By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo: AP/Denis Poroy
Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord led the No. 21 Orange to victory after beating Washington State Cougars, 52-35.
Kyle McCord was named Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP, and Elijah Clark won Defensive MVP. McCord made 24-of-34 completions and threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns.
With his performance, he set a single-season ACC passing record for most yards in a single season.
https://twitter.com/ACCFootball/status/1872858493453308344
“I came here a year ago and just to see how it all worked out; it’s exactly what the coach said it would be,” McCord said during the trophy presentation. “Standing on the stage with 10 wins with these guys behind me means the world.”
McCord was the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes last season. He got hammered by critics, and to a certain degree, he didn’t feel appreciated or wanted.
What he has done for this Syracuse program this season exceeded the expectations. Many didn’t think he would have this kind of performance and laughed at the fact that he went from Ohio State to Syracuse.
McCord fits perfectly in the Syracuse system. When he hit the transfer portal, McCord didn’t know what his future would be, but it took one coach to believe in him and convince him that he was worthy of playing for the program.
“Coach Fran sat in my living room and gave me the keys to his program,” McCord said. “To see it all play out 12 months later with these guys, man, you can’t script that any better.”
The Orange and Cougars put up an offensive-caliber performance. The Cougars were outnumbered before the game started.
The Cougars had about 30 players leaving to enter the transfer portal, and several coaches were also heading out the exit door. But they managed to hang on for as long as they could against Syracuse.
McCord is riding next season with a lot of momentum. He could be in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy if he continues to put performances like the one on Friday night.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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