Good morning, and welcome back to CFB Roundup from CFB Home – the first daily newsletter that’s all college football, all the time with no bias, no slant, and no fluff.

YESTERDAY’S RESULTS:

TODAY’S SCHEDULE:

Betting Information as of time of writing

#21 Syracuse Beats Washington State in DirecTV Holiday Bowl 52-35 Thanks to 21-0 2nd Quarter

#21 Syracuse beat Washington State last night in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl by a final score of 52-35 after the Orange scored 21 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter.

Washington State actually scored two touchdowns in the last 1:22 of the first quarter to take a 21-14 lead into the 2nd quarter, but 21-point 2nd quarter gave Syracuse a lead that never got closer than a touchdown. After another 17 unanswered points in the second half, this game was basically over as a touchdown from Washington State with only seconds left (which was an important score for gamblers) ended this one 52-35.

Syracuse finished with over 600 yards and only got 3rd down 6 total times despite running 60 plays, largely because the Orange ran those 60 plays for an average of over 10 yards per play.

Washington State QB Zevi Eckhaus finished 31/43 for 363 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions as he filled in for John Mateer, who is transferring to Oklahoma. Eckhaus also ran for a touchdown, finishing with a rushing statline of 11/28/1. But Washington State was led by Leo Pulalasi (14/61) on the ground. For receivers, Kyle Williams (10/172/1) actually led all receivers in this game, with Carlos Hernandez (8/80/1) also showing out for the Cougs.

For Syracuse, QB Kyle McCord finished 24/34 for 453 yards, 5 touchdowns, and no interceptions, a performance that earned him Holiday Bowl MVP honors. RB LeQuint Allen (17/120/2 rushing; 3/45/1 receiving) could arguably have been player of the game, too. Leading the Orange in receiving were some combination of Allen, Darren Gill Jr. (4/145), Jackson Meeks (5/110), Oronde Gadsden II (4/74/2), and Trebor Pena (5/70/2).

McCord finished the season with 4,779 passing yards, which is a new ACC record for passing yards in a season, shattering Deshaun Watson’s 2016 number of 4,593.

And Syracuse finishes with 10 wins for the first time since 2018, when Dino Babers and the Orange finished 10-3 and with a win in the Camping World Bowl. This is also just the 3rd time in the last 32 years that Syracuse finished with 10 wins.

Navy Beats Oklahoma 21-20 in Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl as Oklahoma Fails to Pick Up 2-Pt Conversion with Seconds Left

Oklahoma scored, down a touchdown, with just 6 seconds left, but failed the 2-point conversion to try and win the game outright in regulation. In doing so, Navy would go on to win the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl 21-20.

Oklahoma got out to a quick 14-0 lead, but Navy proceeded to score 21 unanswered points, including a 95-yard Blake Horvath touchdown run for Navy’s longest play from scrimmage in program history.

Looking at the final box score, it’s not necessarily obviously that Navy beat Oklahoma, considering Oklahoma outgained Navy (433-318), outconverted Navy (13/23-5/15), and picked up significantly more first downs (27-11). But one key area that Navy excelled with in yards per play, finishing with 6 yards per play compared to Oklahoma’s 5.15.

For Oklahoma, QB Michael Hawkins Jr. finished 28/43 for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns while also rushing for 61 yards on 17 attempts. Gavin Sawchuk (13/67/1) led the Sooners on the ground, though. Ivan Carreon (7/72) and Zion Kearney (2/66/1) were the pair of Sooners pass catchers who led the way.

For Navy, QB Blake Horvath finished 7/12 for 92 yards, with Nathan Kent (1/32) the leading receiver for the Midshipmen. Eli Heidenreich is normally a big playmaker for Navy, but he was quiet, going for 4/23 on the ground and 2/22 in the receiving game. Horvath led all rushers in this game (18/155/2) with Alex Tecza (15/43/1) the other touchdown scorer.

Texas A&M Blows 17-Point Lead to USC in SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl

USC won the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl over Texas A&M 35-31 after being down 24-7 late in the 3rd quarter. However, USC outscored Texas A&M 28-7 in the last 18 or 19 minutes of this one to win. USC won the game on a 7-yard pass with just 8 seconds left.

Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed finished 26/42 passing for 292 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Reed also ran for 46 yards and a touchdown on 9 attempts. RBs Rueben Owens (13/56) and EJ Smith (5/36 rushing; 2/44 receiving) also contributed. No Aggies had more than 50 receiving yards, but the Aggies’ main pass catchers were Jabre Barber (7/48/1) and Jahdae Walker (3/46).

For USC, QB Jayden Maiava finished 22/39 passing for 295 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. The two main rushers were Bryan Jackson (16/66/1) and A’Marion Peterson (12/43). And despite most of the receiving weapons in the portal, Ja’Kobi Lane (7/127/3), Makai Lemon (6/99), and Kyle Ford (6/59/1) all showed up in a big way for the Trojans.

Arkansas Wins AutoZone Liberty Bowl 39-26 Over Texas Tech With Big 1st and 3rd Quarters

Arkansas beat Texas Tech 39-26 in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl with a big first and 3rd quarter, as the Razorbacks outscored the Red Raiders 31-3 in those two quarters.

On the whole, Arkansas outgained Texas Tech 559-497, won the turnover battle 2-1, and outconverted the Raiders 8/15-5/14.

