PULLMAN — This weekend, when Washington State faces Oregon State in Corvallis, the Cougars will honor 13-year-old Zion Bischoff by wearing special patches on their helmets featuring the initials “ZB.” Bischoff tragically passed away in a car accident near Rosalia on Saturday. He was a friend of WSU coach Jake Dickert’s daughter, Rylee, as well as the children of several other Cougar coaches, including Nick Whitworth’s son Colt, Frank Maile’s son Titan, and Jordan Malone’s child.
“Our football program offers its condolences to Zion’s family, friends, and everyone who knew him. He was a remarkable young man,” Dickert expressed on Monday. “We want to extend our thoughts and prayers to the Bischoff family and the community during this tough time.”
Injury Updates
WSU linebacker Buddah Al-Uqdah suffered a shoulder injury late in the Cougars’ 38-35 loss to New Mexico and did not return to the game. Dickert mentioned that they will assess his recovery as the week progresses. Al-Uqdah, a redshirt sophomore and the team’s leading tackler with 58 stops, has also contributed three takeaways, including two interceptions and three forced fumbles. If he is unable to play against Oregon State, linebackers Keith Brown and Parker McKenna are expected to take on more snaps.
Tight end Andre Dollar is not expected to return until after the regular season as he prepares for a bowl game. He has been sidelined since October 12 due to a high-ankle sprain and contributed only two catches earlier in the season against Texas Tech.
Center Devin Kylany appeared to have a leg or ankle injury but managed to complete the game against New Mexico without missing a snap. Dickert indicated that Kylany’s availability for Saturday will be evaluated throughout the week, with redshirt freshman Noah Dunham likely stepping in if Kylany cannot play.
Quarterback John Mateer played through a foot injury sustained during the third quarter of the previous game against Utah State on November 9. Although Mateer did not practice last week, he delivered one of his best performances of the season against New Mexico, completing 25 of 36 passes for 375 yards and five total touchdowns, including one on the ground. Backup Zevi Eckhaus was prepared to step in if needed, but Mateer’s performance made that unnecessary.
Offensive Line Adjustments
In Saturday’s game, the Cougars continued to rotate players at left guard, with coaches alternating Christian Hilborn and Rod Tialavea throughout the first three quarters. Hilborn took over in the fourth quarter, but when left tackle Esa Pole left the game with an injury, Hilborn moved to tackle and Tialavea played left guard. This combination was used on their crucial late-game touchdown drive.
Dickert pointed out that Pole has been dealing with some health issues that required attention during the game. However, he noted that Pole looked good during their meeting the following morning and is hopeful for his return. Pole has been a standout in pass protection, earning a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 87.3, ranking 16th among qualified offensive linemen, and has allowed only five pressures without giving up a sack.
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