WSU Football: "We're on a mission to be 1-0" | HC Jake Dickert PSU Week Wednesday Presser | 8/28/24

you weren't lying about the ores uh I think I counted about 23 24 was that just you felt like there was enough guys who kind of warranted making that depth chart I think so I think that's where we're at as a football team I've said it kind of throughout this whole kind of season building up to it is that we have more competitive depth than we ever have and I think that's a positive thing but we also have the least amount of just assured guys that have done it uh when the lights come on so I think that's a product of that a little bit I think we've had a great week of preparation and some of this stuff needs to play out but uh those guys deserve to be on there and I'm I'm proud of the competitive nature of this football team it's going to obviously change as the season goes on but right now i' say probably fair to say wayon and Chris won't be using their red shirt they'll play past that four games are there any other guys right now that you can definitively say we'll do that as well well I think at corner we're in a position where you know puts us Jaylen Edmund and Kenny worthy if we need him we're going to play him you know and that's special teams and that's regular down situations Frank casano will'll see you know he had the injury in Fall camp and he's kind of been back to the usual Frank terrorizing the offense so I think those are the names to really watch and I think we're in a climate in today's football play them you know if you can play as a freshman that means you're probably going to be a three-year starter I think that leads to a really good career you mentioned quarterbacks kind of want to follow up on that you said the other day Warren jayen Kenny kind of working to be that number three guy uh do you kind of have an idea who's maybe going to start off in that spot behind Ethan and Steve well I think Warren definitely has the experience you know I think he's been a mid year he's been here for for a year and a half and I think he knows this scheme better than the other two guys so I think you lean that way um but as a young guy you we got to test their medal before we put him in a really tough situation so uh Warren's probably the most battle tested at this point you mentioned before just how a topheavy the schedule is this year obviously Tech and udubb coming up after week one is it a challenge at all to kind of keep the guys focused on week one with the you know kind of a big big two games coming up after you sure I said it was top heavy you did for sure Vegas in Vegas all right all right well we're taking them one at a time you know we're taking them one at a time and I think Portland State you know I've said it before anytime you have a veteran quarterback you have the opportunity to win a bunch of football games and that's what they have they have a lot of Pride they have great schematics and they play really really hard so that's our Focus I'm not worried about how the rest of it shakes up yeah have you notic anything else you know kind of on film with uh you uh Portland State so far like I said the the offense is tough to game plan for because there's so many different things so many different wrinkles and I think defensively what you saw last year is just kind of them in year one at the defense reminds me 2020 when I first got here you're just putting in the base core of things now in year two we expect a lot more uh we'll be ready for multiple fronts just in case you know against Idaho State they won a lot of three down to 10 Personnel so we'll be ready for a lot of different things you know but it's your attitude and effort that's going to win this football game and then then I was curious about the uh Kyle Williams this kind of growth as a guy he mentioned before like earlier in his life it wasn't as easy for him to like ask for help and kind of uh do that kind of thing now he feels go close to guys like Ben and uh coach Nick guys like that have you noticed that side of him kind of come out you know since he's been here at WSU I mean just sometimes in today's world we forget the maturation process from 18 to 23 years old and how hard it is and heck moving from school to school and on paper that seems easy but that stuff's hard too right there's a lot that comes with it he said a lot of things go on in his life and in his background that I'm really proud of that he has shared with us so we can help him kind of work through some things but he on the other side of it he's so much more mature so much more emotionally disciplined so he can go out there and be his best so Kyle story I think is is unique um and just shows kind of the perseverance of the of the young man um as a head coach You've Won both of uh your season opener so far uh what what what does it take is there a special formula to get the guys getting fast in that first game or uh what does it take to win the first game I think everything's detailed of how we make sure they're peing for game one you know this week's practices are intense but a lot shorter to make sure that they're kind of built back up from a longf camp but if I got to get them motivated for game one I mean you know what are we doing here so I think it's our guys being focused being ready to play and you worked so long since January 1st to get to this moment go out there and and you know obviously deliver your best so I think I think that's what we've done so far and they that hasn't been easy you know Idaho took us to the wire in 2022 uh last year we opened up with CSU we had a great uh Road Victory and you know we're we're on a mission to do one thing and that's be one and0 uh especially this week with this being the first game is it more about calming nerves or is it more about getting them hyped up for the first game well first off the P gave us a a a mid- October day today and then it's going to revert us back to the middle of summer so I'm excited about that uh we have to win our hydration plan it starts as simple as that and then just make sure guys understand when the lights turn on you've played this game a million times go be yourself and more importantly do your job you have struggles in the first game when people want to come out there and now I got to be Superman no you don't rely on the other 11 men in that huddle or other 10 guys in that huddle and go out there and do your job to Max Capacity and you'll just amazed how great things happen right so that'll be kind of the focus going into the game game relax and play even young guys I feel the tenseness of game week a little bit out here just relax and go play