Syracuse football knocks off Washington State to cap off a wonderful season for 'Cuse

Your Syracuse Orange football team wrapped up the 2024 season with a 10-3 record, decisively defeating a Washington State Cougars team filled with heart and determination, 52-35. The Cougars put up a heck of a fight, especially in the first half, to the shock of many Cuse fans on social media who thought the depleted roster would roll over and play dead for the Orange.

Instead, interm WSU head coach Pete Kaligis and his staff got his team prepared and fired up as the team made plays, blocked punts for a touchdown and didn't just give up. Those Cougars who played for him and for the program definitely left it out on the field and at times made it look like they could win it.

But Syracuse also showed the weapons, especially offensively, that helped this team get to a top tier ACC bowl game. Kyle McCord looked poised, LeQuint Allen looked determined, Trebor Pena looked like Mr. Reliable, Oronde Gadsden II showed why he is an NFL TE, Jackson Meeks made amazing plays despite constantly looking like he was held the whole game, and Darrell Gills Jr. led the way with 4 catches and 145 yards receiving.

WSU QB Zevi Eckhaus also at times looked impressive for a backup QB, though as the announcers stated once was the Big South Offensive Player of the Year his junior year at Bryant. He and WSU WR Kyle Williams definitely seemed to blend well together as he finished with 10 receptions for 172 yards and a TD. Zevi did have 2 costly interceptions (3 if you count the one Marlowe Wax Jr. had that was called back due to a hand to the facemask call) but on short-term notice, definitely looked impressive and in control at times.

It has been a magical 2024 season for Syracuse football.

But in the end, Syracuse's desire to give Syracuse head coach Fran Brown a 10 -in season in his first year in charge paid off and the Fran Brown era begins not with a whimper but a big bang. For much like the Walter Camp Connecticut Player of the Year Justin Barron personified in this game, this team refused to quit even when he went down and kept getting back up and fighting to prove something to the fans, the boosters and other teams and recruits that this is a team that will play hard and not quit even when it gets hard or you get behind, something this team has also shown multiple times this year.

I don't know what the next season holds for this program but it is obvious that the 2024 Syracuse Orange football team will go down in history as one of the most exciting seasons that will leave fans optimistic about the future and feeling like anything is possible.

Maybe now we can stop hearing about the seasons the program struggled as though that's all that ever happened at Syracuse and concentrate on the future with a positive outlook for once. If for no other reason, I am hopeful this season finally kills the negativity that constantly surrounds this community and fan base about this program and we can finally enjoy being Syracuse fans together without constantly waiting for doom and gloom or focusing only on the negatives in the past.