Texas Tech’s QB, true freshman Will Hammond, made his first career start, finishing 20/34 for 280 yards, a passing touchdown, and 2 interceptions, while also adding 14 rushing yards on 5 attempts. RBs J’Koby Williams (15/123/1) and Cameron Dickey (15/74) kept the Red Raider offense moving.

In the receiving game, Caleb Douglas (5/115) did the lion’s share of the work, with Coy Eakin (4/47/1) also contributing by finding the end zone.

For Arkansas, QB Taylen Green only completed 11 (of 21) passes but threw for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns, including each receivers’ longest reception on the day being more than 30 yards. Dazmin James (3/137/1, long of 94), Isaac TeSlaa (3/107, long of 56), CJ Brown (4/50, long of 31), and Tyrell Reed Jr. (1/47/1) were the pass catchers for the Razorbacks.

Green also tied for the most rushing yards for the Razorbacks, with 81 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Rodney Hill (8/81) and Braylen Russell (20/50/1) were the other main ball carriers.

Vanderbilt Beats Georgia Tech 35-27 in the Birmingham Bowl to Finish with a Winning Record, Bowl Win for 1st Time Since 2013

Vanderbilt won a postseason game and finished with a winning record for the first time since 2013 as it beat Georgia Tech 35-27 in the Birmingham Bowl.

Vandy QB Diego Pavia contributed 5 touchdowns to the cause, as Vanderbilt also won the turnover battle 2-0 even though they lost the yardage battle by almost 100 yards.

Pavia finished 13/21 passing for 160 yards and 3 touchdowns, with Eli Stowers (4/55/1), Loic Founoji (1/40), Sedrick Alexander (3/31), and Cole Spence (3/17/1) the main targets. Pavia also ran for 84 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries, while Alexander also contributed 13/32 on the ground.

For Georgia Tech, QB Haynes King had a strong game passing, finishing with an efficient 25/33 for 204 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception, with 7 different Yellow Jackets catching multiple passes. Abdul Janneh Jr. (3/34), Jamal Haynes (5/32/1), and Malik Rutherford (3/32) were the 3 to pick up at least 30 receiving yards. Haynes (17/136) also led all rushers in this one.

West Virginia Transfer OL Tomas Rimac Commits to Virginia Tech

West Virginia transfer OL Tomas Rimac committed to Virginia Tech recently, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Rimac started in 28 games for the Mountaineers, earning Honorable Mention status for the All-Big 12 teams this season.

This move for Rimac is one where he is following his OL Coach from WVU to VT after some coaching turnover at West Virginia following Neal Brown’s firing.

The On3 portal composite rankings places Rimac 36th nationally and 2nd at the IOL position for players in the transfer portal currently.

Northwestern Transfer OL Josh Thompson Commits to LSU

Northwestern transfer OL Josh Thompson is transferring to LSU for his final season of eligibility. Thompson was highly sought after in the portal, receiving interest from some other top SEC and Big Ten programs, like Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee, and others.

Thompson visited Baton Rouge last week and is seen as a plug-and-play option for the Tigers in 2025 after a couple of top OL are leaving for the NFL.

According to On3’s transfer portal rankings, Thompson was the 4th ranked IOL and 46th ranked player in the portal nationally.

Wisconsin DB Xavier Lucas Claims Wisconsin Not Allowing Him to Enter Portal

Wisconsin DB Xavier Lucas was reported to be planning to enter the portal back on December 19th, where he was anticipated to be fairly sought after as a Top 250 player nationally in the portal.

However, Lucas went public yesterday sharing that he is not allowed to speak with other schools, still, because Wisconsin has refused to enter him into the portal despite meeting all the requirements to be in the portal.

Lucas was a 4-star DB in the Class of 2024 before playing in 11 games for the Badgers as a true freshman DB. It’s rumored he would be looking to transfer to Miami, who nearly flipped Lucas right before the end of the last recruiting cycle.

LSU LB Harold Perkins Announces Return for 2025

LSU LB Harold Perkins announced he intends to return to the Tigers for 2025 after missing most of 2024 with a torn ACL in LSU’s 4th game of the season.

Perkins was a preseason All-American after having a strong first two seasons with LSU, that included a combined 146 tackles, 13 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, and 4 pass breakups. In 2023, he was All-SEC Second Team.

Perkins was ranked as the 6th highest ranked off-ball LB according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. for the 2025 NFL Draft, but this opportunity allows Perkins to improve his stock and bounce back strong from injury.

Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart Declares for 2025 NFL Draft, but WILL Play in Gator Bowl vs. Duke

Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart announced on social media that he will be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft, but first planned on playing in the Gator Bowl vs. Duke.

Ole Miss faces Duke on January 2nd, and it will be his final time putting on an Ole Miss jersey. After spending one season at USC, Dart transferred in to Ole Miss, throwing for more than 11,000 yards and 77 touchdowns in his career.

He is currently sitting at 3,875 yards and 25 touchdowns on the season, both career highs for a season. He also is leading the SEC in completion percentage, passing yards, yards per completion, and pass yards per game, while leading all of college football in yards per attempt, adjusted yards per attempt, and passer rating.

Other Commitments/Decommitments

3-Star (88) ATH Dreyden Garner commits to Sacramento State

3-Star (86) QB Jamar Malone commits to Sacramento State

Unrated QB Luke Weaver commits to Hawaii

Unrated K Trey Butkowski commits to Pitt