THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: What to make of WSU, Idaho after one game

So, Santa tossed around Christmas gifts in Pullman …

Everyone got a little something on Saturday night, and you could see hints of smiles.

But unlike your usual Christmas mood, nobody was completely filled with joy.

Washington State barely survived its season-opener, an error-filled 24-17 victory over noisy neighbor Idaho.

Wazzu truly was hanging on at the finish, as the Vandals twice zoomed downfield behind QB Gevani McCoy — scoring once and then reaching the 25-yard-line, forcing linebacker Daiyan Henley to make a “now-you-can-exhale” interception at the goal line.

This wasn’t quite what Coug fans presumed they’d see against an FCS outfit that managed just four wins a year ago.

Coach Jake Dickert called the game “a learning experience.”

Wazzu’s Palouse pals played hard and far more effectively than a four-touchdown underdog — but for all of their effort and near-score at the finish, the Vandals still lost.

Even in defeat, though, Idaho seemed newly energized under first-year head coach Jason Eck.

“I give these players a ton of credit for buying in and believing they could win, come in here and have a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter,” Eck said.

Meanwhile …

Along with Dickert’s assertion that his Cougs need to learn from their first-game mistakes, there is another side to that equation.

DID THE football world learn anything meaningful about the future of these two teams?

For instance …

Will the Cougs be as competitive in the Pac-12 behind new quarterback Cam Ward as they were last season, when Jayden de Laura was running the show?

On the other side of the field, might Idaho return to a power position in the Big Sky — a spot the Vandals once held year after year?

Both teams are headed off to challenging venues in the Big Ten this weekend, with Washington State hoping to get its act together against in front of 80,000 witnesses at Wisconsin.

Idaho visits Indiana before its schedule softens a bit with games against Drake and Northern Arizona.

The Cougs, in particular, have a massive task on their hands.

Wisconsin comes into this matchup ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and fresh off a 38-0 whuppin’ of Illinois State.

The Badgers, as always, rely on a punishing ground game led by Braelon Allen, who hustled for 148 yards on 14 carries against overmatched Illinois State.

There are plenty of sub-plots to this second-week match.

Besides the fun element of Dickert being from Wisconsin (with 200 family members heading for Camp Randall Stadium), the Cougs’ bread is buttered on defense — and specifically, a terrific front seven that prides itself on stopping the run.

Talk about strength against strength.

Then you have the issue of the Badgers’ historically good defense facing a Wazzu offense that has plenty of potential (especially at the skill positions), but was horribly error-prone against the aggressive Vandals.

Besides the three lost fumbles, one of which turned into an Idaho touchdown, and normally reliable Dean Janikowski missing a 23-yard field goal try in the final two minutes, well …

There was more.

Ward did show off his ability to scoot out of the pocket and he has a rocket arm, but the FCS superstar looked jittery in his first game for WSU.

OH, SURE, Ward completed 25 of 40 throws for 215 yards and three TDs without an interception — but occasionally he seemed to hurry through his progressions, and made the wrong throws.

Except for three straight possessions at the end of the second quarter and beginning the third, Ward often couldn’t find any rhythm.

The good news is that the transfer from Incarnate Word has the necessary talent, and the Cougs have plenty of solid receivers — although they were hounded very well by Vandals defenders.

If the offensive line can hold up against bruisers like Wisconsin and the better Pac-12 teams, Wazzu eventually could become a pretty salty group.

Ward, for his part, accepted that the offense was off-key against Idaho — and promised that things would improve dramatically.

“Just bad play, all around,” Ward said of the close call against Idaho — and especially the Cougs’ inability to get anything going late in the game.

“I don’t think we’re all feeling too good right now. We know we didn’t play our best ball.

“But come Wisconsin, you’re going to see a different offense.”

Ward knows what we all know.

Better offense against the Badgers will be mandatory to keep Washington State in the game.

For what it’s worth, the Pac-12 could use a statement win after Utah blew a game at Florida and Oregon was humiliated by Georgia.

Coaches all say that teams make their greatest improvement between their first and second games.

OK, then …

Here’s my sneaky hunch that Wazzu will make it exciting in Madison.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week. He also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball which is published weekly during season.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”