For seven games, Syracuse football coach Paul Pasqualoni skirted the issue. As if reading from a carefully planned script, he reiterated his confidence in starting quarterback R.J. Anderson week after week.

When Anderson was slightly injured, he still started. When Anderson admittedly played poorly, Pasqualoni started him with hopes of improvement. When backup Troy Nunes led Syracuse (1-6, 0-3 Big East) on a game-tying drive against Auburn, Anderson continued to get the starting nod.

But yesterday — despite two months spent holding it together — Pasqualoni ripped his script apart. Mainly because of performance issues, and in part because Anderson has a sore shoulder, Nunes will start Saturday against Rutgers.

“We’re going to start (Nunes) this week and hope we can pick up where we left off last week,” Pasqualoni said yesterday. “(Nunes) has played very solid football. We’re going to start him and see if it doesn’t result in a little more production.”

Anderson, who’s started all seven games this season and 15 straight dating back to last year, left Saturday’s 34-7 loss at West Virginia with a bruised shoulder early in the second half. In relief, Nunes completed 10 of 17 passes for 99 yards and led Syracuse on its only scoring drive.

Nunes, who’s played in four games, has completed more than 61 percent of his passes. Anderson’s completed a Big East-worst 43 percent.

“I definitely feel I could be throwing the ball better than I have been,” said Anderson, who practiced yesterday. “But I felt in a groove at Temple and felt pretty good Saturday. But none of that matters. We’re not winning, so maybe things have to change from the quarterback at the top.”

That change has been made a lot recently at Syracuse. No SU quarterback has started every game in a season since Donovan McNabb in 1998. Since then, no signal-caller has started more than nine games in a year.

Anderson said Pasqualoni told him about the quarterback change yesterday.

“When coach P called me in, I told him I was with his decision 100 percent,” Anderson said. “If Troy’s the one that can go in there and get this thing going, then I’m for it 100 percent.

“I want to win. I really, really want to win. I haven’t been sleeping because of (the losing). So if you’re 1-6, you got to start somewhere, right? That’s what we’re doing right now.”

***

Late initiation

OK, Damien Rhodes will admit it now. Adjusting to college football isn’t easy.

At first, Rhodes, a true freshman running back, made it look like a breeze. In his first three games, he rushed for 239 yards and four touchdowns. In the last four outings, he’s run for just 111 with no scores.

“The first couple games for me were like a dream,” Rhodes said. “Now I guess this is a little more like reality.”

Rhodes fumbled twice against West Virginia. He dropped an Anderson pitch and slipped on a handoff exchange. Both times, the Mountaineers recovered in Syracuse territory.

“That stuff can’t be happening,” Rhodes said. “If it does, you’re not ever going to be happy. A fumble, that’s a really big mistake.”

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Not just another Smith

Expect to see more of true freshman free safety Anthony Smith, who rotated with O’Neil Scott often against West Virginia.

Smith recorded a career-high 13 tackles against the Mountaineers, the second most for Syracuse.

“Anthony does some things very well,” Pasqualoni said. “We’ll continue to start (Scott), but we really like Anthony’s ability.”

“I’m feeling more and more comfortable as the year goes on,” Smith said. “Now that I’ve got all the reads down, I can start to really make plays.”

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Break needed

Twice Saturday, defensive end Josh Thomas had to drop a freshly poured cup of water before it touched his lips.

The reason? Two first-half turnovers early in Syracuse drives forced the defense back onto the field without a break.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Thomas said. “It’s tough to perform at your peak when you can’t get any water or take a break. We’re exhausted and tired and we have a lack of depth. So fatigue on defense is a big factor.”

“It’s real frustrating at times,” Smith said. “As soon as we’re off the field, we’re running back on. We need more of a break.”

So far, the defense hasn’t had much of one. Syracuse’s offense ranks last in the Big East in time of possession, holding the ball for just over 26 minutes a game.

***

This and that

Starting linebacker Jameel Dumas, who sprained his left ankle against West Virginia, is questionable for Saturday’s game against Rutgers. If he can’t play, Kellen Pruitt will take his place, Pasqualoni said. … Offensive lineman Adam Terry is also questionable for this weekend because of a concussion suffered against the Mountaineers. … If nothing else, both the offense and defense are willing to take blame for SU’s problems. Saturday, Will Hunter accepted full blame for the West Virginia loss because he missed a couple of crucial tackles. Yesterday, receiver Jamel Riddle said, “We, as an offense, feel terrible. We know the loss was our fault. The defense played pretty well.”

Published on October 21, 2002 at 12:00 pm