SAN DIEGO (BCSNN) — The 2024 DirecTV Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium saw the Syracuse Orange defeat the Washington State Cougars 52-35 on Friday night. Syracuse's offense was unstoppable, racking up 606 total yards, including 453 passing yards and five touchdowns by quarterback Kyle McCord. McCord's performance set a Syracuse bowl game record for touchdown passes and broke the ACC single-season passing yards record.

On the offensive side for Syracuse, LeQuint Allen Jr. was a standout, rushing for 120 yards and two touchdowns, while Darrell Gill Jr. led the team with 145 yards on four catches. Oronde Gadsden II also made a significant impact, catching two touchdown passes.

Washington State's offense was led by Zevi Eckhaus, who stepped in for the recently transferred John Mateer. Eckhaus accounted for 363 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown, but also threw two interceptions. Kyle Williams set a Holiday Bowl record for receiving yards with 172 yards on ten catches and a touchdown.

Defensively, Syracuse's McKinnley Jackson made a notable impact with eight tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. On the Washington State side, Josh Meredith stood out with a 12-yard punt return for a touchdown and Leon Neal Jr. blocked a Syracuse punt that led to a touchdown.

Despite Washington State's valiant effort, Syracuse's offensive explosion proved too much to handle. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown praised his team's performance, saying, "It's a testament to their hard work and resilience. We're thrilled to cap off the season with a double-digit win total."

The victory marks Syracuse's first 10-win season since 2018 and their eighth such season in program history. Washington State finishes the season with an 8-5 record, facing a challenging season with numerous coaching changes and player transfers.