SAN DIEGO (AP) – Kyle McCord threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns, breaking Deshaun Watson’s Atlantic Coast Conference season passing record and depleting No. 22 Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday. However, he led the team to a 52-35 victory over weaker Washington State University. Friday night.
LuQuinto Allen had his second consecutive 1,000-yard season with 120 yards and two touchdowns for the Orange (10-3), who have their first 10-win season since 2018. Fran Brown joined Paul Pasqualoni (1991) as the Orange’s only coach. They won 10 games in their first season after World War II.
McCord, the national passing leader, finished with 4,326 yards, fifth on the ACC’s season list, but needed 268 yards to break Watson’s record of 4,593 yards in 15 games at Clemson in 2016. . McCord broke the record by one yard on the Orange’s first play of the second half with a 50-yard pass to Darrell Gill Jr., who made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch. McCord finished with 4,779 yards.
McCord completed 24 of 34 attempts. Gill had four catches for 145 yards and Jackson Meeks had five catches for 110 yards. Trevor Pena and Orondo Gadsden each had two touchdown catches.
The Cougars (8-5) lost their fourth straight game, losing coach Jake Dickert to Wake Forest and quarterback John Matthia to Oklahoma, along with their coordinator and quarterbacks and running backs coach. Even though more than 20 players participated, the event was lively. Transfer portal.
Xavi Eckhaus threw just seven passes in the regular season as Mattia’s backup, but he threw for 363 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Kyle Williams had 10 catches for 172 yards, breaking Dez Bryant’s 2008 Holiday Bowl receiving record of 168 yards.
Washington State scored two touchdowns in just over a minute late in the first quarter to take a 21-14 lead. Kyle Williams caught a short pass for a 66-yard touchdown. On Syracuse’s next possession, Leon Neal Jr. blocked a punt and Josh Meredith returned it 12 yards for a score.
Syracuse scored three points in the second quarter to take a 35-21 lead. McCord threw scoring passes of 18 and 5 yards to Orondo Gadsden II, sandwiched by Allen’s 2-yard touchdown run.
Syracuse was a 17-point favorite, according to BetMGM.
takeout
Syracuse: McCord set school single-season records with 4,779 passing yards, 34 touchdown passes, 391 completions and 558 attempts.
Washington State: The Cougars took the lead midway through the first quarter on a 4-yard keeper by Eckhaus and held close until being overwhelmed in the second half.
to the next
Syracuse begins its 2025 schedule on Aug. 30 against Tennessee at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Washington State must hire a new coach for next season. Next season, the team will play its neighbor on the Palouse River, Idaho State, on Aug. 30 in Pullman.
