationally
• Mateer's 16.1 yards per completion is 5th-best nationally
• Mateer's 376.4 yards of total offense-per-game are 2nd-most nationally
• Mateer's 5 rush TD are tied for 6th-most by a QB nationally
• Mateer's 19 rushes of 10+yards are 2nd-most by a QB nationally, national-best 20+yard runs (8)
• Mateer's 31 missed tackles forced are the most by a QB nationally
• Mateer owns the 2nd-best PFF rushing grade (90.2) by a QB nationally (Blake Horvath, Navy)

WHAT a START FOR WAYSHAWN
True freshman running back Wayshawn Parker showed off his all-around game in his collegiate debut, the season-opening win over Portland State and has continued to produce big plays.
• In week one against Portland State, 8 carries, 96 rush yards, 54-yard TD run, 52-yard TD rec
    - 1st WSU true frosh with a rush TD and rec TD in his debut since 2018 (Max Borghi at Wyoming)
    - Parker's 54-yard rush TD is longest TD run since 2021 (Max Borghi, 2021, Utah State, 64 yds)
• In week two win over Texas Tech, rushed for 69 yards including 43-yard TD run
     - 1st WSU true freshman with TD in back-to-back games since 2018 (Borghi, Arizona, at Colorado)
• In win over San Jose State, made 1st career start, rushed 22 times for 76 yards, long of 20
• Owns 6 carries of 20+ yards, the most among all freshman nationally 
• Parker's 325 rushing yards are 7th-most among all freshmen in the country
• Parker's 22 missed tackles forced are 2nd-most by a freshmen running back nationally

WILLIAMS NAMED TO BILETNIKOFF AWARD WATCH LIST, STARTS 2024 HOT
Cougar wideout Kyle Williams was named to the 2024 Biletnikoff Award Watch List prior to the season, the award annually recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver. The senior from Inglewood, Calif. caught 61 passes for 843 yards and six touchdowns while starting all 12 games in his first season at WSU in 2023. 
• Williams had 4 catches for 141 yards and 2 TD (58, 59) in season-opening win over Portland State
    - 1st career multiple-TD game at WSU
• Williams only catch in the win over Texas Tech was a 21-yard TD, had 3 catches in Apple Cup win
• Williams had 8 catches for 138 yards and a TD in win over San Jose State
• Williams set season-highs with 9 catches and 142 receiving yards at Boise State
    - 3rd 100-yard game of the season, 10th of his career and 5th as a Coug
    - 141-Portland State, 138-San Jose State, 142-at Boise State
• Tied for 2nd nationally with 42 consecutive games catching a pass 
            Owns a catch in all 42 career games (1st 25 games at UNLV (2020-22)
• No. 13 nationally with 5 rec TD, No. 17 nationally with 92.8 receiving yards/g
• 5th among active FBS players with 68.5 career rec ypg
• Tied for 6th among active FBS players with 2,875 career rec yards
• 9th among active FBS players with 203 career receptions
• Tied for 13th among active FBS players with 20 career TD rec, 11 career TD rec at WSU

RECORD BOOK WATCH
• Kicker Dean Janikowski's 148 career made PAT are 2nd-most in WSU history
• Janikowski's four career 50+yard field goals are tied for 3rd-most in WSU history
• Janikowski's 75.5 career field goal percentage (40-53) is the 4th-best FG% in WSU history 
• Janikowski's 268 career points are 5th-most points by a kicker in WSU history
• Janikowski's 40 career made field goals are 6th-most in WSU history
• Punter Nick Haberer is 8th in WSU history with 157 career punts, 7th with 6,768 career punt yards

POSTGAME NOTES - PORTLAND STATE WIN
• WSU's 49 points in the first half were the most since 2018, scored 55 in first half against Arizona • WSU's 70 points were the most since 1997 (77, SW Louisiana) and were tied for 6th-most in program history • WSU has won 3 straight season-openers under head coach Jake Dickert • WSU's 224 rushing yards were the most since rushing for 229 against Northern Colorado week three last season • Five different players caught a TD, 3 rushed for a TD • Stephen Hall's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown was the longest in program history

