It was a Sunday night, the night before Syracuse football’s lone off-day. The Orange had homework. On television was this week’s opponent, Cincinnati, playing a rare Sunday game and providing the Orange a chance for some live scouting.

As it turned out, the Bearcats topped South Florida, 23-6. It was a defensive duel, with a halftime score of 2-0. But the win was a statement that Cincinnati (4-4, 1-2 Big East), might be better than expected after it started the season 1-3. The Bearcats’ four losses were all against highly-regarded teams, too-No. 1 Ohio State, No. 6 Louisville, then-No. 11 Virginia Tech and 6-2 Pittsburgh.

This isn’t good news for Syracuse, who lost its last three games and is still looking for its first Big East win under head coach Greg Robinson. Here are five ways the Orange can get back on track:

1. Limit penalties

Syracuse has been plagued by penalties during its three-game losing streak, tallying 25 penalties for 170 yards. Penalties on the offensive line-holding and illegal procedure-have been particular sore spots. There are drives when SU might start with a solid gain, but the penalty negates it and SU is left with a 1st-and-long. This can’t happen.

‘It’s really a matter of consistency with fundamentals, the techniques and the penalty, even the procedure penalties,’ Robinson said. ‘You get it at 1st-and-15, then it makes it harder on you. We’re emphasizing those things.’

2. Improve its running game

During Syracuse’s three-game winning streak earlier this season, it averaged 169 yards on the ground. During its three-game losing streak, it averaged 64 yards. This number is skewed because yards lost on a sack counts as rushing yards and notable runs have been negated by penalties. However it doesn’t make up for the fact that the Orange had 100-yard rushers in two of its three wins but failed to have a running back close to that number during its losing streak.

The two-headed backfield of sophomore Curtis Brinkley and freshman Delone Carter, which looked promising earlier in the season, has been devoid of big plays. In Saturday’s loss to Louisville, neither topped 10 yards on a carry.

‘We’re just not working together,’ Curtis Brinkley said. ‘When I’m in a rhythm, try to keep me in the game and when Delone’s in the rhythm, try to keep him in the game.’

3. Provide Perry Patterson with better protection

Patterson, SU’s starting quarterback, is having an impressive season. But recently, he’s become too familiar with opposing defensive linemen. In SU’s last three games, Patterson’s been sacked 17 times. In its first five games, Patterson was sacked only 13 times.

Granted, SU’s been playing from behind so it had to pass more than usual, but the number was still a concern to Robinson.

‘In a lot of cases, it’s protection,’ Robinson said. ‘Sometimes what you do is try to help in the protection area and keep somebody else in. The moment you keep someone else in, then you lose someone in the route. Pretty soon you get down to where you can have only one guy running a route. You have to be able to protect and still get people out into the route.’

4. Respond in the second half

SU went into halftime against No. 4 West Virginia on Oct. 14 trailing by three points. It lost by 24. Against Louisville last Saturday, Syracuse entered halftime down just one point. It lost by 15. Something’s happening at halftime, whether it’s the other team making adjustments or Syracuse not making enough.

Offensive coordinator Brian White acknowledged this was a problem, but he didn’t think it was fair to pinpoint specific reasons. Instead, it’s a combination of factors that SU must figure out.

‘It comes down to how can you sustain it for a longer period of time,’ White said. ‘That’s the $64 million question. It comes down to how many times can you do it right and concentrate on reps.’

5. Stop Cincinnati on third down

All of Syracuse’s offensive improvements are insignificant if it can’t take the opposing offense off the field. That comes down to third downs. Opponents are converting on 44.4 of their third downs against SU, almost half the times they’re in those third-down chances. That ranks SU 102 of 117 Division I-A teams-evidence there’s a problem on the decisive downs.

‘If it’s 3rd-and-two and 3rd-and-three all day, you’re not going to have a good percentage; especially against a team that has the ability to be diversified on offense,’ Robinson said. ‘We have faced some good offenses. Can we be better? Of course. We’re working real hard at it. If we can get the other team to third-and-nine, then we’re pretty good. ‘

Published on October 25, 2006 at 12:00 pm