Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord had a tough match against Pitt last Thursday. He threw three pick-sixes and five total interceptions. It was rough from the start.
Good quarterbacks are quick to move on from their mistakes, and McCord definitely has the experience to make that happen given his tenure at Ohio State ahead of Syracuse. For goodness’ sake, McCord played in arguably college football’s biggest game: Michigan vs Ohio State. He had to endure a loss in this contest, making a late game-changing interception.
All in all, McCord’s been through a lot. However, losses are hard for him, as he’s not used to that feeling. He’s been a winning quarterback, a reality that became evident to Syracuse fans after the team lost to Stanford. McCord was visibly frustrated because of this. He came from a winning program, and this loss was a shock for him because he’s rarely experienced losing in his career. In Syracuse’s case, this notion is a good problem to have.
Despite giving the ball away too many times last week, McCord still finished the game with over 300 passing yards, which is impressive. Much of this can be attributed to Syracuse quickly regaining possession after allowing a quick six points.
The downside is that McCord threw zero touchdowns. He fired at least two TD passes in all six games prior to the Pitt match.
Now McCord faces another tough ACC defense. Virginia Tech comes to the Dome on Saturday. The Hokies allow the third least amount of points in the conference, behind Cal and Duke. VT also has the second-best passing defense in the ACC, giving up less than 200 yards in the air per game.
The good news for Syracuse is that McCord is back home for the first time in more than a month. He needs a bounce back, but it won’t be easy against another tough, gritty squad. Kickoff is Saturday at noon.