POSTGAME NOTES - TEXAS TECH WIN
• WSU has started the season 2-0 for the third straight season under head coach Jake Dickert • WSU rushed for 301 yards, the most since rushing for 306 at Stanford in 2022 • WSU posted back-to-back games with 200-yards rushing for the first time since 2021 (223 vs. Arizona, 209 at Washington) •  WSU rushed for four touchdowns, the most since 2018 against Eastern Washington • WSU posted its first win over Texas Tech in program history; had last previous two meetings (1963, 1964) • WSU's four takeaways (2 INT, 2 FUM) are the most since 2022 (4 INT, at Arizona) 

POSTGAME NOTES - APPLE CUP WIN
• WSU defeated Washington 24-19 in front of 57,567 at Lumen Field in Seattle, WSU's second Apple Cup win in last four seasons • The 2024 Apple Cup was the first Apple Cup played in September and earliest meeting in series history • Jake Dickert is the 2nd Cougar Head Coach to start 3-0 in each of his first 3 seasons (John R. Bender (1906-08) • WSU held Washington under 20 points for only the second time since the 1999 season (other being 13 points in 2021) • WSU improved to 6-7 all-time when playing at Lumen Field • Josh Meredith set career highs with seven catches and 111 receiving yards, had 2nd-career TD catch, a 16-yard fourth-quarter score, 1st career 100-yard game • Andrew Edson recorded a career-high seven tackles, all solo, with three TFL's, to lead the WSU defense • Raam Stevenson recorded a sack for the second straight week 

POSTGAME NOTES - SAN JOSE STATE DOUBLE OVERTIME WIN
• WSU improved to 4-0 for the second straight season, the first time starting 4-0 in consecutive seasons since 1906-07 • WSU played its first overtime game since 2017 (W, OT3, Boise State, 47-44), have won four straight overtime games • WSU entered the fourth quarter trailing by 14 and trailed by three with 1:26 remaining before hitting the game-tying 52-yard field goal as time expired and won in double-overtime for their first fourth quarter comeback win since 2021 (Stanford) • WSU recorded its second game this season with 600+yards of total offense, 627 (637, Portland State) • WSU's 95 plays are tied for 10th-most in WSU single-game history • Cooper Mathers caught his 2nd and 3rd career touchdowns, first this season (at Cal, 2023), first WSU tight end with 2 rec TD since Jed Collins did so in 2006 against Oregon (1 rushing, 1 receiving) • Janikowski's 52-yard field goal to end regulation was the 2nd-longest of his career (55, at Colorado State, 2023) and 4th of his career, tying Andrew Furney for the 3rd-most 50-yard FG in WSU history 

POSTGAME NOTES - AT NO. 25 BOISE STATE
• John Mateer matched a career-high with 26 completions, recorded 3rd 300-yard game of the season, 327 pass yards • Leo Pulalasi scored his 1st career touchdown, a 1-yard TD run in 4th quarter • Wayshawn Parker recorded a 21-yard rush in the first half, has recorded at least one 20-yard run in all five games • Kris Hutson matched a career-high with 9 catches, set career-high with 126 receiving yards, his 2nd career 100-yard game (101 – Portland State) • Cooper Mathers caught his 3rd TD of the season, the most by a Cougar tight end since 2007 (Jed Collins, Devin Frischknecht) • Tre Shackelford made his 1st career start, caught 1 pass • Tyson Durant recorded his 1st interception as a Coug, 6th of his career (5 at Akron) • Adrian Wilson (FS), Khalil Laufau (DT) and Tanner Moku (SS) each made their 1st career starts

SIX NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Washington State Football announced it's team captains for 2024; OL Fa'alili Fa'amoe, CB Stephen Hall, OL Devin Kylany, Edge Nusi Malani, QB John Mateer and LB Kyle Thornton.

WASHINGTON STATE ADDS OLE MISS TO 2025 SCHEDULE
Washington State announced Monday that it has added the University of Mississippi to its 2025 football schedule. The contract is solely for the 2025 season. Next year's game is scheduled for Oct. 11, 2025, in Oxford, Miss. The game marks the first meeting between the two programs. The last Southeastern Conference school WSU has faced was at Auburn to open the 2013 season. While next year's contest at Ole Miss is the first SEC opponent for WSU in 11 seasons, the Cougars previously announced a home-and-home series with SEC-member Mississippi State, travelling to Starkville in 2030 and hosting the Bulldogs the following season. The addition of Mississippi to the 2025 schedule marks the seventh announced opponent for WSU's 2025 schedule. Previously, the Cougars had announced home contests against Idaho, San Diego State, Washington and Oregon State, while WSU will travel to Ole Miss, North Texas and Virginia.

