After Kyle McCord threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns in his first game for Syracuse, first-time head coach Fran Brown thought about sending a bottle of champagne to Ohio State coach Ryan Day.
If McCord keeps performing like this, Brown might need to do even more.
The Orange are off to a 2-0 start, including an upset against then-No. 23 Georgia Tech, and much of the credit goes to the former Buckeyes quarterback, whose transfer to upstate New York surprised many.
McCord leads the nation in touchdown passes per game (4.0) and ranks second in passing yards per game (367.5). He and the Orange are third in the country and second in the ACC for passing offense.
The New Jersey native has already set personal records in completions and yards and matched his best of four touchdown passes in the victory over Georgia Tech.
These early successes have helped erase the “sour taste” from how last season ended for McCord — a season-ending loss to Michigan and uncertainty about his role as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, despite leading the team to an 11-1 record.
He finished the season with 24 touchdown passes and just six interceptions while completing nearly 66% of his throws. Not measuring up to his predecessors, Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud, didn’t help either.
“I thought we should move in one direction. They didn’t see it that way, so it was kind of a quick decision to get in the portal,” McCord said. “Things happened rather quickly.”
The early results, which have caught the attention of NFL scouts, have been rewarding for McCord, who admitted he is playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
“Any time you step on the football field there’s something to prove, but especially given the way last year went and especially how it ended, I definitely felt like I needed to come here and prove myself,” he said before Friday night’s game against Stanford. “I know the player I am and what I’m capable of.”
Even though things have been going well, it was surprising that the former five-star recruit from St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia transferred from a top program to Syracuse, which has had mostly average results since joining the ACC. He is the highest-ranked player to choose Syracuse since ESPN started tracking recruiting in 2006.
McCord’s long-standing relationships with head coach Fran Brown, whom he has known since sixth grade, as well as quarterbacks coach Nunzio Campanile and offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon, played a big role in his decision to join the Orange.
Brown, known as one of the best recruiters in the country, called McCord just hours after he entered the transfer portal. He flew to Columbus, and they talked for about three hours in McCord’s apartment.
“I’ve known coach Brown forever and there’s a great team around me. There was really no doubt about the decision, but if you were to have asked me right after the season, did I think things would go like this I’d say no, but at the end of the day things happen for a reason,” McCord said.
“Obviously it (last season) didn’t end in a picture-perfect way, but to land on my feet, in a situation like this, with coaches like this and players like this, I’m blessed. Sometimes things have to fall apart for things to come together. This is definitely one of those situations.”
Brown’s message about starting a new chapter in Syracuse football also resonated with McCord.
“Coach Fran’s biggest message to me was that this is a completely new era for Syracuse football. He said, ‘I want it to start with me and you.’ It means a lot to me,” McCord recalled. “Growing up in the Northeast I know the rich history of Syracuse football.
A lot of greats have put the uniform on here. To have the opportunity to bring it back to where it once was means a lot. I don’t take that responsibility lightly.” His coach is excited to have him.
“He’s a good player. A really good player, and I think he’s been showing that consistently,” Brown said. “I get the opportunity to coach him. I’m thankful and blessed that he’s here at Syracuse.
He needed to do what was best for him to be successful. Sometimes you need change. I think he needed a change.”
