It was easy to pick out good performances week one for Syracuse football. A 38-22 win over Ohio saw dominant offensive plays to go along with a few impressive defensive stands. Now people are starting to take notice, as Syracuse played picked up three individual awards in the days following the games.
Quarterback Kyle McCord had a career game, going for four touchdowns and 354 yards in the air. This was enough to land McCord a spot on the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list for week one.
Expectations were high for McCord after his offseason transfer from Ohio State and he for the most part lived up to the hype week one. After a slow first quarter, McCord was able to find eight different targets in the win.
One of those targets, Oronde Gadsden, found himself on a week one awards list as well. The tight end was playing in his first game in nearly a year due to a lisfranc injury. But it was hard to tell he had missed time.
The redshirt junior was named to the Pro Football Focus national team of the week as the lone tight end for his week one performance. Gadsden’s day was highlighted by a 28-yard touchdown reception in the second. He finished with seven receptions for over a hundred yards.
The final major recognition thus far came on the defensive side of the ball, as Marlowe Wax was named ACC linebacker of the week by the conference.
Wax’s day was cut short in the third quarter due to a lower-body injury and now is out for about six weeks, according to Head Coach Fran Brown.
But before leaving the game, the senior was dominant. Wax had six tackles (two for loss), a sack and a forced fumble.
While Wax is out for now, both Gadsden and McCord had high expectations entering the 2024 campaign and performed in week one. But as the schedule picks up with a top-25 opponent in #23 Georgia Tech this week, award-worthy performances will be all the more necessary for the Orange.
