One perk that comes with qualifying for a bowl game is the “winter camp” that precedes it.
“Any time you can stay together, it’s an important part of building a program,” Washington State coach Jake Dickert said, speaking over the weekend on a Sun Bowl teleconference call.
Dickert will lead his Cougs into El Paso, Texas, for the Sun Bowl, their 2021 finale against Miami, scheduled to kick off at 9 a.m. Dec. 31.
First, he’ll oversee a dozen or so practice sessions on the snow-blanketed Palouse. The Cougars will plunge into drills later this week, train intermittently during finals week (Dec. 13-17), then hold a number of camplike work days — comprised of group events and additional team meetings — before they head to west Texas on Dec. 26.
“To have this time together is great,” said Dickert, who steadied the ship and helped WSU to three wins as interim coach/defensive coordinator before being promoted a day after last weekend’s Apple Cup smackdown.
“Right now, we have a huge focus on academics and finals, then we get an extra week of just being together and having some fun, doing some team events and doing some bonding stuff once we get down to the bowl site.”
WSU (7-5) will lose 12 important players to graduation — and the NFL draft — after its bout with the Hurricanes.
The Sun Bowl will mark the final college appearance for Coug mainstays and fan-favorites including backfield mates Max Borghi and Deon McIntosh, longtime tackles Abraham Lucas and Liam Ryan, record-breaking linebackers Jahad Woods and Justus Rogers, key defensive backs Jaylen Watson, Daniel Isom, George Hicks III and Tyrone Hill Jr., and big-play slotbacks Calvin Jackson Jr. and Travell Harris, who finished the season ranked second and third in the Pac-12 in receiving at 955 and 801 yards, respectively.
A number of those players are pro hopefuls.
Borghi, Lucas, Watson and Harris are declaring for the NFL draft early, each ending his Cougar career with a year of eligibility remaining. Watson and Lucas both recently accepted invites to the Senior Bowl.