WSU, UW AGREE TO FIVE-YEAR CONTINUATION OF APPLE CUP
Washington State and Washington agreed in principle to a five-year continuation of the storied Apple Cup football series through at least 2028. This year's matchup took place week three at Lumen Field in Seattle, with the following four games alternating between the school's campuses: 2025 (Pullman), 2026 (Seattle), 2027 (Pullman) and 2028 (Seattle). 

FA'AMOE NAMED TO OUTLAND TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH
WSU right tackle Fa'alili Fa'amoe was named to the 2024 Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List. Fa'amoe is one of 75 returning linemen up for the award given to the best interior lineman in college football. The redshirt-junior started all 12 games at right tackle last season after being named to the Preseason Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List. Fa'amoe, a native of Pago Pago, American Samoa switched from defensive line to offensive line prior to the 2022 season and had started 19 consecutive games, all at right tackle. Former Cougar right tackle Abraham Lucas was a three-time Outland Trophy Watch List selection (2019-21), former WSU left guard Cody O'Connell was a finalist in 2016 and former defensive tackle Rien Long won the award in 2002.

DEAN JANIKOWSKI NAMED TO WUERFFEL TROPHY WATCH LIST, MORE THAN A KICK
Kicker Dean Janikowski was named to the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and a Wuerffel Trophy Semifinalist, the AFCA and Wuerffel Foundation announced Tuesday. Janikowski is one of 11 FBS semifinalists up for College Football's premier award for community service and one of the most meaningful award in collegiate sports. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, announced later this year, is presented to one of the 11 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players elected to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. This year's Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was selected from a record 178 nominees, representing players and coaches from colleges and universities across the country for their unwavering commitment to community service and their "good works" off the field. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy is named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who parlayed his success on the football field into a lifetime of service. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy embodies Wuerffel's commitment to being a humanitarian, while honoring student-athletes who are inspired to serve others and make positive impacts on society. In the classroom, Janikowski was named to 2023 Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll with a 4.00 GPA while working towards his MBA and was a Campbell Trophy Semifinalist, give to the nation's best scholar athlete.
 
Off the field, Janikowski started a pledge called "More than a Kick" in 2021 where donations were made for each field goal and PAT by Janikowski and the donations go to helping children with cancer, in honor of his mom, Heather, who passed away from cancer. To date, More Than A Kick has raised over $37,000. Janikowski later started the Heather Janikowski Foundation and began another event called "Kicking Cancer" with an annual goal of raising $30,000 to support the Seattle Children's Hospital Cancer Research Center and those affect by cancer in the Pullman/Spokane area. The foundation has raised more than $88,000 towards Kicking Cancer. Janikowski also donated $2500 to former WSU basketball student-athlete Myles Rice, who was diagnosed with cancer and missed the entire 2022-23 season, he donated $15,000 to Molly Rice, who was an art teacher in nearby Colfax, Wash. for over 20 years and made additional donations of 5K, $10K and $15K have been distributed to individuals in the Pullman community. Janikowski also organizes in hometown of Fallbrook "Do It For Her 5k" and "Monserrate Memorial Hike," both raising money for Heather Janikowski Foundation.
 
On campus, at local Pullman church, Saint Thomas Moore Catholic Church, Janikowski helped run "Boot Camp" with current WSU football player Hudson Cedarland, which is a bible study with other members of the football team and in 2021 joined with then-teammates Liam Ryan and Abe Lucas (current member of Seattle Seahawks) in shoveling snow for elderly who were snowed in.

NICK HABERER NAMED TO RAY GUY AWARD WATCH LIST
Punter Nick Haberer was named to the 2024 Ray Guy Award Watch List for the third straight season Haberer, a senior from Sunshine Coast, Australia, averaged 44.4 yards-per-punt last season, recording a long of 62, five went 50-plus yards and 14 were put inside the 20. Haberer was All-Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention in 2022.

LEACH, PATTERSON INDUCTED INTO WSU HALL OF FAME
Former head coach Mike Leach and defensive end DeWayne Patterson were inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame the Friday night before the week two win over Texas Tech.
 
