Syracuse University
10-3 , 5-3
Washington State
8-5 , 0-1
Syracuse Caps 2024 with Holiday Bowl Victory
12/27/2024 11:50:00 PM | Football
It's just the third 10-win season since 2000 and first since 2018, doing so in head coach Fran Brown's inaugural season at the helm of the program.
Syracuse (10-3) was paced by 453 passing yards from Kyle McCord, who now holds the ACC single-season passing yards record (4,779), passing DeShaun Watson. McCord finished with five touchdowns, including two to Trebor Pena and another pair to Oronde Gadsden II. LeQuint Allen Jr. ran for another two touchdowns and caught one more late in the fourth, while picking up 120 yards on the ground while going over the 1,000-yard mark for the second-straight season.
McCord and the offense hit several marks, including tying the program single-game record with five passing touchdowns.
McCord was named as the Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP while Alijah Clark was selected as the Holiday Bowl Defensive MVP during the postgame celebration.
The Orange offense piled up 606 total yards of offense, including 453 through the air and another 154 on the ground. The 'Cuse averaged over 10 yards per play as well. Syracuse's defense held the Cougars to just 109 yards on the ground.
Washington State (8-5) was backed by a Holiday Bowl record 172 receiving yards from Kyle Williams while Zevi Eckhaus completed 30 of his 42 passes for 363 yards. Leo Pulalsi led Washington State on the ground with 61 yards while Eckhaus accounted for the lone Cougar rushing touchdown of the night.
After Syracuse punted on its first possession of the night, Washington State scored on its first chance as Eckhaus and Kyle Williams connected on a long passing play to set up a four-yard rushing touchdown for Eckhaus.
The Orange made quick work of the Cougars defense at the next opportunity, going 75 yards on just six plays capped by a 19-yard pass from McCord to Pena's first of the night. Syracuse went for the 2-point conversion, but was unsuccessful after an official review.
Syracuse's defense tightened up on the next drive, forcing a punt after just five plays. Pena returned the punt back to near midfield, putting the Orange offense in prime position. Again Syracuse struck quickly, needing just four plays to cover the 51 yards in just 82 seconds to set up a 12-yard rushing touchdown for Allen. This time, Syracuse was successful on the 2-point chance as Allen put another pair of points on the board for a 14-7 Syracuse lead.
Washington State deadlocked the game at 14-14 on a quick-striking drive of just three plays, backed by a 66-yard touchdown catch-and-run from Williams. The Orange went three-and-out on their next drive, but the punt was blocked and returned by the Cougars for a touchdown and a 21-14 point lead with just 17 seconds left in the first quarter.
Two minutes into the second frame, Syracuse pulled the score even again on a seven-play, 75 yard drive, needing just two and a half minutes before Gadsden and McCord connected for an 18-yard touchdown.
The Orange defense picked up its first interception of the day midway through the second quarter as Alijah Clark picked off Eckhaus at the eight yard line. Syracuse promptly went down field and scored in just eight plays over 94 yards for a 28-21 lead. Allen punched in his second of the night from just two yards out.
Syracuse took a 35-21 lead into the break as McCord and Gadsden connected once again on a 5-yard touchdown to cap an eight-play, 80-yard drive that consumed less than three minutes.
Late in the third quarter, Washington State pulled back for a one-touchdown game on a 42-yard catch-and-run from Eckhaus to Carlos Hernandez.
But it was all Orange the rest of the way as Syracuse snapped off three straight scoring drives, including two for touchdowns. The first was a 45-yard passing touchdown from McCord to Pena, bookending a Jackson Kennedy field goal as McCord and Allen connected from 35 yards. The last touchdown needed just three plays to put the Orange up 52-28 with three and a half minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
Washington State scored the final points of the game on a 9-yard pass from Eckhaus to Branden Ganashamoorthy, completing an 11-play, 67 yard drive to cap the 2024 season.
2025 season tickets are on sale now at Cuse.com/Tickets.
Team Stats
SYR 0, WSU 7
WSU - Eckhaus,Zevi 4 yd run (Janikowski,Dean kick), 8 plays, 68 yards, TOP 03:57
SYR 6, WSU 7
SYR - Pena,Trebor 19 yd pass from McCord,Kyle () 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:44
SYR 14, WSU 7
SYR - Allen,LeQuint 12 yd run (Allen,LeQuint pass), 4 plays, 51 yards, TOP 01:22
SYR 14, WSU 14
WSU - Williams,Kyle 66 yd pass from Eckhaus,Zevi (Janikowski,Dean kick) 3 plays, 73 yards, TOP 01:03
SYR 14, WSU 21
WSU - Meredith,Josh 12 yd punt return (Janikowski,Dean kick)
SYR 21, WSU 21
SYR - Gadsden II,Oronde 18 yd pass from McCord,Kyle (Kennedy,Jackson kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:24
SYR 28, WSU 21
SYR - Allen,LeQuint 2 yd run (Kennedy,Jackson kick), 8 plays, 94 yards, TOP 02:49
SYR 35, WSU 21
SYR - Gadsden II,Oronde 5 yd pass from McCord,Kyle (Kennedy,Jackson kick) 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 02:55
SYR 35, WSU 28
WSU - Hernandez,Carlos 42 yd pass from Eckhaus,Zevi (Janikowski,Dean kick) 10 plays, 79 yards, TOP 05:02
SYR 42, WSU 28
SYR - Pena,Trebor 45 yd pass from McCord,Kyle (Kennedy,Jackson kick) 2 plays, 49 yards, TOP 00:39
SYR 45, WSU 28
SYR - Kennedy,Jackson 30 yd field goal 9 plays, 54 yards, TOP 04:56
SYR 52, WSU 28
SYR - Allen,LeQuint 33 yd pass from McCord,Kyle (Kennedy,Jackson kick) 3 plays, 80 yards, TOP 01:39
SYR 52, WSU 35
WSU - Ganashamoorthy,Branden 9 yd pass from Eckhaus,Zevi (Janikowski,Dean kick) 11 plays, 67 yards, TOP 03:06
