The 8-4 Washington State Cougars will take on 9-3 Syracuse on Friday in the 45th edition of the Holiday Bowl. The Holiday Bowl has taken place in San Diego, Calif., since 1978, and will be held at Snapdragon Stadium for the first time this year.

Though both Washington State and Syracuse have had football programs for at least 130 years, Friday’s game will mark just the second matchup between the two teams. The two teams last played in 1979, when Syracuse earned a 52-25 win.

Syracuse comes into the game ranked No. 22 in the AP Top 25 poll, and riding a three-game winning streak. Washington State comes into the game with significantly less momentum, having lost their last three games.

The Orange will play in their 29th bowl game on Friday, but will make their first appearance in the Holiday Bowl.

Syracuse first appeared in a bowl game in 1953, when they lost to Alabama in the Orange Bowl. The team lost their first three bowl games, and lost six of their first nine bowl game appearances. Their first bowl game win came over Texas in 1959, the same year they won their lone national championship.

The Orange have made three straight bowl games, but have lost each of the last two. They will look to correct course with a win over Washington State.

Washington State first appeared in a bowl game in 1915, when they played in the second edition of the historic Rose Bowl. They have played in the Rose Bowl four times over their history.

The Cougars have also appeared in the Holiday Bowl four different times. They made their first appearance in 1981, the fourth installment of the Holiday Bowl, and most recently in 2017.

Washington State saw their longest streak of bowl games under late coach Mike Leach, who led the Cougars to five straight Holiday Bowls from 2015 to ’19. Washington State went 0-2 in the Holiday Bowl and 2-4 in total bowl games under Leach.

The Orange hold the advantage over the Cougars in bowl game record.

The Washington Commanders will attempt to secure their 11th win of the season against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. Kirk Cousins was the anticipated matchup that Commanders fans were looking forward to. Unfortunately for Cousins, too many turnovers and not enough wins landed him on the bench following the Falcons’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

This is a high-stakes matchup featuring two rookie quarterbacks, Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix, who are attempting to lead their team to a playoff berth. The Commanders still have areas that need improvement; running back Brian Robinson Jr. and Washington’s run game has been stagnant for an extended period. In five out of the last six games, the Commanders’ running backs have averaged 19 carries for 58 yards. The lone exception where the Commanders’ running backs haven’t averaged three yards per carry came against the Tennessee Titans defense, where they rushed for over 200 yards. Daniels’ has carried the running game in recent weeks, mostly on scrambles, which is not sustainable long-term.

On Sunday, Washington must re-establish their identity against Atlanta if they want to have a legitimate shot at advancing in the playoffs. The running game issues are not a one-group issue; the offensive line has struggled to win at the point of attack. Their ability to get back to their early-season ways is not trending in the right direction as defenses have begun to adjust to them. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is very aware of the problem, and aludes to the issue primarily being a player-based issue, but can they get things turned around this week?

You can listen to the full Trap or Dive game post-game recap below. We discussed:

• Falcons offense much better with Penix?
• Can the Commanders run game get back on track before postseason play?
• How Washington should approach Bijan Robinson-led Falcons offense
• Injury updates; Marshon Lattimore and Jon Allen current game status

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A fire ripped through an apartment complex on Christmas Day in Suitland, Maryland, leaving nearly a dozen families displaced.

A cell phone video shows flames shooting through the roof of the apartment building on Curtis Drive. The fire broke out around 5:45 p.m. as families were having dinner and spending time together.

Fire investigators say everyone was able to get out safely. Residents in two buildings were affected by the fire. There was smoke and water damage, and at least a dozen families are getting assistance from the Red Cross, including food, water, blankets and longer term resources.

“That includes financial assistance. It includes mental health support for those who need someone to speak with, someone to talk to, and other recovery resources like replacing eyeglasses, replacing medication,” said Bethany Bray Patterson with the American Red Cross.

Officials say there are more fire hazards around the holidays, from cooking, to heating sources to Christmas trees that haven’t been properly watered.

“Folks are cooking more around the holidays, re inviting their families over there, they’re cooking, we have a lot of open flames with candles and heating sources,” said Assistant Chief Donald Fletcher with Prince George’s County Fire and EMS. “As the temperatures get colder out, we’ll see a lot of space heater fires.”

With that in mind .. firefighters returned to the apartment complex Thursday to speak to residents, provide fire safety information and remind residents of the sometimes hidden fire dangers that come with the holiday season.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, and residents are receiving help finding new housing.

Anyone affected by the fire can call 1-800-RED-CROSS for assistance.