Will it be McCord’s farewell?
Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
The Syracuse Orange (9-3) wrap up Fran Bown’s first season tomorrow night when they take on what’s left of the Washington State Cougars (8-4) in the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl. It’s a primetime game with an 8:00 et kickoff on FOX and here’s what we’re watching for:
Kevin: A glimpse at the future
I think we’ll see the starters for significant portions of this game, but I’m expecting to see a lot of the younger Orange get opportunities in this one. We know Oronde Gadsden is moving on so will we see Jamie Tremble on some routes. Will we get to see how Jakhari Williams looks throwing some passes and some additional carries for Jaden Hart? On the defense we should see Ibn McDaniels play some corner in this one and with a pretty quiet portal period, a lot of the 2025 replacements might be coming from the current roster.
Dom: One last hurrah
Considering how well this year did end up going and the looming bear that is the 2025 schedule, getting to 10 wins in itself will feel great now and going forward under the Fran Brown era. My guess is this game will encompass the successes of this year: striking gold with Kyle McCord, one final look at this year’s elite passing attack and a defense that will hopefully force a turnover or two, sprinkled with some glimpses at who can fill all those shoes who are departing.
Christian: Students of history
I’ll freely admit that I’m not that impressed by Washington State’s record just on paper, based on the opponents they have defeated this season. And even though a majority of the Cougars players that are in the transfer portal are playing this game, not having John Mateer really hurts Washington State. So, all signs point to a comfortable Syracuse win. However, we’ve said that about a number of games this year for Syracuse and they haven’t been nearly as easy as they should’ve been. Think back to the Ohio, Holy Cross and UConn games. Has Syracuse learned from their faults in those games? I’m pointing mainly to starting fast and not taking their foot off the gas pedal in the second quarter. Orange fans are expecting to see the younger talents of this program get into this game. In order for that to happen, the starters need to be students of history. They have to put away the game early in decisive fashion in order for that to happen.
Carson: More West Coast football
It’s almost lucky that Syracuse gets to play football on the West Coast again. Ahead of the Stanford game earlier this year, Fran Brown talked about playing conference games in California, “It gives you an opportunity to go and recruit some guys, and for them to be comfortable knowing that they’ll get the opportunity to travel back home twice a year.” Brown’s ties to the Tri-state area, plus Pennsylvania (really greater Philadelphia), have helped him recruit athletes from the northeast. But, if he can expand his influence westward, with a DirecTV Holiday Bowl win against Washington State, Brown can continue his work towards building a serious football program at Syracuse.
Max: Defense wins championships bowl games
Despite all the uncertainty surrounding the Washington State program, Vegas still projects the Cougars to put up 20+ points. It would be great to see the future of the Orange defense in a blowout fourth quarter, but I’m watching how the starting defenders respond to whatever WSU throws out there. Every game this season has had its fair share of tense moments (minus Pitt), so we’ll see how Elijah Robinson’s veterans respond on national television after a near-month of rest.
Mike: Fight to the Finish
2024 has been a season full of incredible individual performances and this is the last chance to add on to them. Jackson Meeks is within striking distance (91 yards) for a 1k receiving season; LeQuint Allen is also in range (99 yards) for that mark on the ground. McCord, Gadsden, Diggs and everyone else entering the Draft know their stock can be helped with one last strong outing, so don't expect them to take even a severely depleted opponent lightly. Fran's guys have been playing a full 60 minutes all season long and I don't see any reason they won't one more time.
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What will you be watching for?
