Greg Robinson’s grace period as head coach of the Syracuse football team seemed to begin and end during one game.

A Carrier Dome crowd of 45,418, the largest to attend a home opener in six years, roared when Robinson jogged onto the field. Some of the fans that remained until the end booed after Syracuse lost to West Virginia, 15-7.

Welcome to Syracuse, Coach Robinson. Now win.

A lot of fans began leaving a one-possession game with more than six minutes remaining. They showed no patience. They expected a new team and immediate dividends, which is hard to deliver after one spring and summer of practices and, more importantly, with the same players.

Syracuse football won’t be rebuilt in one game or even one season. Rebuilding a program takes time and patience. There will be more days like Sunday until things improve.

‘I was not going to predict things. I had to wait and see where we are,’ Robinson said in his first postgame press conference. ‘I like where we’re at. It’s hard to assess, especially when you’re first brought together. I didn’t know the kids very well. The environment was a game situation and there were a lot of things that I liked.’

Robinson’s defense showed the most promise, bending but never breaking in allowing just two field goals and 339 yards of Mountaineers offense. The fast-paced defense forced five turnovers and kept Syracuse close while its offense struggled.

Offensive coordinator Brian Pariani’s West Coast Offense didn’t show the same promise. Starting quarterback Perry Patterson looked impatient with his wide receivers, often turning to a running back underneath to dump the ball off.

The players and the coaching staff will tell you they expect to win now. They don’t need any more time to learn the offense or defense. They need to eliminate the typical first-game mistakes and they’ll be fine. It’s a long season, with 10 games left to improve and prove to everyone they’re a good team. And maybe that does happen and Robinson somehow flashes a magic wand and Syracuse runs through the season with an 8-3 record to win the Big East.

Or maybe Syracuse continues to struggle through an OK, but never great, season. The most improvement then happens behind the scenes with recruiting. That’s when Robinson and his coaching staff need to sell what Syracuse is doing, that they’re making a concerted effort to regain Top 25 status and build a perennial Big East contender. With a new weight training facility on the horizon, FieldTurf in the Carrier Dome and a coaching staff filled with NFL experience that top recruits crave, Robinson will have an easier job selling Syracuse than in the past.

It still won’t be easy, though, because recruits see what Syracuse fans saw on Sunday – a struggling team.

Director of Athletics Daryl Gross, who lingered after the game to hear his head coach’s press conference, sounded upbeat. He wanted a win on national television but he’s been through this process before. He knows it takes more time to construct a winner than fans like.

‘Just be patient; it will happen,’ Gross said. ‘It’s a whole new coaching staff. It’s a whole different kind of offense. Greg will tell you that they should be ready to go and ready to execute. And I think we’re going to see a team that’s going to be pretty good. The leadership of the team with Coach Robinson is there.’

Gross picked Robinson for his defensive background. His eyes lit up the most when asked about the defense that kept Syracuse in the game. Gross reiterated he hired Robinson for his defense, that whenever you have a strong defense, you have a chance to win.

Syracuse had the defense on Sunday and remained in the game till the final possession. It wasn’t enough for the many fans that still left. For those who left or booed, give Syracuse time. Rebuilding takes more than just one offseason or one game. It’s a slow and sometimes painful process. As Gross said, just be patient.

‘It’ll happen,’ Gross said. ‘I’m still really encouraged and I know things are going to get better because I’ve seen it. I believe in this team and I want the community to believe in this team and this leadership.’

Published on September 5, 2005 at 12:00 pm