Mike Leach (football coach, 2012-19): Guided the Cougars to 55 victories in his eight seasons in Pullman, third-most in program history…was a two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year and 2018 AFCA National Coach of the Year…is the only coach to lead WSU to six bowl games and in 2018, led WSU to a school-record 11 victories, a win in the Alamo Bowl and a No. 10 final national ranking…WSU led the nation in passing in four of his eight seasons, top 9 in all eight years…in his 21 seasons, compiled a 158-107 (.596) record, guided his teams to 19 bowl games and set school records for bowl appearances at both Texas Tech (10) and Washington State (6)...passed away at the age of 61 in 2022. 

DeWayne Patterson (Football, 1990-1994): One of the leaders of the Palouse Posse defense of the early 1990's…finished his Cougar career with 154 tackles, and WSU records of 52.5 tackles-for-loss and 37.5 sacks, both of which remain school records following the 2024 season…senior year was named to Football News All-America First Team and Associated Press All-America Second Team…two-time All-Pac-10 Conference First Team selection…following WSU career, played three seasons in the Canadian Football League.

THREE COUGS SELECTED IN 2024 NFL DRAFT
WSU had three draft picks in 2024, safety Jaden Hicks went to the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round while Edge Brennan Jackson and cornerback Chau Smith-Wade each went in the fifth round to the Rams and Panthers, respectively. It was the most Cougar draft picks since the 2005 draft. WSU has had five defensive players selected in the last three drafts; Watson in the seventh by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, linebacker Daiyan Henley in the third round to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023. 

INTERIM TAG REMOVED, ANNE MCCOY TO LEAD WASHINGTON STATE ATHLETICS
WSU President Kirk Schulz removed the interim tag and named Anne McCoy as the WSU Director of Athletics, it was announced June 25. McCoy, who spent the previous three months as Interim Director of Athletics, officially becomes the 15th person to lead Cougar Athletics and the first woman to hold the position. McCoy is no stranger to WSU, serving a variety of roles on the senior administrative team since arriving in 2001 as associate director of athletics for internal operations. McCoy, who was hired by former Cougar Athletic Director Jim Sterk, has risen within the athletic department. Most recently, she served as senior deputy director of athletics and senior woman administrator (SWA) before assuming the interim director of athletics title in March of this year.  Throughout her time on WSU's senior leadership team, McCoy has been actively involved with all facets of the department, having a role in all head coaching hires since her arrival, including all current head coaches. McCoy has played a role in each area of Cougar Athletics during her tenure and served in a supervisory capacity for every WSU sport. Most recently, McCoy served as WSU's interim director of athletics since late March of 2024. In the span of three months in the interim role, McCoy secured the hiring of WSU Men's Basketball Head Coach David Riley, Head Swimming Coach Russ Whitaker and Head Women's Golf Coach Kevin Tucker, extending the contract of Women's Head Basketball Coach Kamie Ethridge, secured a home for baseball and women's swimming through affiliate membership with the Mountain West Conference for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, and was involved with the Pac-12 Conference' securing a media rights agreement with the CW Network and FOX for the 2024 football season.

WASHINGTON STATE ALUM CHRIS KING RETURNS TO PULLMAN AS VOICE OF THE COUGS
WSU Athletics and Learfield's Washington State Sports Properties named Washington State alumnus Chris King as the new "Voice of the Cougs" in August. King, from Marysville, Wash., takes over play-by-play duties for Cougar Football, Men's Basketball and Baseball. King returns to Pullman – where he graduated from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication in 2009 – after gaining 13 years of Division I broadcasting experience in neighboring Idaho. After two years announcing women's basketball at Boise State, King became the men's basketball broadcaster for the Idaho Vandals in 2013 before adding football broadcasting duties in 2021. In addition to his play-by-play role, he also hosted weekly hour-long coaches shows and created and hosted the Vandal Insider Podcast. In addition to his time calling college football and basketball, King also has extensive baseball experience, broadcasting Minor League Baseball for the Tri-City Dust Devils from 2012-2021. Away from the radio booth he has worked in a communications role with the West Coast League since 2016, most recently as the league's deputy commissioner. King has twice been honored as the Idaho Sportscaster of the Year (2017, 2023) by the National Sports Media Association for his work with the Vandals.