Kyle McCord set a new Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) record for most passing yards in a season during a 52-35 victory over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl on Friday night. McCord broke the previous record held by Deshaun Watson, who had set it with 4,593 yards in 2016 while playing for Clemson. McCord, who entered the game with 4,326 yards, needed 268 yards to surpass Watson’s mark. He achieved this on Syracuse’s first play of the second half, completing a 50-yard pass to Darrell Gill Jr., who made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch.
McCord finished the game with 453 passing yards and five touchdowns, helping the Orange secure a 10-3 record under first-year head coach Fran Brown. The record-breaking performance brought McCord’s total to 4,779 passing yards for the season, setting a new ACC milestone.
Reflecting on the achievement, McCord, who transferred from Ohio State, expressed amazement at how things had come full circle for him.
Coach Fran Brown praised Kyle McCord, describing him as selfless and highly competitive. Brown emphasized that McCord’s focus is always on the team, not on himself. He recalled witnessing McCord’s competitiveness during the team’s first workout together.
Brown shared a story from the weight room, where the team was doing push-ups in an older facility. McCord, one of the last to begin, kept pushing through even as others stopped. His determination stood out, and from that moment on, Brown recognized McCord’s toughness. According to the coach, McCord continuously proved his resilience and relentless attitude.