PULLMAN, Wash. – Since Washington State and Oregon State have become the lone survivors of the Pac-12, both the school’s administrations have been working together to help rebuild the conference.
So you would think the football programs would be pretty close. But Coach Jake Dickert and the players are setting the record straight.
“I’ve never gotten into the like ‘they’re our buddy’. Oregon State is not our buddy,” said Dickert.
Safe to say the Cougs and the Beavs won’t be exchanging friendship bracelets at midfield this Saturday.
It might have seemed like these two schools made a pact to stick with the Pac… but Dickert thinks if they were given the opportunity; it’d be every man for themselves.
“They would’ve left us as fast as we would’ve left them,” said Dickert.
When there’s only two teams left in the conference, this game against Oregon State becomes a rivalry game by default.
The players surely don’t see it that way.
“We’re competitors,” said defensive back Stephen Hall. “Anybody we play we want to beat.”
And with a fire burning under the team after an upset in New Mexico last weekend, the Cougs are only turning up the heat.
‘There’s no friendly competition over here,” said wide receiver Kyle Williams
Washington State has won nine of the last ten matchups against Oregon State and Dickert expects to extend the win streak.
In recent history, the Cougs and the Beavs play pretty gritty games against each other, most recently a hard-fought, 38-35 win last season.
Kickoff is in Corvallis this Saturday at 4 p.m.
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