Kyle McCord sets ACC single-season passing yards record, passes Deshaun Watson
Kyle McCord entered Friday’s Holiday Bowl looking to make history. The Syracuse quarterback was in striking distance of Deshaun Watson’s ACC single-season passing record, needing 267 yards to reach that plateau.
In the second half, he did it. McCord took the top spot on the all-time list, breaking Watson’s record set at Clemson in 2016.
McCord connected with Darrell Gill Jr. with a 50-yard pass on his first attempt of the third quarter to hit 268 yards on the night. That moved him up to No. 1 on the ACC’s all-time single-season passing yards list as he closed in on a 4,600-yard campaign. It’s part of an impressive debut season at Syracuse after transferring from Ohio State as the Orange look to reach 10 wins under first-year head coach Fran Brown.
All told, during Friday’s game, McCord totaled 453 passing yards and five touchdowns to help Syracuse to the 52-28 victory over Washington State. That took him to 4,779 passing yards on the year – nearly 200 more than Watson’s previous record of 4,593 in 2016.
“It means the world,” McCord said after accepting the Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP trophy. “Coming here a year ago, just to see how it all worked out, it’s exactly what he said it would be. To be standing on this stage with 10 wins and these guys behind me, it means the world.”
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Kyle McCord completes historic season at Syracuse
McCord entered Friday’s game as one of the top passers in the nation. His 360.5 pass yards per game led the FBS, and he also sat tied for fifth with 29 passing touchdowns on the year entering the Holiday Bowl against Washington State. That put him well on pace for the new ACC record, and he got off to a strong start with 218 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of the high-scoring affair.
Prior to his historic season at Syracuse, McCord spent three years at Ohio State and served as the Buckeyes’ starter in 2023. He threw for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior, but entered the portal after the season with one year of eligibility remaining. It’s safe to say, he made the most of it as he now sits alone atop the ACC’s single-season passing yards list.
For his efforts during the regular season, McCord finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy voting and earned Second Team All-ACC honors. Throughout the year, Brown thanked Ohio State coach Ryan Day multiple times for allowing McCord to come to Syracuse. He did so again after the regular season and made it clear he’s not joking or being disrespectful.
“I’m happy that Kyle was able to go and clear his name, come here and show that he’s a good quarterback,” Brown said. “I got ridiculed for stating that I wanted to send Ryan Day a bottle of champagne where I wasn’t being disrespectful. I was just saying, this guy’s the real deal, and you guys let him come here. Like, great, thank you. I still owe him. Should send him some more, should send him a (expletive) case, not even a bottle. Excuse my language, but just extremely excited and thankful for Kyle.”