It’s one week but the Orange might be less predictable in the passing game
The Syracuse Orange unleashed a new look offense last weekend and right away there is a noticeable difference in the passing game.
Kyle McCord set career highs with 27 completions, 354 yards and four touchdowns against Ohio. He spread the ball around to eight different receivers and when you look at where he threw the ball, you’ll see how this passing game is different than in years past.
McCord was especially effective on short passes hitting on 14-16 passes within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. Syracuse gained 115 yards on those plays meaning that the ball is getting to open receivers where they can pick up yards after the catch.
Pro Football Focus
What jumps out to me is the attempts of 20 yards or more. This is an area where the Orange have struggled in the past, but McCord (and his receivers) offer hope of an offense that can punish defenses who want to cheat towards the line. McCord hit 4-8 on these attempts and that doesn’t include one long completion that was called back for a hold.
PFF also credited McCord with two “Big Time Throws” on deep attempts. They list those as “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window”.
For the most part the Orange offensive line kept the pocket clean as McCord was only pressured on nine drop backs. We’ve heard all along that he is very good when he’s got time and room to make throws and it certainly showed last week.