Washington State Football: Holiday Bowl Keys to Victory vs. Syracuse

Jared Miller | 14 Hours Ago

Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord (6) passes the ball against the Miami Hurricanes during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

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Washington State will wrap up its 2024 season on Friday when it takes on #21 Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl. The Orange will come into the game as multi-touchdown favorites against a Cougars unit that looks a lot different than it did a few weeks ago thanks to the transfer portal. Despite riding a three-game losing streak, losing a lot of its talent and now not even having their head coach anymore, WSU still wants to end its year on a high note and here's how they can do that in San Diego.

Rally Around Who's Left

Zevi Eckhaus, who has served as Washington State's backup QB all season long, has suddenly been thrust into the starting role after John Mateer hit the portal to become a Sooner. Likewise, Pete Kaligis got bumped to the interim head coaching position in light of Jake Dickert leaving for Wake Forest. For better or worse, these two will be running the ship for the Cougs this Friday in the Holiday Bowl and their chances of success go up if the rest of the team and staff can rally around them and do everything in their collective power to make life easier on them.

For Eckhaus that means a mix of leaning on the run game and calling high-percentage throws. If he can connect on some passes early on and build some confidence, it will set him and the offense up better for success for the rest of the game. Receivers like Kyle Williams and Josh Merideth will be Eckhaus' best friends in this game. Running back Leo Pulalasi will also need to step up as Wayshawn Parker is gone too.

Limit McCord's Damage

Syracuse signal-caller Kyle McCord was among the best in the ACC this year, passing for 4,326 yards and 29 touchdowns. He can take over a game and the Cougars will need to do everything they can defensively to make sure that doesn't happen. McCord will make his plays and get his yards but if Washington State's D can mitigate that damage, they'll have a shot. That task, though, will be made all the more difficult with players like top tackler Buddah Al-Uqdah in the transfer portal.

Senior linebacker Kyle Thornton is still around, however, as are standout DBs Kapena Gushiken and Tyson Durant. Gushiken and Durant will need to lock down star receivers Jackson Meeks and Trebor Pena... McCord's top two targets... and force the Orange to look elsewhere for their big plays. McCord is not much of a runner at all. If the Cougs can get pressure and force him into uncomfortable throws then anything can happen.

Establish a Run Game

Although Parker is gone, it is imperative that WSU's offense gets a rushing attack going. Syracuse's defense is not terrific on the ground as they've allowed six different opponents to run for more than 150 yards. Through the final five games of the regular season, the Orange gave up an average of 201.2 rushing yards per game. Washington State will need to take advantage of this weakness in order to give itself a leg up and it would help Eckhaus out greatly as well, opening some pass plays up for him.

The aforementioned Pulalasi will have his chance to show the Cougars' staff what he's got as he comes in with 241 rush yards and two touchdowns on the season. He will be running behind an offensive line, though, that has lost a key piece as well. Fa'alili Fa'amoe is now at Nebraska but the rest of the front remains largely in tact.

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