THE CHEAP SEATS WITH STEVE CAMERON: Dickert's talk gets Cougs going

If you liked the appointment of Jake Dickert as Washington State’s new boss …

You’ll probably love him now.

“Coach gave us a great speech at halftime,” said emergency quarterback Victor Gabalis.

Yeah, that must have been a rousing delivery.

The shorthanded Cougs, who spent the first half bumblin’, stumblin’ and fumblin’ on their way to a 21-0 deficit against Central Michigan in what could have been a true Sun Bowl embarrassment, took whatever Dickert said to heart.

By that point, WSU was missing starting QB Jayden de Laura and slotback Calvin Jackson Jr., who were both injured in the first half.

Those losses added to the platoon of stars who never made it to El Paso — veteran tackles Liam Ryan and Abe Lucas, running backs Max Borghi and Deon McIntosh, plus cornerback Jaylon Watson and safety Daniel Isom.

Yes, you’re right if you were thinking …

By halftime, Wazzu had lost what amounted to the entire soul of a team — not to mention that Dickert and his staff had very little time to prepare for Central Michigan, a sub for COIVD-struck Miami.

IT WAS a game that could have gotten really ugly.

Except …

Gabalis, a walk-on who basically spent the year as a fourth-teamer behind de Laura, Cammon Cooper (gone to the transfer portal) and Jarrett Guarantano (missing for unknown reasons), played without fear and led a truly startling comeback.

“It’s been the story of our season,” Dickert said. “There’s been many times where our guys could have gone the other way, and they could have quit on this game, and they kept fighting.

“I’m proud of their fight and resolve. We just fell short.”

Indeed, they did, crashing at the final hurdle and being forced to swallow a 24-21 defeat.

But not without a hell of a scrap.

Gabalis got the comeback started with a 55-yard strike to Lincoln Victor.

Adding to the drama, by the way, Gabalis was knocked silly on an incompletion for the CMU 5-yard line, and had to leave the game.

So, Travell Harris (whose fumbled kickoff set up a Chippewas field goal in the first half), came on to take a direct snap and dash into the end zone.

Harris mega-spiked the ball with wild gusto after that score, somehow signaling that the game was on.

And oh, it was.

Gabalis’ next act was a fourth-down TD pass to De’Zhaun Stribling that cut the deficit to 21-14.

NOW WE come to the moment that made me want to hug Dickert.

On the Cougs’ next possession, just a touchdown behind with more than 11 minutes remaining, Dickert chose to go for a first down on fourth-and-one from the WSU 32-yard line.

Every coaching manual says you punt there, especially with your defense beginning to really assert itself.

“It was a momentum decision,” Dickert said.

I agree with him.

The frustrating thing was that running back Nakia Watson appeared to have gained well more than the yard necessary, but the officials ruled him short — setting up Central Michigan for a breathing-room field goal.

But even at 24-14, the Cougs weren’t done.

Gabalis found Donovan Ollie with a 56-yard pass, and followed that by lobbing a 16-yard scoring shot to Victor with about three minutes left.

The Cougs even got the ball back one more time, but a fourth-down pass was ruled an agonizing half-yard short of a first down — and Central Michigan could finally exhale.

If there is such a thing as a loss that defines a coach and his program, I suspect this was it.

Dickert is losing a lot of talent prior to next season, but …

He lost a lot of talent in the Sun Bowl, too.

Jake is going to be just fine.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball which is published weekly during the season.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”