PULLMAN – Washington State is set to make a second journey to Southern California this season.
WSU will face Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl, scheduled for 5 p.m. on December 27 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, the site of the Cougars’ victory over San Diego State on October 26, as announced by the bowl on Sunday afternoon. This marks the eighth bowl game appearance for the Cougars in the last nine full seasons. The game will air on Fox.
“Washington State is thrilled to accept the invitation to the 2024 DirecTV Holiday Bowl,” WSU athletic director Anne McCoy shared in a release. “Participating in one of the top bowl games, in a region accessible to many of our fans, promises a memorable experience for our players, coaches, and alumni.”
“We’re really excited about playing in one of the most prestigious bowl games in the Pac-12,” commented WSU coach Jake Dickert during a Zoom news conference on Sunday. “Historically, reaching this point is no easy feat for Washington State. Our team has earned this opportunity, and we look forward to taking on a ranked opponent in Syracuse, who boasts one of the best quarterbacks in the nation.”
This will be the second encounter between the Cougars and the Orange, who last faced off in 1979, a game in which Syracuse prevailed 52-25 in Buffalo, New York.
WSU (8-4) will be making its fifth appearance in the Holiday Bowl in program history. The Cougars have a record of 1-4 in those matchups, with their sole victory coming in 2003 against Texas. Previous appearances include 1981 and back-to-back seasons in 2016 and 2017.
Even though the Pac-12 is down to two teams this season – WSU and Oregon State – the conference retained its bowl tie-ins despite its former teams moving to new conferences. This is why the Cougars remain eligible for a legacy Pac-12 bowl.
“It’s an honor to have earned the opportunity to compete in the 2024 Holiday Bowl against one of the top teams in the country,” Dickert remarked in a release. “Having one last chance to send our senior class off in the right way means a great deal to this team. We cannot wait to see Cougar Nation in San Diego cheering for the Cougs.”
This will be WSU’s second trip to San Diego this season, having rallied for a 29-26 victory over San Diego State on October 26. The Cougars finished the regular season on a three-game losing streak, suffering defeats to New Mexico, Oregon State, and Wyoming, transitioning from a potential CFP contender – where WSU peaked at No. 18 in the rankings – to unranked and playing in the Pac-12’s second-best bowl game.
In the Cougars’ win over the Aztecs, however, the field at Snapdragon Stadium frequently kicked up dirt and sand, an issue noted by several of SDSU’s opponents this season.
But this problem is expected to be resolved by the time of the Holiday Bowl, according to Dickert. He noted that he heard from bowl officials that the field has been resodded, stating, “It should be in pristine condition heading into this game.”
The Cougs will compete against a 9-3 Syracuse team, which concluded the season ranked No. 21 in the final CFP rankings. Under first-year head coach Fran Brown, the Orange finished their regular season with a 42-38 victory over Miami, a team that narrowly missed out on the 12-team College Football Playoff. Quarterback Kyle McCord, a transfer from Ohio State, has amassed 4,326 passing yards (the highest in the nation) and 29 touchdown passes this season.
Syracuse running back LeQuint Allen has also played a significant role in the team’s offense, accumulating 901 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 211 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per rush.
“That presents an incredible challenge in itself,” Dickert said regarding Syracuse’s passing offense, which leads the nation with 363 yards per game. “The McCord kid has been outstanding. A transfer from Ohio State who has really revitalized their program in Coach Brown’s first season. Similar to me, he’s a defensive coach, employing a 4-2-5 scheme. They’ve implemented various strategies based on his background, and they play aggressively.”
WSU, following the firing of defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding and losing offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to Oklahoma last week, will be implementing new coordinators for the bowl game. Quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski will handle the offensive play-calling while Dickert will oversee the defense. Dickert mentioned that Kuceyeski has developed a strong rapport with QB John Mateer, and he himself is a defensive-minded coach.
Will Mateer suit up for the Holiday Bowl? WSU has put together an NIL “package” to try to keep Mateer in Pullman, Dickert mentioned earlier this weekend, hoping to persuade him to stay out of the transfer portal, which opens on Monday.
“With everything happening around us, we have to ensure that we’re fully prepared for that plan,” Dickert said. “We ran through various scenarios in practice yesterday, and I made a few errors in play-calling – I’ve been using some old terminology that left the coaches looking at me like, ‘What are you doing?’ So I need to get familiar with the new verbiage, but otherwise, we’re ready to let these guys play.”
WSU will be without true freshman running back Wayshawn Parker, who announced his entry into the transfer portal on Monday. Additionally, the Cougars have lost starting cornerback Ethan O’Connor and two reserves, defensive back Warren Smith and wide receiver Brandon Hills, to the portal in recent days.
Regarding any further potential opt-outs, Dickert didn’t provide much insight other than expressing that he anticipates fielding “all the guys that are here, willing and able to participate.”
Despite this, WSU plans to give younger players some playing time in the Holiday Bowl, particularly those who redshirted this season. This includes cornerback Kamani Jackson, linebacker Frank Cusano, offensive lineman Landon Roaten, running back Josh Joyner, and defensive back Jaylon Edmond.
“Frank Cusano is another player that stands out as someone with a bright future,” Dickert stated, “and gaining game experience will be crucial for his development as we head into next season. These are the players that we think will be prominently featured in our game plan.”
