As Syracuse football prepares for the upcoming Holiday Bowl, its opponent is dealing with a wave of departures before the game even kicks off, while reaffirming its commitment to playing in next Friday’s game in San Diego.

Wake Forest hired Washington State's Jake Dickert on Wednesday, two days after Dave Clawson resigned unexpectedly after 11 seasons.

Dickert, 41, had been the defensive coordinator when he took over during the 2021 season as the Cougars' interim coach after Washington State fired Nick Rolovich for refusing a state mandate that all employees get vaccinated against COVID-19. Dickert led the team to a 3-3 finish to earn the permanent job, then went 20-17 in the three seasons since.

WSU Athletic Director Anne McCoy said Wednesday afternoon on social media that Pete Kaligis, current assistant head coach and defensive tackles coach, will serve as Cougars acting head coach for next Friday’s Holiday Bowl, which kicks off at 8 p.m. and will air on Fox.

Former Washington State quarterback John Mateer is also leaving the program, having announced that he is heading to Oklahoma.

The move comes two weeks after Oklahoma announced it hired ex-Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle for the same position with the Sooners.

Mateer posted a photo of Oklahoma's Memorial Stadium with the words “Praise God!!” and “#BoomerSooner” on social media Wednesday night. He passed for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns with seven interceptions and ran for 826 yards and 15 scores for the Cougars this season. The Cougars went 8-4 and averaged 36.8 points.

Mateer is in line to replace Jackson Arnold, who has transferred to Auburn.

McCoy said in a press conference this week that the departures — the program has seen more than 20 players enter the NCAA’s transfer portal, according to a Seattle Times report — would not keep the Cougars from playing in the Holiday Bowl.

“We are not pulling out. We are very committed” to playing, she said, noting that the program has told Holiday Bowl officials the same. “We’re prioritizing our team, and rightfully so, because they’ve earned that right, and they deserve it from us. … We’re in. We’re 100% in.”

McCoy added that it’s part of the “new world of college athletics and football,” and that it’s an ebb-and-flow situation from year to year.

“We’re seeing this at a lot of institutions,” she said. “A lot of schools lost a ton of players in the portal last year, and we were fortunate that we didn’t. This year, we’ve got a lot in the portal. … I think it’s everywhere. I think many programs are going through this.”