SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Washington State Cougars have already won a game at Snapdragon Stadium, defeating San Diego State, 29-26. When they return to the stadium to take on No. 21 Syracuse, very few similarities remain between the team that played in October and the one taking the field in December. WSU lost its head coach, both offensive and defensive coordinators, and more than half of its starting lineup to the transfer portal.
The Cougars have promoted defensive line coach Pete Kaligis to serve as acting head coach for this bowl game. He will also call the plays for the defense, while wide receivers coach Nick Edwards will call plays for the offense.
The Cougs will look to quarterback Zevi Eckhaus to lead them in this bowl game. Eckhaus, who transferred from FCS Bryant a year ago, will make his first start for WSU. He redshirted this season and appeared in just one game, the opener against Portland State, where he completed six of seven passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. At Bryant last season, Eckhaus threw for 2,907 yards and 28 touchdowns.
WSU will also be without starting running back Wayshawn Parker, along with receivers Kris Hutson, Josh Meridith, and Tre Shackleford. The Cougs will also be missing several starters on defense, including David Gusta, Ethan O’Connor, and Taariq Al-Uqdah. Many players will step into new roles, which Andrew Edson said provides a good opportunity to give new players experience.
“We’ve got people stepping up in new roles. It’s a great opportunity for them, a great opportunity for our team, and a great opportunity for our coaching staff. I think everybody is embracing this adversity, and they are excited for the opportunities ahead,” senior defensive lineman Andrew Edson said.
The No. 21 Syracuse Orange, on the other hand, will have most of their roster intact for this game, despite nine players transferring. Only a few of them were starters or played significant minutes this season. Syracuse is led by quarterback Kyle McCord, who led the nation in passing with 4,326 yards and 28 touchdowns. McCord could be playing in his final college game, although he may seek a waiver to attempt to return for one more season if the NCAA grants him additional eligibility due to his time at Ohio State.
The Orange are 9-3 on the season and ended the year with a win over then-top-10 Miami. Syracuse won its final three games and is trending upward as a program with a strong roster set to return in 2025.
WSU is looking to win its ninth game of the season, something that has only occurred 11 times in school history and has not happened since 2018. After the last game of the regular season, senior linebacker Kyle Thornton said, “Last time I checked, 9-4 is still really good,” adding that the team wants to win this game to give the seniors a positive ending after dropping the final three games of the regular season.
Edson said the team will be ready to play come Dec. 27, and whoever gets on the plane to San Diego will give everything they have to secure this final win of the 2024 season.
No. 21 Syracuse (9-3) will take on Washington State (8-4) at 5 p.m. in San Diego. Highlights and postgame coverage will be available on SWXLocalSports.com and the app.
