How Washington State's 2024 Opponents Fared During Bowl Season

Jared Miller | Jan 5, 2025

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, US; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Zakee Wheatley (6) tackles Boise State Broncos receiver Latrell Caples (3) during their Vrbo Fiesta Bowl matchup at State Farm Stadium. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Bowl season is all wrapped up for Washington State's 2024 opponents and it was a rough one for the teams who played the Cougs this year. Not counting Syracuse (WSU's Holiday Bowl partner) the five Cougs' opponents games from this season that had bowl games went winless in their postseason showings. Some of those defeats, though, were as narrow as could be.

Texas Tech: Loss vs. Arkansas 39-26 (Liberty Bowl)

Texas Tech's up and down 2024 campaign came to an end with a 13-point loss to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl back on December 27. The Red Raiders, who were without some of their best players like quarterback Behren Morton and running back Tahj Brooks, still got produced nearly 500 total yards of offense. The defense, though, let the Razorbacks throw for 341 and rush for another 218. Backup signal caller Will Hammond threw for 280 yards and a touchdown but also tossed two interceptions. Senior defensive back C.J. Baskerville logged ten tackles for the Red Raiders but it was not enough. Texas Tech sees its season end at 8-5.

Washington: Loss vs. Louisville 35-34 (Sun Bowl)

The Huskies fought tooth and nail with Louisville in El Paso but the Sun Bowl went the way of the Cardinals after Washington failed to convert a two-point try in the final seconds. Instead of opting for OT, Jedd Fisch and company played for the win but came up short when quarterback Demond Williams' pass got batted down in the end zone. Williams threw for 374 yards and four touchdowns while also leading the offense in rushing with 48 yards on the ground. Giles Jackson caught 11 passes for 161 yards, posting his second 100-yard game of the year. It was all for naught, however, as the Huskies close their season on a two-game losing streak. They finished 6-7 overall.

San Jose State: Loss vs. South Florida 41-39 (Hawaii Bowl)

In what was arguably the most exciting game of the bowl season thus far, San Jose State fell just short in a 5OT shootout in the Hawaii Bowl against USF. With star wideout Nick Nash not playing, Matthew Coleman stepped up for the Spartans, catching 12 balls for 119 yards and a score. QB Walker Eget threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns but it was the SJSU defense that stymied the Bulls for much of the game. South Florida was held to just two field goals in the final 30 minutes of regulation. After trading equal blows for the first four overtime periods, USF took the lead on a Bryce Archie pass to Keshaun Singleton. The Spartans could not answer for a fifth time and the game ended 41-39. San Jose State's 2024 season ends with a 7-6 record.

Boise State: Loss vs. Penn State 31-14 (Fiesta Bowl/CFP Quarterfinals)

The Broncos saw their terrific season come to an end in the Fiesta Bowl which also served as the quarterfinals for the new 12-team College Football Playoff. Penn State did what no one else really was able to this year and bottled up star running back Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty, who finished a mere 27 yards short of breaking college football's all-time rushing record, ran for 104 yards, a season low. The Nittany Lions defense also picked off quarterback Maddux Madsen three times while the offense put up 387 total yards. Boise State got blanked in the first and fourth quarters and only found the end zone twice in the 17-point loss. The Broncos season ended at 12-2 overall.

Fresno State: Loss vs. Northern Illinois 28-20 (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)

Fresno State got matched up with NIU in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and what a matchup it turned out to be. It took two overtimes to decide it and, despite their best efforts, the Bulldogs came up just short. As was the case with many teams that went bowling, Fresno State was without its usual starting QB Mikey Keene and instead rode the arm of sophomore signal caller Joshua Wood. Wood tossed a touchdown and ran for another while receiver Mac Dalena went for 118 yards through the air. A missed field goal from Dylan Lynch in the waning seconds ensured the game would go beyond regulation and, once there, the Huskies made the most of it. A 2OT touchdown from NIU could not be answered as Wood took a sack on fourth down. The Bulldogs finish 2024 with a 6-7 record.

Syracuse: Win vs. Washington State 52-35 (Holiday Bowl)

WSU's only opponent that won a bowl game this year was the one that beat them in the Holiday Bowl. Syracuse handled business against a depleted Cougars squad who was without much of its talent including its head coach. Orange quarterback Kyle McCord lit up the Washington State defense, throwing for 453 yards, five TDs and no interceptions. LeQuint Allen ran for 120 yards on 17 carries and two different receivers went for over 100 yards. Syracuse, despite holding the ball for roughly ten minutes less than the Cougs, put up over 600 yards of offense and scored a season-high 52 points. They finished 10-3 on the season.

More Reading Material From Washington State Cougars On SI