A new era dawned in the long history of the Holiday Bowl as the college bowl game made its debut last Friday at Snapdragon Stadium.
It’s only the third venue to be used in the game’s 45-year history.
The Holiday Bowl got its start in Mission Valley at the old San Diego Stadium, which served as the region’s premier outdoor sports venue starting in 1967. The bowl game occupied the stadium from 1978 to 2019.
Petco Park served as an interim location for three years (2021-23) before the bowl game returned to its Mission Valley roots courtesy of the new state-of-the-art facility.
A crowd of 23,920 was on hand to see the passing of the torch to the new playing site as the No. 22 Syracuse Orange defeated the Washington State Cougars by a score of 52-35.
The Holiday Bowls’ trademark over the years, regardless of where the game was played, was it exciting finishes.
Last Friday’s game was all about a blockbuster start as the teams combined for five touchdowns and 35 points in the first quarter alone. The Orange (10-3) led, 35-21, at halftime to reverse a 21-14 first quarter advantage by the Cougars (8-5).
The scoring continued in the second half with 31 points until Washington State capped it with nine seconds to play. The 87 points racked up by the two teams — Syracuse from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Washington State from the Pac- 12 — stood as one of the bowl’s highest scoring games.
The 1980 game between BYU (46) and SMU (45) holds the record with 91 points.
Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord netted the game’s Offensive MVP award by passing for 453 yards and five touchdowns, including two each to Trebor Pena (five catches, 70 yards) and Oronde Gadsden II (four catches, 74 yards). LeQuint Allen Jr. (17 carries, 120 yards) rushed for two touchdowns and caught another as the Orange compiled 606 yards in total offense.
The five touchdowns by McCord tied the bowl game record.
Washington State quarterback Zevi Eckhaus passed for 363 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. He also scored the Cougars’ lone rushing touchdown.
Kyle Williams set a bowl record with 172 receiving yards. Leo Pulasi keyed the Cougs with 61 rushing yards.
Washington State made it a one-score game, 35-28, late in the third quarter on a 42-yard catch and run by Carlos Hernandez.
Williams tied the game, 14-all, on an electrifying 66-yard catch and run.
Redshirt junior receiver Josh Meredith represented East County on the Cougars roster. The Valhalla High School alumnus scored a touchdown on a blocked punt to push the Cougars to a 21- 14 lead with 17 seconds to play in the opening quarter.
Meredith, who also played at Mater Dei Catholic High School, had five catches in the game for 30 yards, including one 22-yarder.
Brothers Dean and Jack Janikowki, both Cathedral Catholic alums from Fallbrook, also represented San Diego County on the Washington State roster. Dean Janikowski chalked up five kicking points and a 42-yard punt while Jack Janikowski had a 12-yard kick return.
With back-to-back crowds of 36,242 and 35,317 in its final two years at Petco Park, the Holiday Bowl will now be looking to establish itself at Snapdragon Stadium.
