For the majority of the Syracuse football team’s first seven games, quarterback Perry Patterson played like a first-year starter.

He struggled, missing open receivers and hanging in the pocket for too long. At times, with the passing game struggling, the running game failed to get jump-started as well.

In Saturday’s 42-30 win over Connecticut, the offense finally came together. Led by Patterson, the passing game put enough scare into the Huskies defense to allow the running game to open up.

It may not have been Patterson’s best statistical game, but it proved to be one of his most consistent. He began to hit open receivers, he moved confidently around the pocket and, most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over.

‘Any time you can get games under your belt, it helps,’ wide receiver Jared Jones said. ‘The best teacher is experience. With (Patterson) playing in the games we’re playing in – and we aren’t just playing little I-AA schools, we’re playing some big-time schools – that’s definitely helped him. And you can definitely see the improvement.’

The improvement showed Saturday. Just a week earlier against West Virginia, Patterson struggled, missing open receivers both long and short. Against the Huskies, Patterson finally connected on a long-awaited deep ball with Jones.

The 29-yard touchdown strike gave Syracuse a 35-23 lead and some breathing room. Most importantly, Jones said the throw was perfect, one of the best balls Patterson has thrown all year. It was equally satisfying a catch for Jones, who is one of several Syracuse receivers who has had a case of the drops this season.

That play also culminated one of the Orange’s best drives of the game. SU went 53 yards on 10 plays in 5:24. Patterson finished 4-for-5 passing on the drive for 66 yards. He also rushed twice for 14 yards.

‘It was a time we needed to score, and I just wanted to get the ball in the end zone,’ Patterson said. ‘All the guys are behind me right now.’

Patterson also showed a newfound ability to scramble out of the pocket. In earlier games, Patterson hung in the pocket, often taking unnecessary sacks. He also passed on open holes in the line when it appeared he could have run for a gain.

Patterson said, at halftime of the West Virginia game, coaches talked to him about his tentative mindset in the pocket. After the half, Patterson did take off with the ball more, something he carried over to the UConn game.

His most important run came on a third-and-16 late in the first half. He ran 18 yards, twisting and bouncing off defenders toward the end of the run. That first-down carry eventually led to Patterson’s Hail Mary toss to Andre Fontenette.

SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni said he’s pleased with Patterson’s improved running, especially how Patterson ran north and south, straight down the field. Now, Pasqualoni said, Patterson needs to take care of the ball more. He said a young Donovan McNabb had a similar problem.

‘You forget when you’re blocking a guy that there’s a guy behind you,’ center Matt Tarullo said. ‘You get so tuned in to the guy in front of you, if the guy behind you can move around, it makes your job so much easier.

‘When he starts to move around with the ball, it forces the defense to move around with the ball. They can’t just have a straight rush. It loosens up the coverage. It loosens everything up.’

Most importantly, Patterson has appeared to loosen up just at the right time. To guarantee a bowl bid, SU must win at least two of its final three games, if not all three. When Patterson has played his best, the whole offense performs better. On Saturday, running back Walter Reyes rushed for 121 yards – his best game since rushing for more than 200 against Rutgers on Oct. 2.

‘Hopefully this will give Perry a little more confidence,’ Fontenette said. ‘Hopefully he’ll keep on throwing it and we can get up into the 40s like we did against UConn.’

Published on November 1, 2004 at 12:00 pm