When the No. 21 Syracuse faces Washington State in the Holiday Bowl on Friday in San Diego, a matchup that presents itself, in many ways, as stability versus chaos.
The Orange (9-3) have won their last three games, including a 42-38 rout of Miami in the regular season finale, to enter the postseason with a lot of momentum. More importantly, Syracuse has a head coach/quarterback combo it can rely on, as first-year coach Fran Brown has transformed the system, thanks in large part to outstanding signal caller Kyle McCord.
Meanwhile, the Cougars (8-4) are facing the opposite situation — and their three-game losing streak to end the regular season is the least of their concerns.
Cougars coach Jake Dickert recently committed to Wake Forest, and quarterback John Mateer announced he will transfer to Oklahoma. More than 25 Washington State players have reportedly entered the transfer portal, turning Syracuse from a slight favorite in the game to a two-touchdown favorite at some sportsbooks.
As for Syracuse, Brown is focused on double-digit wins in his first year at the helm. The program has only won 10 games in one season in the last two decades.
“(We’re) just trying to get to 10 wins,” said McCord, who finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy after throwing for a career-best 4,326 yards and 29 touchdowns. “I think that would be a great achievement for us and for the team. I’m happy about it.”
Not only has McCord decided to play in a bowl game, but he is reportedly challenging the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility.
“We don’t choose to leave here. We love football,” said Brown.
Meanwhile, Washington State is reeling under interim coach Pete Kaligis and a new No. 1 quarterback. 1 Zevi Eckhaus.
A senior who has thrown just seven passes this season, Eckhaus will be making his first start for the Cougars. And he has big shoes to fill, as Mateer threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 826 yards and 15 more scores.
“My message (to the players) was, ‘I know who we are. We’re going to play this game, and I’m going to give it everything I have for the next nine days, if you look back. 10 years, you’re going to go, ‘Wow, that was a special moment and I didn’t realize it,'” Kaligis said. “I love them so much. I want them to have everything. I want them to have everything for the next eight days.”
Washington State has lost its last three bowl games and hasn’t won a postseason game since the Alamo Bowl at the end of the 2018 season.
Ultimately, the matchup between the two programs, as Syracuse is also looking for its first bowl victory since the end of the 2018 season, as that victory in the Camping World Bowl was followed by bowl losses the previous two years.
“I think (winning the Holiday Bowl) would put us on the right track (in the coming years) to be able to reach our biggest goal,” Brown said, “which is to get to the college playoffs, which is to win.” conference championship and then win the national championship.
–Field Level Media
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