San Diego, CA- The Syracuse football team capped off first year head coach Fran Brown’s inaugural season with an emphatic 52-35 win over Washington State in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl.
It was a dominant effort from the Orange on offense as they combined for 606 total yards.
Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns. McCord broke Deshaun Watson’s Atlantic Coast Conference season passing yards record in the win. On the ground, it was one of the best performances of the season from running back LeQuint Allen. He rushed 17 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
Washington State came into the game without their head coach as Jake Dickert accepted the head coaching job at Wake Forest and their starting quarterback John Mateer transferred to Oklahoma as well.
All in all, the Cougars lost over 20 players to the transfer portal, head coach, both coordinators, and their quarterbacks and running backs coach.
Despite all their losses, the Cougs still performed admirably. Mateer’s backup, Zevi Eckhaus threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns in the losing effort. In the last game of his WSU career, senior wide receiver Kyle Williams went out with a bang. Williams reeled in 10 catches for 172 yards and a touchdown.
Washington State were +18.5 underdogs coming into the game, but it didn’t matter to them as they came out and put up 21 points in what was an explosive first quarter. The two teams exchanged blow for blow and totaled 35 points in the first quarter alone as the defense seemed to be non-existent early on.
The Orange didn’t take their foot off the pedal and added an additional three touchdowns in the second quarter to jump into the lead and they didn’t look back. McCord found wide receiver Oronde Gadsen II twice in the endzone for two passing touchdowns.
“The way we practice, there are so many reps that guys are getting a lot of reps,” Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said postgame. “So when it’s their time to go, they should be ready to play.”
Gadsden II would finish the game with four receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cougs offense would tail off after their 21-point first quarter, mustering up two touchdowns in the second half after being shutout in the second quarter.
“I mean I’m just thankful for all of them you know I’m happy that we’re we in the position we’re in and uh we set a standard I think the 10 win show that we are becoming a successful program,” said Brown.
Syracuse would hold on to win the bowl game and improve to a 10-3 record and will undoubtedly finish the season as a ranked team. The win gives Brown and the program momentum heading into year two after posting 10 wins in his first season at the helm.
