RECAP: Washington State Falls 52-35 in Holiday Bowl Loss To Syracuse

It sounds like a cliche, but the Washington State Cougars gave a valiant effort on Friday night in a 52-35 Holiday Bowl loss to the Syracuse Orange.

Starting in place of the recently-transferred John Mateer, Zevi Eckhaus accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) with 363 passing yards, while also throwing two interceptions.

Kyle Williams set a Holiday Bowl record for receiving yards, catching ten passes for 172 yards and a touchdown.

Nevertheless, the WSU defense had no answers for the Syracuse offense, who totaled 606 yards (a season-high for a WSU opponent). Orange quarterback Kyle McCord threw five touchdown passes and completed 24 passes for 453 yards.

On Washington State's first possession of the game, Eckhaus connected with Kyle Williams for a 31-yard play that put the Cougars inside the ten-yard line. Two plays later, Eckhaus powered through the Syracuse defense for a four-yard rushing touchdown.

FIRST RUSHING TD AS A COUG ‼️🔥 @zevi_eckhaus pic.twitter.com/y767ymBWuz
— Washington State Football (@WSUCougarFB) December 28, 2024

Syracuse immediately answered with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, but failed to take the lead with a failed two-point conversion attempt. They did take that lead on their next possession, however. LeQuint Allen rushed for a 12-yard score, then caught a pass from Kyle McCord for the two-point conversion.

To get the game tied back up, Kyle Williams made a play that looked like vintage Washington State offense, scoring on a 66-yard catch-and-run. Roughly sixty seconds later, the Cougar defense got on the board with a blocked a Syracuse punt, allowing Josh Meredith to return it 12 yards into the end zone.

Kyle Williams hit the JETS for @WSUCougarFB on this 66-yard TD 💨 pic.twitter.com/r6XXxtz84t
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 28, 2024

that’s a block +6‼️@Leonk1212 @JoshMeredith003 pic.twitter.com/DFWzUVtFBQ
— Washington State Football (@WSUCougarFB) December 28, 2024

Syracuse scored again on the ensuing possession, with Kyle McCord finding Oronde Gadsden for an 18-yard touchdown. The Orange seemed to have some real momentum at that point, intercepting Eckhaus deep in their own territory. They then mounted another long scoring drive, traveling 94 yards in eight plays, capped by another short rushing score from Allen.

After WSU failed to convert on a fourth-and-short, Syracuse extended their lead to 34-21 just before the half with another McCord-Gadsden touchdown connection.

To start the second half, WSU got moved well into Dean Janikowski's field goal range, but Janikowski would miss wide left from 41 yards away. The Cougar defense quickly held, forcing Syracuse to attempt a 39-yard field goal of their own and miss.

With two minutes left in the third quarter, Eckhaus gave the Cougs a chance with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Hernandez...But Syracuse quickly took the lead back in just two plays and 49 seconds.

To start the fourth quarter on WSU's , Eckhaus threw another interception in Syracuse territory. The Orange used that opportunity to drive 54 yards into field goal range, extending the lead with a 30-yard make.

Eckhaus bounced back on the next drive, getting inside the ten-yard line. However a penalty moved them back, eventually forcing another field goal attempt. Janikowski would miss another from 37 yards out.

The Orange continued to pour it on , with Allen scoring on a 33-yard catch-and-run. With the game out of reach at that point, Eckhaus led another scoring drive, hitting Branden Ganashamoorthy for a nine-yard score. Syracuse ticked off the final five seconds from there.

The Cougars will end a roller coaster of a 2024 season with a record of 8-5.

Plenty of questions surround this Washington State program for the future, but one was raised several times on Friday night: Will Zevi Eckhaus return to WSU next season? The quarterback has one season of eligibility remaining after only appearing in two games this season, meaning he can utilize his redshirt.

WSU also have a coaching search to figure out in the coming weeks, as the Cougs still need a permanent leader heading into 2025.

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