SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR) — SU went into the Holiday Bowl as an 18-point favorite, making the Orange the biggest favorite of the entire college football postseason. The Washington State Cougars made it known early on that they came to play and to prove a lot of people wrong. Both teams scored three touchdowns in the first 18 minutes. ‘Cuse, though, dominated the final three quarters of action as SU picked up its first bowl win since 2018 with a 52-35 victory.

After SU was forced to punt on its first drive, Washington State went 68 yards in eight plays. Zevi Eckhaus, making his first collegiate start at quarterback, ran it in from four yards out giving the Cougars a 7-0 lead.

Syracuse answered in less than three minutes as Kyle McCord connected with Trebor Pena for a 19-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion was no good, so it was 7-6 Cougars at that point.

After a Washington State punt, SU pulled ahead on a 12-yard touchdown run by LeQuint Allen. The Cougars answered just a couple of plays later as Eckhaus hit Kyle Williams in stride for a 66-yard catch and run. That scoring strike tied the game at 14.

Washington State regained the lead with :17 left in the first quarter on a blocked punt as Josh Meredith got credit for a 12-yard return for a touchdown. SU again answered right back with an 18-yard TD pass from McCord to Oronde Gadsden.

After an Alijah Clark interception, the Orange went 94 yards in eight plays. LeQuint Allen capped off the drive with a short run, his second touchdown of the night. It was 28-21 at that point. Kyle McCord added another touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden in the final seconds of the first half to make it 35-21.

In the third quarter, McCord hooked up with Darrell Gill, Jr. on a 50-yard pass play. That completion made Kyle McCord the new single-season record holder for most passing yards in ACC history. He threw two more TD passes in the second half, a 45-yarder to Trebor Pena followed by a 33-yard catch and run by LeQuint Allen. McCord finished the game with 453 passing yards and five touchdowns — both SU records for a bowl game.

Pena finished with 70 yards receiving and two scores. Allen had 120 yards rushing and three total touchdowns. Jackson Meeks also had a big game finishing with 110 yards receiving, putting him over 1,000 yards on the season.

The victory gives SU just its third 10-win season in the last 30 years. Fran Brown becomes just the second head coach at Syracuse ever to win 10 games in his first year on the job.

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