Facing a 21-0 halftime deficit in the Sun Bowl, the Washington State Cougars nearly pulled off an improbable comeback behind backup quarterback Victor Gabalis, but they could never quite get over the hump and fell to the Central Michigan Chippewas, 24-21, on New Year’s Eve in El Paso, Texas.
The Cougars finish the season 7-6, while Central Michigan finishes 9-4.
The game was as abnormal as the circumstances that led to it; with each team missing key players at important positions because of opt-outs and injuries — and facing opponents for whom they had only been game planning for a few days — there were plenty of mistakes to go around, complemented by some truly bizarre officiating that cut against both teams.