Passing leader McCord keeps Syracuse on the ground as Orange grinds out a 33-25 win over Cal

BERKELEY, Calif. -- , Syracuse picked off a pair of Fernando Mendoza passes and completely stifled California's offense while mounting a surprising ground attack to lift the Orange to a decisive 33-25 win on Saturday. Kyle McCord , who leads the nation in completions, was 29 for 46 for 323 yards. LeQuint Allen ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns while Jackson Kennedy converted all four attempted field goals to remain perfect on the season. “To start fast and get them early, that was big, and I think both sides of the ball did that," McCord said. “The defense created some takeaways, and then the offense putting up 27 first-half points was big.” Syracuse led by as many as three scores after Mendoza threw two early interceptions. "The sideline said ‘Ball’, and I looked , and I high-pointed it,” said Davien Kerr , who had the second Syracuse pick.