COMMENTARY: Four pressing questions as Cougs enter the season’s 4th quarter

It’s finally cold outside, we humans moved our clocks back an hour because pitch black darkness at 5 p.m. is cool for some reason and the Cougars have four regular season games remaining in 2024.

If the fourth quarter of the season will be anything like the fourth quarter of WSU’s games, the Cougs may be about to play their finest football yet.

Here are four questions the Cougs will answer by season’s end.

Will the Cougs make the College Football Playoff?

By far the most pressing question for WSU is ‘Will the Cougs qualify for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff?’

The expanded 12-team playoff has corresponded with a year of major conference realignment pitting an 18-member Big Ten, 18-school ACC, 16-team Big 12 and 16-strong SEC against each other.

The five highest ranked conference champions earn a spot in the playoff.

That leaves one spot to the best conference champion among the Group of Five (a berth more than likely going to Mountain West-leader Boise State, a school highly favored to win the conference).

The path is narrow for WSU to get to the playoff in the first place as the Cougars are reliant on clinching one of the seven at-large bids.

WSU (7-1) is favored in each of its four remaining games, but even a historic 11-1 record alone would not be enough to clinch a spot in the expanded playoff.

Because the Cougs are facing a schedule primarily comprised of Mountain West teams, WSU will be heavily scrutinized for a lack of strength of schedule.

There is also the elephant in the room that SEC and Big Ten teams attract the widest national audience, making it in the CFP committee’s best interest to admit teams to the playoff which will lead to “good TV.”

That said, if WSU does indeed go 11-1, Boise State wins out and earns enough respect to garner a first-round bye as one of the top four seeds, Texas Tech continues to sow chaos in the Big 12 and UW does its best (maybe even upsets Oregon…) the committee would have no choice but to possibly think about maybe considering WSU for a hypothetical spot in the playoffs.

Hyperbolic doubt aside, the Cougs have a non-zero chance at making the College Football Playoff but it all hinges on the committees’ perception of the quality of their games.

The Boise State Broncos have the narrative advantage of Heisman-hopeful Ashton Jeanty’s remarkable season on their side. The Broncos beat WSU 45-24 on Sept. 28 in a game in which Jenaty racked up over 250 yards and four touchdowns.

Texas Tech beat then-No. 11, now No. 17 Iowa State 23-22 on Saturday. The Cougs beat Tech 37-16 on Sept. 7. That was already seen as the Cougars’ highest-quality home game and the dominating early season performance may pay dividends for them down the stretch as the Big 12 takes up the Pac-12 tradition of cannibalizing itself as BYU, Iowa State, Colorado and Kansas State all sit with no fewer than four conference wins with a month to go.

WSU will play two late-night games versus Utah State at 7:30 Saturday and at New Mexico at 6:30 Pacific on Nov. 16. The Cougars will conclude the regular season with a pair of 3:30 kickoffs in Corvallis at Oregon State on Nov. 23 and vs. Wyoming on Nov. 30 in Pullman.

Wazzu will have to take care of business and win out to even be considered by season’s end. It is likely they will not make it and instead play in the Alamo or Holiday Bowl. That said, there is a chance and in sports, that’s often more than enough to enjoy the ride of belief.

Can the Cougs play a complete game of offensive football?

WSU has sputtered in the third quarter of games throughout the season, including road contests at Fresno State (Oct. 12) and at San Diego State (Oct. 26).

Cougar quarterback John Mateer has struggled to throw the long ball and the Cougs have been unable to use perhaps their most talented offensive weapon Kyle Williams to the most ideal extent.

WSU has not scored more than seven points in the third quarter since scoring 14 versus Portland State. Since then, the Cougs have been held scoreless in the third quarter three times (vs. San Jose State on Sept. 20, at Boise State Sept. 28 and at San Diego State Oct. 26).

The Cougars offensive line has continued to be a work in progress. Coach Jake Dickert benched longtime starter Christian Hilborn in San Diego in favor of Rodrick Tialavea, who began the year at left guard when Hilborn played right tackle as Fa’alili Fa’amoe recovered from an injury.

Fa’amoe’s return has helped Wazzu, but the left guard spot has continued to raise questions for the Cougars.

“Rod (Tialavea) is really good in the run game, and his physicality, Christian (Hilborn is) a lot better in the pass game,” Dickert said. “We just got to get Christian fighting off the ball and be a little more confident with his attack. With his attack points. Instead of worrying about what might happen, let’s just go make something happen.”

Mateer continues to manufacture magical moments with his mobility and physicality. Even with grass in his facemask, Mateer can wiggle out of pressure and run for 18 yards as he did versus San Diego State.

The Cougs have playmakers such as Williams, Carlos Hernandez, Kris Hutson and tight end Cooper Mathers to make things happen and Mateer has the skill to give them the ball.

WSU’s run game continues to ebb and flow with the success of the offensive line. True freshman running back Wayshawn Parker is a talented runner, but he has come back down to Earth since his breakout performance versus Portland State, while still breaking out for explosive runs when given enough opportunity.

Can the Cougar defense continue to take the ball away?

WSU has 15 takeaways, good for 16th best in the nation with five fumbles recovered and 10 interceptions.

Ethan O’Connor’s go-ahead Pick-6 versus Fresno State won the Cougs that game and linebacker Buddah Al-Uqdah’s fourth-quarter interception vs. SDSU, set up the Cougars go-ahead touchdown.

The Cougs have shown a knack for being ball hawks and I suspect that not to change as they face four teams who have thrown a combined 55 turnovers.

“We set some benchmarks. I’m a big analytics guy,” Dickert said. “If you can get to 20 (defensive takeaways) throughout the last five years, that is eight plus wins, okay, and then on flip side, offensively — and it’s weird to say this — but if you average one a game and you get 12, that’s fantastic football. I know it’s hard to think about it that way, so we’re hitting both of those benchmarks right now.”

When will Nick Haberer return to punting duties?

Dickert said that WSU punter Nick Haberer will be healthy and available to play when the Cougars host Utah State at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Haberer had sat out each of the Cougars eight games with a back injury, suiting up several times but never taking to the field.

Kicker Dean Janikowski has handled the Cougars’ punting duties in Harber’s absence, eventually taking on kickoff duties in addition to his usual placekicking duties.

Haberer’s return is excellent timing as Janikwoski broke his hand on his final punt of WSU’s 29-26 win over San Diego State during a late hit from an Aztec special teams player. Janikowski drew a personal foul for physically relating to the late hit, but Dickert said the injury happened during the play and not during the brief altercation following the play.

WSU hosts Utah State at 7:30 p.m. at Gesa Field. The CW will broadcast the game.

Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2268, staylor@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @Sam_C_Taylor.