SAN DIEGO – Kyle McCord threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns to break Deshaun Watson’s single-season passing record in the Atlantic Coast Conference and lead No. 22 Syracuse to a 52-35 victory over depleted but struggling Washington in the Holiday Bowl on Friday State to lead night.

LeQuint Allen rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns in his second straight 1,000-yard season for the Orange (10-3), who had their first 10-win season since 2018. Fran Brown joined Paul Pasqualoni (1991) as the only Orange coaches since World War II to win 10 games in their first season.

McCord, the nation’s passing leader, finished fifth on the ACC’s season rushing list with 4,326 yards and needed 268 yards to break Watson’s record of 4,593, which he set in 15 games at Clemson in 2016. McCord broke the record by one yard on the Orange’s first play of the second half with a 50-yard pass to Darrell Gill Jr., who made a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch. McCord finished with 4,779 yards.

McCord was 24 of 34. Gill had 145 yards on four catches and Jackson Meeks had five catches for 110 yards. Trebor Pena and Oronde Gadsden each had two touchdown catches.

The Cougars (8-5) lost their fourth straight game but were spirited despite losing coach Jake Dickert to Wake Forest, quarterback John Mateer to Oklahoma, both coordinators and quarterbacks and running backs coaches and more than 20 Players at the start were transfer portal.

Zevi Eckhaus, who threw just seven passes in the regular season as Mateer’s backup, threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Kyle Williams had 10 catches for 172 yards, breaking Dez Bryant’s Holiday Bowl record of 168 yards in 2008.

Washington State took a 21-14 lead late in the first quarter with two touchdowns in just over a minute. Kyle Williams caught a short pass and turned it into a 66-yard touchdown. On Syracuse’s ensuing possession, Leon Neal Jr. blocked a punt and Josh Meredith returned it 12 yards for the score.

Syracuse scored three goals in the second quarter to lead 35-21. McCord threw scoring passes of 18 and 5 yards to Oronde Gadsden II, sandwiched around a 2-yard touchdown run by Allen.

Syracuse was a 17-point favorite, according to the report.

The snack bar

Syracuse: McCord increased his single-season school records to 4,779 passing yards, 34 touchdown passes, 391 completions and 558 attempts.

Washington State: The Cougars scored first on Eckhaus’ 4-yard keeper midway through the first quarter and stayed close until overwhelmed in the second half.

Next

Syracuse opens its 2025 schedule against Tennessee on Aug. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Washington State must hire a new coach for next season, which begins Aug. 30 in Pullman against Idaho, its neighbor on the Palouse.

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