PULLMAN — Off John Mateer’s hands, the throw looked like a gem. The ball came soaring in a tight spiral from the south end of Rogers Practice Field to the north end, a toss so pretty that even before Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams sprinted under it and caught it in stride for a touchdown, it always looked destined for a breathtaking ending.
Mateer’s pass was so special, so precise, that not even the Cougars in coverage on the play could complain too much. One of them, safety Reece Sylvester, swore quietly to himself before heading back for the next play.
“John’s got a huge arm,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said.
In the third week of WSU fall camp, which continued with Day 10 on Monday, it was perhaps the best throw Mateer made all camp. It might have been the best day overall for Mateer, who has registered two promising practices in a row, following his turnover-free outing in Saturday’s scrimmage with a sterling day of camp on Monday.
Dickert and players have been effusive in their praise for both Mateer and FCS Bryant transfer Zevi Eckhaus, the other quarterback vying for the starting gig this fall, knowing either guy could win the job. But if either quarterback has an advantage based on recent practices, it might be Mateer, who has completed several sharp passes downfield and scrambled from the pocket to escape pressure.
In another highlight from Monday’s practice, which concluded at Gesa Field with simulated crowd noise, Mateer dropped back and unleashed a line drive over the middle to receiver Josh Meredith, a completion of some 30 yards that also hit Meredith in stride. Mateer also held place kicks in the absence of punter Nick Haberer, who missed Monday’s practice with back soreness, Dickert said.
Mateer has now gone two straight practices without throwing an interception in team periods, a crucial piece of the criteria that Dickert and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle have established. They know they can’t endure the same mistakes that surfaced last year, when former QB Cam Ward tied for second nationally with 11 turnovers.
Eckhaus hasn’t exactly struggled on that front. He has thrown two picks in these last two practices, an improvement on the previous few practices, when both quarterbacks threw several of them. But both of Eckhaus’ interceptions have left something to be desired.
The throws looked strikingly similar. In Saturday’s scrimmage, Eckhaus drifted back in the pocket and unfurled a wobbler, a throw that fell several yards short of his target. WSU cornerback Stephen Hall intercepted it in the open field. Eckhaus delivered something similar on Monday, tossing a deep, wayward pass that also fell short, sailing into the waiting hands of safety Tyson Durant.
The trend is registering with Dickert, who said Saturday’s second and final scrimmage will be the final evaluation period for the quarterbacks. Dickert will name the starter on Sunday. The team will release the news publicly on Monday.
“John (Mateer) did a good job commanding it. Didn’t have a takeaway,” Dickert said, referring to Saturday’s first scrimmage. “I thought he did a good job with his feet when necessary — obviously, in a nonlive (nontackling) situation, delivered the ball well with accuracy. I thought Zevi did a good job battling back, just like I thought. We just gotta get him out of — every practice he has one of those throws he regrets, and then he kinda snaps back out of it.”
On Saturday, Dickert did take care to commend Eckhaus for responding well to his interception, noting the way he rallied his teammates on the sideline and tried to keep everyone up. But it’s clear coaches are noticing Eckhaus’ tendency for turnovers, in particular the fact that both picks came on deep passes.
Still, Dickert and Arbuckle are looking for other qualities. It’s important to them to take the temperature of the quarterbacks’ teammates: Which guy is the more compelling leader? Which one prompts teammates to gravitate toward them naturally?
“Both those guys are real cool, calm and collected. The big thing is they have different leadership styles,” said offensive lineman Brock Dieu, a regular right guard who has been rotating occasionally to center. “Zevi’s a little more of a rah rah guy. John’s pretty cool, calm and collected — ‘Hey, let’s get this done.’ Both have a great way of playing. Both have a different style. As a group of five guys, we just mesh well with both.”
“Them being a different type of quarterback helps me see different looks and everything,” Durant added. “Zevi is more touch pass, a little more savvy with stuff. And then John’s speed, gotta do it with the fast quarterback. Gotta be able to match the QB foot, all the things coach (Jordan) Malone has been teaching me. Those are two different quarterbacks that I can learn two different types of ways from. So I really appreciate that.”
It leaves the quarterbacks with five practices to leave their best impressions on coaches, Mateer the two-year backup under Ward the previous two years, Eckhaus the record-setter in three years in Rhode Island.
“It isn’t gonna be about the stats, guys,” Dickert said after Monday’s practice. “It’s gonna be about the guy that gives us the best chance of winning. Sometimes you can’t rationalize that with stats. You can’t rationalize that with exact things or one moment or this period. There’s a feeling, there’s a gut, there’s a body of work over the last eight months
“It’s gonna be hard. They’re both competitors. But at the end of the day, when that (decision) comes, you’ve got 24 hours and you gotta snap back, and you gotta play your role, because you never know when your number’s gonna be called.”
OL Fa’alili Fa’amoe to miss at least season-opener with knee injury
Washington State starting right tackle Fa’alili Fa’amoe will likely miss the Cougars’ season-opening home matchup with Portland State, Dickert said Monday, indicating Fa’amoe’s knee injury is keeping him on the shelf.
Fa’amoe, who missed the entirety of spring practices and the first 10 days of fall camp, is recovering from a knee injury he suffered a few days into the new year. He has spent the past eight months recovering, and the team likes the track Fa’amoe is on — but there’s a bigger picture at stake.
“I have his future to take care of, too,” said Dickert, who added Fa’amoe is scheduled for a test on his knee this weekend that will prepare him to return to full contact. “And we’ll make sure we don’t put that in jeopardy.”
In Fa’amoe’s absence, WSU has rolled out this first-unit offensive line: Left tackle Esa Pole, left guard Rod Tialavea, center Devin Kylany, right guard Brock Dieu, right tackle Christian Hilborn, the last of whom is playing outside of his usual position of guard. It appears the Cougars will start that group when the season rolls around, barring other injuries.
WSU is expecting Fa’amoe to return this season, Dickert said. It’s just a little murky when that will be.
“When he’s ready, he’ll be out there giving us a big lift at that right tackle position,” Dickert said. “And I mean big.”
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