"(For what it’s worth: It’s been reported in the past that UW turned down an invitation to face BYU in the Holiday Bowl, though it’s unclear if a formal invitation was extended. A Holiday Bowl spokesperson told The Athletic that UW was one of many teams suggested as an opponent for the WAC champion Cougars, but that the Huskies made it clear they preferred an Orange Bowl bid and thus never were formally invited.)"

Sounds like no formal invitation because Huskies made clear they preferred the Orange Bowl (the more prestigious bowl). Seems a no brainer the Holiday Bowl would have been happy to have them if they were interested.

Others might have more insight with other things.