The Syracuse Orange started a new offense last weekend and there is an immediate difference in the passing game.

Kyle McCord set career highs with 27 completions, 354 yards and four touchdowns against Ohio. He distributed the ball to eight different receivers, and when you look at where he threw the ball, you can see how different his passing game is from years past.

McCord was particularly successful on short passes, completing 14-16 passes within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. Syracuse gained 115 yards on those plays, meaning the ball gets to open receivers who can gain yards after the catch.

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What stands out to me are 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 for an offense that can punish defenses that try to cheat toward the line. McCord has hit 4 of 8 on those attempts, and that doesn’t include a long completion that was called back for holding.

PFF also gave McCord two “big time throws” on long attempts, describing them as “a pass with excellent ball position and timing that is generally thrown further back in the field and/or in a tighter window.”

The Orange’s offensive line kept the pocket clean for the most part, as McCord was only pressured on nine dropbacks. We’ve heard all along that he’s very good when he has time and space to make throws, and that was evident last week.