McCord pushes Orange to eighth win of the season
McCord pushes SU Football to eighth win
Kyle McCord becomes Syracuse’s passing yard leader in 31-24 victory against Connecticut.
On a chilly Saturday before Thanksgiving, Syracuse Football showed appreciation to its seniors before its 31-24 win over UConn in the dome. A number of notable players were honored, including running back Lequint Allen, tight end Oronde Gadsden II, and linebacker Marlowe Wax.
“They are the big brothers,” head coach Fran Brown responded when asked about his seniors. “I told them, none of my players will ever graduate, and in August, not have a job or be on a team,” he said in reference to his Syracuse 60 program that focuses on life after football.
After an emotional ceremony, Gadsden scored within minutes of the game starting. All it took was two deep balls by quarterback Kyle McCord to give the Orange a quick 7-0 lead.
On the other side, the Huskies started off the game going three and out. It looked like a cupcake game for SU until issues began to arise on both sides of the ball.
On the next drive, kicker Jackson Kennedy missed a 36-yard field goal attempt, a recurring problem for Syracuse this year. UConn took advantage of the blown opportunity, as running back Cam Edwards spun out of a few tackles to take the ball to the house. It was a 71-yard touchdown and one of Syracuse’s most extended plays given up on defense this season.
It was time for Kyle McCord to break the tie by breaking a school record. He threw his second touchdown pass in the second quarter, officially breaking Ryan Nassib’s record for most passing yards in school history. A huge honor for the twenty-two-year-old quarterback; not only does he have a school record in his name, but it only took him one season to achieve this feat.
“It’s a blessing to come here and take a leap of faith. I knew some of the guys, but I did not know what the whole situation was going to be like,” McCord responded postgame. “To come here and have the year that I’ve had, that says a lot about the coaches and the teammates around me to make this happen.”
The scoring continued for Syracuse later in the quarter as Lequint Allen punched the ball into the endzone for a one-yard touchdown. However, UConn kept lurking around for the rest of the game. Quarterback Joe Fagnano found the holes in the Orange’s secondary and used that to his advantage. Another missed field goal by Syracuse marked the end of the first half. The score was 21-14 in favor of Syracuse.
The third quarter was full of defense, as both teams walked away with a field goal each, making the score 24-17.
The offense put the game away in the fourth after McCord snuck his way in for another six points from the one-yard line. The Huskies were able to score one more touchdown after a long drive but failed to recover the onside kick.
The Orange had the ball with 1:27 left in the game, so McCord did what was best for the team: kneel out the clock.
Following the game’s conclusion, the main topic on SU’s mind was next Saturday’s match against No. 11 Miami at 3:30 p.m. in the dome. It is the final game of the regular season for the Orange, and it’s against the most formidable opponent on their schedule. During his press conference, Fran Brown pointed out the importance of next week’s contest.
“Coach Saban, I’m going to need you to talk to those people at GameDay and have them come,” he said when asked about the possibility of ESPN making an appearance. “Me and you are cool, so I need you to push for you all to come here for the Syracuse and Miami game. There will be no better place to be next week, and I can’t wait for you guys to hopefully accept the challenge.”
is a contributor for The NewsHouse.
is a contributor for The NewsHouse.