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It took two snaps for Syracuse to assert its dominance against UConn Saturday. Kyle McCord dropped back from SU’s 25-yard line and fired a deep bomb down the right sideline to Darrell Gill Jr. for 53 yards.

“Coming out with energy, staying locked in and staying on that high wave. That’s really what set the tone for the whole game,” Gill said postgame.

McCord peered to his left on the next play, finding Oronde Gadsden II in the corner of the end zone for a score. It was just 50 seconds in, yet the Orange had already garnered a 7-0 lead.

The touchdown pass was SU’s first first-quarter touchdown since its Oct. 4 matchup with UNLV, setting up an eventual defeat of the Huskies. Syracuse (8-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) took down UConn (7-4, Independent) 31-24 in its penultimate game of the regular season. It marks the fifth time in the 21st century the Orange eclipsed the eight-win mark and the first since 2018.

“I told them that this game was the biggest game of the year because this helped show that we’re building a program again,” SU head coach Fran Brown said postgame.

McCord further cemented his legacy in the contest. He now stands alone as Syracuse’s single-season record leader in passing yards (3,946) and tied for touchdowns (26). SU’s quarterback needed 273 yards and two touchdowns to match Ryan Nassib’s 2012 marks entering the game.

He reached both marks with two touchdowns and 470 passing yards, all while starting the contest a perfect 12-of-12 and finishing at 78%. His passing yards mark also is second for a single game in SU history, just 12 yards off Nassib’s 482 against Northwestern in 2012.

“Now, I have a standard of what a quarterback needs to look like if being here,” Brown said of McCord. “Not necessarily statistically and all those things, because that’s hard. But just in reference to how you prep, how to prepare. I think he eliminates the process of not doing well because he prepares himself so much.”

“It was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” McCord said of coming to SU.

McCord dictated the game throughout the afternoon. Following SU’s first-drive score and a three-and-out from the Huskies, McCord fired a third-and-7 pass through the middle of the field. His strike slipped through the hands of a UConn defender before wide receiver Jackson Meeks corralled it with his right hand, securing the catch and moving the sticks.

SU drove downfield and found the end zone again, but the touchdown was negated following an offensive pass interference call. On an ensuing field goal attempt, Jackson Kennedy missed wide right.

The Huskies quickly made Kennedy and Co. pay. After falling short on its first three plays again, UConn tested Syracuse’s defense on fourth-and-1 from its own 29. Running back Cam Edwards looked to be stopped short on an attempt through the middle, but he evaded the pileup, going untouched the rest of the way to tie the game at 7-7.

As Syracuse’s offense reclaimed the lead, McCord often looked to Gill. The sophomore caught two passes along the left sideline, tip-toeing down the perimeter to set up the Orange in the red zone. Gadsden caught a pass down to the UConn five and SU punched it in with Trebor Peña a few plays later on the first play of the second quarter.

The touchdown tied Nassib’s mark while handing the Orange a 14-7 lead. Syracuse’s defense then bunkered down. UConn’s offense has been balanced this season, averaging 200.3 rushing yards per game compared to 201.9 passing. However, the unit couldn’t get anything going until the half’s final drive.

The Huskies, led by Joe Fagnano, passed for 111 yards in the first half. With Edwards’ long run as an outlier, UConn totaled 83 yards on the ground through 30 minutes.

Syracuse doubled its lead near the end of the second quarter. Multiple slices through the middle of the field by McCord broke the single-season passing record.

“He’s the best quarterback in the country. I mean, what can you really say about that?” Gadsden said.

“Best quarterback in the country. I ain’t got nothing else to say,” Gill added.

A LeQuint Allen Jr. one-yard rush pushed SU’s lead to 21-7 to close the drive. Allen Jr.’s been effective lately, with his score Saturday bringing him to eight touchdowns over his last four games. UConn answered with a touchdown through the air, but the Orange rushed downfield with 32 seconds to attempt to close out the half with a 52-yard field goal. The kick went wide, keeping SU’s lead at 21-14.

Following a defensive stop to start the second half, Syracuse’s offense stalled out. That was until a fake punt from the Orange. A direct snap went to Gadsden, who bulldozed up the middle for 12 yards to move the sticks. SU went for it on a fourth-and-5 a few plays later but fell short.

Another SU stop gave McCord the ball back. This time, with Peña out for the game, the quarterback looked to Meeks and Gill to shoulder the load. First, it was to Meeks on a play-action rollout for 24 yards. Then Gill added 32, setting up SU in the red zone. The sophomore posted a career game, totaling 177 yards on nine receptions. Though Syracuse’s offense fizzled out, settling for a 23-yard field goal to push the lead to 24-14 with under five to play in the third quarter.

Pinned in its own end on the next drive, SU punted and the Huskies started at its 34. Syracuse forced a field goal, entering the fourth quarter leading by seven. It all but closed the door on a UConn comeback with 10 minutes to play. A five-minute, 10-play drive ended in a quarterback sneak from McCord, extending SU’s lead to 14.

A UConn touchdown with 90 seconds to play cut into the deficit. The contest, however, felt further apart than what was on the scoreboard. SU dominated time of possession at a 37:26-22:34 margin. In the end, it was simply McCord’s day. The signal caller changed record books forever, pushing Syracuse to one of its best seasons in recent memory with one game remaining.

The once-cast-away quarterback who transferred in from Ohio State has seemingly found a new home at Syracuse, just as his head coach envisioned.

“It’s exactly what coach Fran told me it was going to be. But I guess 11 months later, to see it all play out just like he said, looking back on it, it was a great decision to come here,” McCord said.

Published on November 23, 2024 at 3:33 pm

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky