Syracuse Football: Top 10 QBs in School History

Don McPherson finished 2nd in Heisman voting and (in our hearts) led Cuse to an undefeated season.  Enough said.

Actually, we have more to say about McPherson.  He had an incredible career, as McPherson was the primary QB for the Cuse from 1985-1987.  He led the Orange in passing in each of those years and rushing from 1985-1986.

Don’s career stats were extremely solid.  He passed for just short of 6,000 yards, rocketed 46 touchdowns, and had a career passer rating of almost 140.  He also surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards and came up just short of 20 career scores on the ground.

Wow…

McPherson’s senior season is what easily puts him this high on the list.  He led the Orange to a record of 11-0-1, ultimately tying with Auburn in the Sugar Bowl.  McPherson also came up just short of becoming the 2nd player in Syracuse history to win the Heisman, as Tim Brown took it home.

His 1987 stats show why McPherson almost won the Heisman and got Cuse their second chip.  That season alone he passed for almost 2,500 yards and over 20 touchdowns.  His completion percentage was shy of 60%, but he averaged over 10 yards per completion.  On the ground, McPherson scrambled for 230 yards and 5 TDs.  He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

Unfortunately, McPherson never amounted to much in the NFL.  However, he will forever be a college legend, and that is good enough for me.