It’s 2-PAC versus the ACC in the DirectTV Holiday Bowl. Washington State and No. 21 Syracuse both look to get out of the cold and snow and head to the warm sunshine of Southern California. The two teams haven’t met since 1979 but are ready to keep it classy in San Diego. On the surface, both team’s records show a successful season. The Cougars were 8-4 on the season and runner-up in the 2-PAC (granted, there were only two teams in the conference this year). The Orange were 9-3 and seemed to be on firm footing under first-year head coach Fran Brown. We have all the details to get you ready for the Holiday Bowl, be sure to check back with Last Word on College Football for all of your CFB Playoff and Bowl season news.
What You Need to Know About the Holiday Bowl
Game Details
Your DirectTV Holiday Bowl preview betting line and game total a courtesy of FanDuel. Game time is Eastern Standard Time.
History: Syracuse leads the series 1-0.
Last meeting: The Orange defeated the Cougars 52-25 in September 1979.
Date and Time: Friday, December 27 | 8:00 pm EST
Bowl: DirectTV Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium
Television: FOX
Spread: Syracuse -17.5
Washington State: Last One Out Turn Out the Light
2024 has not been kind to the Cougars. When the Pac-12 disbanded at the end of last season, Washington State and Oregon State were left on the outside looking in. Sure, they tried to have some fun at media days with an “After Hours with the Beavs and Cougs” Happy Hour. But, there was a sadness left behind for the two schools. While they have worked to try to rebuild the Pac-12 with pieces from the Moutain West, the end of the 2024 season showed just how far the Cougars have fallen.
First, their AD Pat Chun left for their biggest rival, the University of Washington. Chun was a big critic of Washington and the other Pac-12 schools for the greener pastures of the Big Ten and Big 12. He called college athletics “broken beyond repair.” Rather than try to stay and fix Wazzu, Chun left the Palouse for Seattle in March.
Last week, the Cougars also found out they were losing their head football coach to Wake Forrest. Jake Dickert did an honorable job in his first head coaching gig at the FBS level. He was elevated to interim coach of the Cougars in 2021 after the Wazzu Head Coach and a portion of his staff were fired for failing to comply with the state of Washington’s vaccine mandate. Dickert galvanized the team and led them a Sun Bowl appearance.
Overall, he was 23-20 in his time at Washington State and led the Cougars to two bowl games. Dickert, though, decided he had enough uncertainty. From having his quarterback, Cam Ward, last year go from going to the NFL to taking his talents to South Beach to the constant churn in coordinators, enough was enough. Dickert will now be the new head coach at Wake Forest. The Deacons are from a blue blood but offer a consistency that Wazzu could no longer.
Cougars in the Portal
Major absences will mark Washington State’s Holiday Bowl appearance, as head coach Jake Dickert and several key players and staff are no longer with the team. Offensive Coordinator Ben Arbuckle has joined the Oklahoma Sooners, Defensive Coordinator Jeff Schmedding was fired, and 37 players have entered the transfer portal.
Among the notable departures, quarterback John Mateer, who threw for over 3,200 yards and 30 touchdowns, followed Arbuckle to Oklahoma. Freshman running back Wayshawn Parker, the team’s leader in rushing yards and touchdowns, is headed to Utah, while senior receiver Kris Hutson is bound for Arizona. Leading tackler Taariq Al-Uqdah remains in the portal.
Despite the upheaval, Washington State has chosen to play in the Holiday Bowl, fielding a skeleton crew in stark contrast to Marshall, which opted out of its bowl game after losing its coach.
No. 21 Syracuse: New York’s College Team Has Hope
A contrast to Washington State’s woes is the job Fran Brown did in his first year in Syracuse. Brown was not exactly a well-known commodity when Syracuse tabbed him to replace Dino Babers as head coach of the Orange. He was not a coordinator. Instead, he was the secondary coach at the University of Georgia. However, those inside the coaching community know the value Brown brought to West Virginia first and then to the Bulldogs. Brown is a relentless recruiter, something he has praised Kirby Smart for. He did an excellent job in his first year of using the Transfer Portal to elevate and transform Orange’s roster.
Kyle McCord may have been persona non grata in Columbus after not being able to lead the Buckeyes over the Wolverines. Brown didn’t flinch. He jumped on the opportunity to grab the quarterback out of the portal and let the ACC know that Syracuse was back and ready to compete. The Orange did that this year and Brown made his mark by talking about how he called Dabo Swinney to tell him how he had his back for helping Clemson into the ACC Championship by knocking off Syracuse. Brown is a mover and has shown the ability to bring excitement to college football in upstate New York. A trip to San Diego will give him time to further the Orange’s brand.
Who Gets the Holiday Bowl Eggnog Dump?
This year’s Holiday Bowl-winning coach will get an eggnog bath. People’s opinions on eggnog seem to be as varied and often avoided, much like discussing politics or religion at the dinner table. We college football fans love it when the bowl games embrace the fun of the bowl season. Look for this year’s special mix: an orange-spiced eggnog and a true cup of cheer over Brown’s head.
Syracuse: 38
Washington State: 13
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