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SAN DIEGO — For the third consecutive season, Syracuse is going bowling. A 9-3 regular season in its first year under head coach Fran Brown featured a 3–1 record against teams in the AP Top 25, including a marque 42-38 victory over then-No. 8 Miami in the regular-season finale.

Across their 12-game season, the Orange were led by quarterback Kyle McCord. In his first season with Syracuse, McCord’s 4,326 passing yards led the nation, rewriting SU’s record books for single-season completions, passing yards and touchdowns.

To cap their 2024 season, the Orange traveled to San Diego to face Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. With 22 completions and 268 passing yards against the Cougars, McCord will also become the single-season leader in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

While Washington State most notably lost its head coach and quarterback, SU is expected to have almost its entire starting lineup at kickoff at Snapdragon Stadium. A win for the Orange would secure their third 10-win season since 2000 and first bowl victory since 2018.

“We have an opportunity of winning 10 games, which means you’re starting to become a successful program,” Brown said. “And my players haven’t had a chance of winning a bowl game. So there’s a lot of things that are on the line for us to really be able to build our program.”

Here are some takeaways from the Holiday Bowl head coaches’ press conference with Brown and WSU interim head coach Pete Kaligis before Syracuse (9-3, 5-3 ACC) takes on Washington State (8-4, 0-1 Pac-12) Friday:

Syracuse’s preparation

While the Cougars have many players in the transfer portal, SU remains intact. One player in the portal who will be playing in the Holiday Bowl is linebacker Anwar Sparrow. Despite Sparrow still being in the portal, Brown said his recent participation could result in a return.

“I don’t think (Sparrow) is staying in the portal,” Brown said.

He said Sparrow has taken over the last month doing what he needs to do to be the man he’s supposed to be. If he does what he’s supposed to do off the field, becoming a great football player will be easy.

The conversation around Sparrow turned into an overall basis of SU players in the transfer portal. The Orange currently have cornerbacks Jayden Bellamy and Marcellus Barnes Jr. in the portal. Brown said what deems a player in the portal to play in the bowl game, other than health and their own desire, is if they go directly to him or his higher-ups.

“You come talk to me like a man,” Brown said. “‘I don’t know if this is the right fit for me. I might want to go.’ Then we can sit there, and I can probably let you finish out the year. But if you go spreading that through the team, you’re becoming a cancer. Then I got to get you out right there. That’s the way to get rid of cancer, is to cut it out, right? Make sure we do that right away.”

A season ago, SU embarrassingly lost the Boca Raton Bowl, falling 45-0 to University of South Florida. Brown said that team wasn’t his yet, but as the clock hit zero, it became his. His first bowl game at the helm will shift into his second season in charge.

“This is the start of our 2025 season. We’re just trying to focus on this game,” Brown said.

Fran Brown discusses Syracuse’s Holiday Bowl matchup versus Washington State. Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor

Washington State absences

With head coach Jake Dickert (Wake Forest) and John Mateer (Oklahoma) no longer with the program, along with over 30 players in the portal, WSU is a largely different bunch from its 8-4 record.

Kaligis couldn’t give an exact number of how many players who are currently in the transfer portal will be playing on Friday. He did specify that he discussed with Cougars Athletic Director Anne McCoy that any players who entered the transfer portal after Dec. 18 can play.

“We are who we are,” Kaligis said. “We have what we have.”

On offense, starting running back Wayshawn Parker has already left for Utah, and No. 2 receiver Kris Hutson departed for Arizona. In place of Mateer at quarterback will be Zevi Eckhaus. The senior transferred from Bryant and played just 19 snaps in his first year with the Cougars. Brown said he’s watched lots of Eckhaus’ Bryant film, saying he “thought he did a good job.”

WSU’s defensive line has also been decimated by the transfer portal. The Cougars have already lost Khalil Laufau and Ansel Din-Mbuh. Meanwhile, leading tackler Taariq Al-Uqdah transferred to archrival Washington less than an hour before Thursday’s press conference.

Kaligis added David Gusta, who’s currently in the portal, won’t be playing due to an ankle injury. The interim head coach comes from a defensive line background himself, serving as the defensive tackles coach before Dickert’s departure.

“They’ve got heart, they’re going to be trained and they’re going to fight,” Kaligis said of his group.

Despite the many changes within Washington State’s program, Brown said Kaligis has done an amazing job keeping many players for the bowl matchup. Kaligis believes in his new-look team regardless and is ready to match up with the Orange.

“I have 100% faith in the men when they go on the field. They will execute to the best of their ability, and they will do what they have to do,” Kaligis said.

Additional notes

SU’s bowl game against Washington State could be the final game of McCord’s college career. The quarterback is reportedly going through an appeals process to fight for another year of eligibility after being denied his original waiver. Ahead of what could be his first quarterback’s final game, Brown didn’t say much when asked about the ongoing process.

“I think the NCAA is closed right now, and I think they’re on a holiday break also. So we don’t have anything really to know about that or to say about that. We are just focused on trying to play against a tough football team. So when that comes out, you’ll be the first to know,” Brown said.

As for festivities the Orange have taken part in throughout the week in San Diego, they’ve participated in a Navy Ship Tour and traveled to Seaworld. The week of bowl activities gives a unique opportunity for SU to bring together families of all staff members and many players to enjoy one last week together.

Brown, like usual, said all he really cares about is practice. However, he did note it’s nice to have his wife and kids on the trip along with the other coaches, something that usually doesn’t happen.

To cap the holiday theme, the winner of the Holiday Bowl’s coach gets dumped in eggnog by Joey Chestnut. While Kaligis said he hadn’t thought about the celebration, Brown, possibly jokingly, said he wouldn’t be taking the bath no matter the result.

“I’m allergic to eggs, so Dan Villari is taking the NIL deal,” Brown said. “I think Meier’s Creek already said they would love for him to be the guy to do it.”

Published on December 26, 2024 at 4:50 pm

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky