A week after the Pac-12 conference was buried for a lopsided loss to the defending national champion and a close loss in one of the toughest places to play in all of college football, Washington State took out its do-it-yourself kit and gave the conference its first marquee win of the 2022 season.

Washington State traveled to Wisconsin to battle the 19th-ranked Badgers and walked away with a gritty, hard-fought 17-14 win.

The victory gave the Cougars their first win against an opponent ranked inside the AP Top 25 since 2018. Washington State had lost seven straight to ranked opponents heading into the game. The scenes on the field after were electric.

Here are three quick takes from the game.

That defense, though

When Wazzu head coach Jake Dickert hired Eric Morris from Incarnate Ward, and then the duo convinced quarterback Cameron Ward to transfer into the program, the Cougars felt like the kind of team that would lean on its offense and light up the scoreboard. Through two weeks, it has been the exact opposite.

A week ago, Washington State produced 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks in limiting Idaho to just 17 points.

This week, yes, Wazzu gave up 401 yards to the Badgers and 98 rushing yards to standout Wisconsin tailback Braelon Allen, but on a per-play basis, Washington State held its own. Wisconsin averaged only 5.3 yards a play (84 FBS teams currently average more per play on offense to begin the season) and had a paltry 29% success rate.

Washington State was on the field all day and never buckled. That fight was impressive.

The Cougars got pressure on Badger quarterback Graham Mertz and forced three turnovers. Given the offense has scored only 41 points total in two games, you’d think the Cougars were in trouble. The exact opposite might be true. With a bevy of playmakers in the front seven, Wazzu might have the defense capable of keeping it in any game long enough for the offense to figure things out.

Cameron Ward’s up-and-down start

Going from a Week 1 matchup with Idaho to a Week 2 road matchup with Wisconsin is enough to give a man whiplash. Ward made his share of mistakes, including two interceptions. One of them didn’t ultimately hurt, as wideout Lincoln Victor forced a fumble on the interception return and WSU scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown six plays later, but he was a little loose with the ball.

The first interception was pretty indicative of the learning curve Ward faces at the Power Five level.

He bounced around, trying to evade pressure, and then forced a throw into coverage. At Incarnate Word, that might have been a throw he was able to get away with. Not against Wisconsin. Not at this level of play. The decision-making piece of this is going to be a work in progress. The adjustment period is going to be a real thing Washington State will have to work through.

Ward, who finished 17-for-28 for 200 yards and a score, is talented enough to keep things moving as he works his way into form.

This offense looks like one that’s going to require a lot of Ward from a decision-making standpoint, though. Lots of RPO where he’ll need to be sharp. Dickert has said they’re giving him the keys and going wherever he takes them.

So far, that’s 2-0.

Nakia Watson is talented

The former Badger had a homecoming of sorts. Watson spent three seasons as Wisconsin, where he appeared in 19 games and ran the ball 127 times for 522 yards. He transferred to Washington State before the 2021 season, but was limited to 36 carries in his debut season.

With freshman Jaylen Jenkins forcing his name into the mix, Watson is in another backfield rotation. He ran hard on Saturday. He finished with 10 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown while hauling in another score on a 31-yard touchdown reception.

The plays were limited for Wazzu offensively — Wisconsin dominated time of possession, 38 minutes to 22 — so there wasn’t a ton of opportunity, but Watson made the most of his chances. Against that Badger defense, 64 yards and two scores on 11 touches is a pretty decent shift.