Yes this team struggles with tackling, giving up yards, offensive consistency, giving up big plays, penalties, shooting itself in foot, turnovers, etc.
BUT the defense is a great don't let the other team score, or only give up a FG, and get, force turnovers, and get key stops, and get the occasional 3 down and out defense.
And it not the lack of players, recruiting, injuries, coaching.
Dickert has done a awesome job RELOADING the roster after transfer portal NIL defections, graduations, filling holes from the transfer portal from places like Oregon, Alabama, etc, and JC transfers, and FCS transfers, and HS recruits.
The recruiting classes were a mix of a couple, few 2.5 stars, some to a lot of 3 stars, a few to some 3.5 stars, 1, 2 4 stars, 1,2 preferred walk ons that have started to contribute.
The recruits have been very athletic. Players like RAAM Stevenson, Budda, Keith Brown, Jammorri Colson, Stephen Hall, Ethan Connor(Related to Jason David), Syrus Webster, David Gusta, Hutson.
And the offense recruiting has been just as good as the defense, with 3.5 star, 4 star transfer Chris Hutson from Oregon, and others.
And the struggles are only about 3% bad coaching due to the occasional bad play call, bad decision, failure to adapt, adjust as quickly, etc, because we only seem to remember the bad, and don't seem to remember the times when coaching did make good play calling, make good decisions, did adapt, adjust quickly. Is there room for improvement? YES, but even tho coaching is sometimes inconsistent at times, overall coaching is doing a semi good job, with the potential to develop, improve, get even better.
So what is the Major, main causes of WSU's struggles, this season, and why the inconsistency?
1. They are young, and lack starting experience, despite lots of playing, development time before becoming full time starters
2. It takes time to Jell, play together, develop chemistry, which they didn't have e earlier season. This is kind of like, comparable to like how David Riley, Kyle Smith had to practically replace the whole roster with a entirely new roster, which Dickert practically had to do in last 2,3 recruiting years. Kyle Smith's team struggled in nonconference preseason, before going to NCAA tournament, because it took some time to develop, jell, develop chemistry, play, learn how to win, etc. Dickert's Team is, has been the same, no different.
3. Between Some to a semi lot of TOUGH ROAD GAMES.
A. UW was pretty much a road game. B. BSU. C. FSU. D. SDSU. They are underrated especially at home, and are a semi tough road game at times. This was a road schedule that I expected, many expected, including many SO CALLED EXPERTS EXPECTED WSU to be either 2-2, 1-3 against, before the season started. 3-1 is pretty good, vs a tough road schedule, and ITS ALWAYS TOUGH, TOUGHER to WIN ON THE ROAD, so anytime you can go on the road and win, is a bonus, unless it's a PSU, Paul Wulf like team, then it's not a bonus, as its expected that should win easily.
4. TOUGH SCHEDULE.
Some may think the schedule is easy. But they are wrong. WSU has had to play the better, semi best, best of other conferences, on the road. Only exception to that is Texas Tech.
And playing Texas Tech, UW, SJSU, BSU, Fresno St, SDSU, in 6 out of first 8 games, with Ore St to come is a TOUGH SCHEDULE. Many EXPERTS had WSU at
7-5, 8-4, because of HOW TOUGH schedule was, and that if schedule wasn't so tough, WSU would be 12-0, 11-1, 10-2, 9-3, but that if WSU could make it thru the tough first 3/5 of schedule, WSU would then have easy 2/5 of schedule to go 11-1, 10-2, 9-3.
Before the season started I thought WSU would be 7-5 at worst, 8-4 at average, 9-3 at best, and projected, predicted 8-4, as did many so called Experts(I'm not a expert), So I'll take 11-1.
I think the team, players, coaching, etc, will improve, get healthy, continue to win after the bye, down the stretch, end of the season, against the remaining easy schedule, goto either Alamo Bowl, or CFP, have a high ranking, which will help WSU recruit, etc, and help the PAC 12 recruit a 8th football team like a Memphis, get the best media deal possible, etc.
While it's Fair to point out where this team has struggled, one needs to accurately point out Both the mitigating reasons, and other reasons for the struggles, and point out the good as well, both in a constructive way.
