UW Huskies, WSU Cougars bowl games set — details here
Dec 8, 2024, 1:55 PM
The bowl games for the UW Huskies and WSU Cougars football teams are officially set.
Washington State will be first up on Dec. 27 in the Holiday Bowl against No. 22 Syracuse. Four days later, it will be Washington’s turn in the Sun Bowl against Lousiville.
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Here are details on both teams’ bowl games.
Holiday Bowl: WSU Cougars vs. No. 22 Syracuse Orange
When: 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 27
Where: Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif.
TV: FOX
Radio: Seattle Sports app + 770 AM in the Seattle area (pregame 3 p.m.)
Records: WSU Cougars 8-4; Syracuse Orange 9-3
The matchup: The Orange rose a spot to No. 22 in the Associated Press poll on Sunday, having most recently beat then-No. 6 Miami (Fla.) 42-38 On Nov. 30. Syracuse has the No. 10 offense in FBS with 456.1 yards per game, and it scores 32.6 points per game, which ranks 33rd. Syracuse is led by quarterback Kyle McCord, a transfer from Ohio State who is No. 1 in the country in passing yards (4,326) and passing yards per game (360.5). He has three targets ranked in the top 50 in receiving yards in FBS – wide receivers Jackson Meeks (911 yards) and Trebor Pena (871), and tight end Oronde Gadsden II (860). Syracuse’s defense is 68th in the country at 369.7 yards allowed per game, and 95th with 28.67 points allowed per game.
The Cougars had a few weeks in the top 25 of the AP rankings this season, and had an outside shot at crashing the College Football Playoff, but fell out after three straight losses to New Mexico, Oregon State and Wyoming to close out their regular season. QB John Mateer is 16th in the country with 3,139 passing yards, is tied with McCord for fifth with 29 passing touchdowns (to just seven interceptions), and is a dual threat with 826 yards and 15 touchdowns as a rusher. Wide receiver Kyle Williams is 19th in FBS with 1,026 yards and third with 13 TD catches. Wazzu’s offense is 11th in scoring at 36.8 points per game and 22nd at 440.4 yards per game, while the WSU defense is 90th with an average of 28.08 points allowed and 115th at 429 yards allowed per game.
What They Said: “We are honored to have earned the right to play in the 2024 Holiday Bowl against one of the best teams in the country,” WSU head coach Jake Dickert said in a press release. “To have one more opportunity to send our senior class out the right way means a lot to this team. We can’t wait to see Cougar Nation in San Diego cheering on the Cougs.”
History: The Cougars will play in the Holiday Bowl for the fifth time. They are 1-3 in the previous games, including back-to-back losses in the Holiday Bowl in 2016 and 2017.
WSU is 8-10 all-time in bowl games. The Cougars last appeared in a bowl in 2022, which was a 29-6 loss in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl to Fresno State. The last bowl win for Washington State was a 20-14 victory over Miami (Fla.) in the 2015 Sun Bowl.
WSU and Syracuse have met only once before, which was a 52-25 Orange win in 1979.
Sun Bowl: UW Huskies vs. Louisville Cardinals
When: 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31
Where: Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas
TV: CBS
Records: UW Huskies 6-6; Louisville Cardinals 8-4
The matchup: Louisville received the second-most votes of the teams outside of the top 25 in Sunday’s AP poll, a week after ripping Kentucky 41-14 on Nov. 30. The Cardinals’ offense is 11th with 455.8 yards per game and 13th with 36.6 points per game. Quarterback Tyler Shough is 14th in the country with 3,195 passing yards and has 23 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks is 21st in FBS with 1,013 yards. The Cardinals’ defense is 59th with 360.1 yards allowed per game and tied for 52nd with an average of 23.25 points allowed.
The Huskies reached bowl eligibility in their second-to-last regular season game, a 31-19 win over UCLA on Nov. 15. They made a late-season switch at quarterback from senior Will Rogers to true freshman Demond Williams Jr., and have relied heavily upon running back Jonah Coleman, whose 1,011 rushing yards are 35th in FBS. Denzel Boston is Washington’s leading receiver with 805 yards and nine touchdowns. The UW offense is 68th with 383.7 yards per game but is tied for 109th with 22.5 points per game. Defense is Washington’s strength, especially against the pass. The Huskies are No. 5 with just 166.8 passing yards allowed per game, and rank 27th with 324.8 total yards allowed per game and 46th with 22.83 points allowed per game.
History: The Huskies will play in the Sun Bowl for the fifth time. They are 1-3 in the previous games, with the most recent appearance being in 2002 in a 34-24 loss to Purdue. The Dawgs’ lone Sun Bowl win came in 1979 over Texas.
The UW Huskies are 19-18-1 all-time in bowl games. This will be Washington’s third straight bowl appearance, most recently having won the Sugar Bowl over Texas on Jan. 1, 2024 to punch a ticket to last season’s College Football Playoff championship game.
Washington and Louisville have never met before on the gridiron.
