Kyle McCord threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns as host Syracuse defeated No. 23 Georgia Tech 31-28 on Saturday in Atlantic Coast Conference action.
McCord, a highly regarded transfer from Ohio State, finished 32 of 46 without a turnover, while finding Oronde Gadsden II and Trebor Pena for two scores apiece. Gadsden racked up six catches for 93 yards for the Orange (2-0, 1-0 ACC), while Pena finished with six receptions for 88 yards.
Playing as a ranked team for the first time since 2015, the Yellow Jackets (2-1, 1-1) were led by dynamic quarterback Haynes King, who threw for 259 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 67 yards and two scores.
Georgia Tech made a furious push in the final minutes but was unable to stop the Orange on their final possession.
Syracuse was in rhythm from the start, scoring a touchdown on three of its first four drives. The only missed opportunity during that stretch came on a 13-play drive that ended in a blocked field goal.
McCord opened the scoring with a nicely thrown back-shoulder pass to Pena, who slipped into the end zone just 2 1/2 minutes into the game. King then drew the visitors even when he kept his balance on a backfield tackle attempt and ran in for a 21-yard score.
Early in the second quarter, McCord and Pena hooked up for their second 11-yard TD strike of the day. After the Orange defense forced a four-and-out, the offense cashed in on McCord’s 20-yard TD pass to Gadsden.
Things were looking great for Syracuse when it stuffed Georgia Tech on fourth down early in the fourth quarter and then went ahead 31-14 on McCord’s well-thrown 17-yard TD pass to Gadsden.
However, the Yellow Jackets scored two touchdowns down the stretch. First, they found the end zone on a 4-yard pass from King to Chase Lane. Then, following a successful onside kick, Georgia Tech’s Jamal Haynes scampered in from 15 yards out to make it 31-28 with 2:31 to play.
Georgia Tech opted to kick it deep and never got the ball back. McCord’s 13-yard pass to Gadsden on third-and-10 essentially sealed the outcome.
