One of Washington State’s very best — Ron Stone Jr. — was on a pitch count in the opener against Idaho. The edge rusher played just 25 snaps in the game. Coach Jake Dickert said Monday they wanted to ease Stone back into the fold after an injury limited his availability in the offseason.

“We had an issue with RJ in the summer and it was a progression to get him all the way back, we had a certain target of snaps that we wanted to hit, so he was on the old pitch count,” Dickert said. “As the game kept progressing, we stuck to it. We’ve been in constant conversation with RJ and his family and this is what was best for RJ.”

Now, he’s full-go.

And that’s a big development for the Cougars as a major test looms. The All-Pac-12 first-teamer will be able to turn it loose on Saturday when the Cougars travel to Madison, Wisconsin to face the Wisconsin Badgers.

“At the end of the day, you want to make sure you’re healthy,” Stone told reporters on Tuesday. “Football’s not fun if you can’t play. I think it’s a smart decision we made, and we made it for my benefit. I’m excited to get back out there with no limit and be able to get back to playing as many reps as I usually do.”

Even without Stone at 100%, he and the Cougar defense were in the Idaho backfield all day. The Cougars finished with seven team sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Daiyan Henley had a sack, as did Armani Marsh, as did Brennan Jackson, as did Stone, as did Jaden Hicks, as did Andrew Edson.

That total represented a third of Washington State’s season total last season.

“We’re trying to capitalize on every opportunity we get this year,” Stone said.

The Badgers allowed three sacks in their opener against Illinois State, a 38-0 win. With Stone back on the field full-time, look for the Cougs to press the issue. Kickoff in Madison is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PT on FOX.