I doubt football fans had Syracuse-Connecticut circled on their calendar to TiVo on Saturday.

It’s a losing battle. No. 1 Ohio State versus No. 2 Michigan started at 3:30, giving some of the alleged 35,079 fans at the Carrier Dome who witnessed SU’s 20-14 win over UConn on Saturday some time to head home to watch the biggest rivalry in all of sports.

But not me.

Trying to write as fast as I could to catch at least part of the game served as a great deadline.

Given the mediocrity of the UConn-Syracuse matchup, despite the Huskies chance at a possible bowl bid, I would have rather watched even the three-hour countdown ticker on ESPN’s College Gameday than sit in the SU pressbox.

I’m sure a lot of local fans felt the same way. This game isn’t meaningful for them and it shouldn’t be. SU’s win does not change a disappointing season that, despite its current three-win improvement from last year, only suggests small doses of development while the fundamental problems still loom.

But the game should be meaningful for the Syracuse football team. SU’s win snaps its 12-game Big East losing streak and gives head coach Greg Robinson his first conference win in his two-year career.

It’s also a nice sendoff for the 17-member senior class in its last game at the Dome-a class that collectively represented a lack of talent but tried to compensate with a hard work ethic. It never happened but the intention was still there.

What’s even more significant is that Robinson was right last week when he said Saturday would be a good indicator on how committed his team is after knowing its bowl bids are shot, the seniors are leaving the limelight and fans are now focused on Orange basketball before the football season ends.

Although not the most exciting to watch, it seems SU passed Robinson’s test. But he knew that before Saturday. In fact he reached his conclusion after running a scrimmage in full pads on Thursday-a day that typically is not as intense as the rest of the week.

‘Right then is when I knew our football team would be ready,’ Robinson said. ‘They didn’t blink and they got it on. I’m proud of them. They responded the way I thought they would. Then they came out and played the game and did a good job.’

Backup quarterback Andrew Robinson and running back Curtis Brinkley acknowledged that Wednesday’s practice wasn’t as intense as it should’ve been.

‘It’s one of those things you can’t really put your finger on,’ Andrew Robinson said. ‘But you felt it wasn’t crisp. No one was being lazy but it didn’t have the same feel as a normal Wednesday practice should.’

But the next day felt much different. The offense and defense split evenly when they battled in the scrimmage. It didn’t correct any mistakes Syracuse may have made before but it helped bring them to a right mindframe for Saturday.

It resembles what the senior class experienced during its four years at SU, a class that experienced a current 17-29 record, a 51-14 loss to Georgia Tech in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl and coaching changes shortly after. Quarterback Perry Patterson is a player who has at times taken the brunt of justified criticism. In other instances, it’s been unfair. But his experience epitomizes the class’s adversity.

Greg Robinson joked that Patterson is embarrassed when he praises his quarterback. But that didn’t stop him from going out of his way to do so. Patterson stared down at his cell phone and wrote a text message as Robinson expressed admiration for not letting outside criticism bring down his discipline.

It was a discipline that included an emphasis to slim down and work in the weight room, which Robinson noticed since spring ball last year. It also trickled down to the underclassmen who wouldn’t want to follow the seniors’ unsuccessful experience at SU but would certainly want to replicate their work ethic.

‘People are trying to say we have nothing to play for and nothing to fight for,’ Patterson said. ‘The coaches established a vision for this program. The seniors are trying to be a part of it to turn this thing around.’

That’s far from happening. But one thing is certain-they have the right attitude to make it possible. Now SU is just waiting for some talent.

Published on November 24, 2006 at 12:00 pm