Less than a month ago, Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord threw five interceptions in a lopsided loss to Pittsburgh.
McCord and the Orange appear to be back on track but will face a stiff test Saturday when Connecticut visits for a nonconference clash.
In the Oct. 24 defeat to Pitt, McCord threw three pick-sixes in the first half alone. He did not pass for a touchdown against the Panthers, but since he has thrown five TDs and only one INT while the Orange (7-3) are 2-1 over their last three outings.
“I’m biased, but Kyle McCord’s a top-five quarterback in the country,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “He don’t get beat up about it, he don’t complain about it, he’s just, ‘It is what it is, let’s move on to the next thing.’ Without him, our program wouldn’t be where it’s at right now.”
McCord passed for 323 yards and a touchdown Saturday at Cal, helping the Orange earn a 33-25 victory. LeQuint Allen ran for 109 yards and two TDs for Syracuse, while the Orange defense grabbed a pair of interceptions en route to a 27-7 halftime lead.
“I’m proud that they came together and played as a full team (in the) last game — complementary football,” Brown said.
The Huskies (7-3) are coming off a solid game as well, as they rallied with 21 fourth-quarter points to knock off UAB 31-23. Cam Edwards’ 48-yard TD run with 2:39 left proved to be the decisive score as UConn won for the sixth time in seven games.
However, the Huskies had a bye last weekend, so UConn coach Jim Mora Jr. doesn’t expect to receive a ton of momentum from the win over the Blazers.
“That game’s 12 days ago, so that’s way out of our minds,” Mora said Tuesday. “But they’re confident because they practiced well today. That’s how we try to look at it. … That’s where we’re at.”
The former Big East Conference rivals have met 12 times over the years. Most recently, Syracuse posted a 48-14 road win over UConn on Sept. 10, 2022.
