15 Greatest QB/WR Duos of All Time

1995: Syracuse

Donovan McNabb and Marvin Harrison

When Donovan McNabb was a freshman, Marvin Harrison was a senior. The year was 1995.

After redshirting in ’94, McNabb took over the offense as if it had been his all along. He threw for 1,991 yards and 16 passing touchdowns, and just six interceptions.

McNabb’s 61.8 pass completion percentage, 16 passing touchdowns and 162.3 passing efficiency rating led the Big East that season, as did his 9.6 yards per pass attempt, which was second in the nation behind Florida’s Danny Wuerffel.

Harrison, meanwhile, caught 56 passes for 1,131 yards, had 8 receiving touchdowns, and he averaged an awe-inspiring 20.2 yards per catch. Harrison’s receiving yards and yards per reception led the Big East.

As an aside, that same season Harrison also led the Big East in punt return yards (369), punt return yards per return (16.8), and punt return touchdowns (2).

At the end of the 1995 season, Harrison entered the NFL draft and was selected in the first round by the Indianapolis Colts. McNabb also went in the first round three years later, the second overall pick, taken by the Philadelphia Eagles. The rest, as they say, is history.

In their New Year’s Day game against Clemson in the Gator Bowl, which was Syracuse’s first Gator Bowl since 1966, McNabb completed 13 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns, and he also ran for a touchdown. Over half of his completed passes, not to mention passing yards and passing touchdowns, were caught by Harrison, who finished with seven receptions, 173 yards and two touchdowns.

After bludgeoning Clemson, 41-0, McNabb won MVP of the Gator Bowl.

Under Paul Pasqualoni, Syracuse went 9-3, dealing blow after blow to their Big East opponents and finishing #19 in the AP.