Set for later this month in sunny San Diego, the 2024 DirecTV Holiday Bowl is set for action as Syracuse squares off against Washington State. In a bowl game formerly held at Qualcomm Stadium and other similar sites for many years, the two teams will be doing battle at the home of San Diego State, Snapdragon Stadium. This contest features two squads going in opposite directions as Syracuse ended its season on a fantastic three-game winning streak, taking down the likes of Cal (in Berkeley), UConn, and also a tough Miami team. Meanwhile, Washington State has hit a rough patch with the Cougars dropping three games to end the season, including losses to two Mountain West squads that are in transition campaigns (Wyoming and New Mexico). Nonetheless, these bowl games could feature some mayhem with the graduating players looking to put out some excellent film for NFL teams.
For this article, SBS will explore what to look for from each of these squads, a selected winner for the 2024 Holiday Bowl, and also some additional thoughts and notes regarding NCAAF wagering.
Per one source, Syracuse leads the nation in passing at 363.1 yards per game and, unlike Wazzu, has a quarterback in place that is a game-changer. Signal-caller Kyle McCord has accrued 4,326 passing yards this year and is an integral part of the Syracuse offense. Running back LeQuint Allen is another sensational player who can rack it up on the ground (901 rushing yards) but is really the most dynamic at the goal line (14 rushing scores). Additionally, wide receiver Jackson Meeks has been the main target of McCord’s passing prowess, accruing 911 yards through the air and seven scores. In Syracuse’s last game, the Orange knocked then No. 6 Miami out of the ACC title game also out of the College Football Playoff with a dramatic 42-38 win.
Coming into this game, the Hurricanes (-12) were heavily favored (96.2% chance to win per ESPN’s win probability) and even jumped out to a 14-point lead to start the game. Then Syracuse fought back with stellar performances from McCord (380 passing yards and three scores) and receiver Trebor Pena (128 yards and one score), which allowed them to knock out Miami. Devin Grant made one of the key plays of the game, returning a fumble 56 yards to the house for a dramatic touchdown near the end of the third quarter. After the Hurricanes knotted the game at 35, LeQuint Allen would find the end zone with nine minutes left in the quarter to give the Orange the lead for good and the best win of their season.
Noted above, Wazzu, after starting the year 8-1, is on the skids and is also now losing its star player (and leading passer and rusher), quarterback John Mateer to the transfer portal. In addition to that personnel loss, the Cougars fired their defensive coordinator late last month after another late-game collapse. Some sources are noting that Wazzu could retain Mateer (44 total scores this season), but it remains to be seen if that is the case and if he returns to the Cougars. Additionally, Cougars head coach Jake Dickert has said Washington State will make its best effort to retain the star player in time for the bowl game. If he does not suit up, it will be hard for the Cougars to keep pace with the high-flying Orange offense.
Beyond Mateer, the Cougars do have some other playmakers they can lean on for this game. Wide receiver Kyle Williams is a dynamic playmaker and has racked up 1,026 receiving yards this season with a sensational 13 receiving scores. Linebacker Taariq Al-Uqdah paced the defense this season with 51 solo tackles and 76 total stops. He also racked up three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries. A stat machine, the linebacker even returned one interception for a score as well. Defensive lineman Ansel Din-Mbuh is another player to keep an eye on in this game. This year, he led the Cougars in sacks with six and also notched 24 total tackles.
In what should be a great matchup, the Cougars losing Mateer (or even having his status so up in the air), is going to be really tough for them to overcome. Syracuse has too much firepower for a team with this much uncertainty.
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About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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