No, Cameron Dantley didn’t see that skilled catch that wide receiver Mike Williams made in the third quarter for Syracuse’s lone touchdown of the game. The quarterback, making his first career start, was lying on the ground with a South Florida defender on top of him.

‘I heard the crowd go wild, but I didn’t even see where I placed the ball,’ Dantley said. ‘(Williams) said it was a perfect throw, so I’m guessing that’s where it was, right on the money.’

It was a fine toss, one that even made South Florida head coach Jim Leavitt gush after the game. But most of the game was a struggle for Dantley, going against the constant pass rush of the Bulls and having no running game to support him.

Starting quarterback Andrew Robinson, who missed the second half of last week’s game at Pittsburgh, was a game-time decision with a cracked rib, but Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson said Saturday was Dantley’s game. Andrew Robinson dressed and warmed up with Dantley before the game but was relegated to the sidelines with a blue baseball cap.

Dantley finished 21-for-38 for 276 yards with that touchdown. He threw two interceptions, made a few mental mistakes and even admitted afterward that he let the game get away from him at times.

‘The game just started coming to me too fast, and I didn’t do a good job relaxing and just calming down and doing what I told myself to do,’ Dantley said.

The junior was sacked twice, but said he had problems during the second quarter taking the correct signals from the sidelines. Those miscues caused a few timeouts to be wasted when the offense couldn’t get the play off in time.

Still, head coach Greg Robinson was quick to credit his backup, who ‘worked his tail off’ in practice last week.

‘It isn’t that easy to walk out there and (do well), especially against that defense,’ Robinson said. ‘There was a moment or two where Cam struggled, but he fought back. I give him credit.’

New punt returner

Defensive back Ryan Howard fielded punts for the first time Saturday and returned three for 32 yards.

Going into the game, Syracuse averaged only two yards per punt return, with a total of 14 yards the entire season. Before Saturday, Bruce Williams had returned every Syracuse punt but two, by halfback Paul Chiara.

‘I thought Ryan Howard showed some life for our punt return team,’ Robinson said at his press conference Sunday. ‘It’s good to see because Ryan was an excellent punt returner in junior college.’

Robinson said he plans to use the 5-foot-8, 185-pound Howard again Saturday against Connecticut.

Syracuse opponents have punted 45 times in 2007, and 17 of those have been caught fairly. Last year, Williams split return duties with walk-on wide receiver Max Meisel. That tandem averaged 7.7 yards per return on 21 chances.

Howard is a junior college transfer from Long Beach City (Calif.) Community College. He appeared in two games before Saturday and returned a kickoff for four yards.

Jones injured

Starting defensive tackle Arthur Jones was injured during South Florida’s first drive of the second half. It appeared as though Jones had been hit with a chop block and hurt his ankle.

‘Art’s sore,’ Robinson said. ‘That was an unfortunate one.’

Robinson said Jones would be examined later in the week, but he’s unsure if he’ll play at UConn. Jones leads the team in tackles for a loss with 16.5.

Wide receiver Taj Smith, defensive tackle Bud Tribbey and offensive lineman Jonathan Meldrum all left the game with injuries. Smith returned later in the second half. Meldrum did not come to postgame interviews because he was receiving treatment for a leg injury.

No toasting

Former Syracuse halfback Larry Csonka had his No. 39 jersey retired at halftime of Saturday’s game. The Pro Football Hall of Famer said he doesn’t follow college or professional sports as much as he used to – mainly because he lives in the wilderness of Alaska for eight months of the year.

But that doesn’t mean the former bruising back didn’t have thoughts on the New England Patriots’ run at his 1972 Miami Dolphins’ undefeated mark. As the legend goes, members of that Dolphins team get together for a toast whenever the final NFL unbeaten team falls. New England is currently 9-0.

‘I never toasted anybody with a champagne glass to my knowledge, unless it was a wedding,’ Csonka said Saturday. ‘When those fellas did that, I think it represented all of us and that looks like we’re toasting other people’s defeat. That’s not necessarily the situation. Yes, we guard the title jealously; of course, we’re proud of that.

‘I would be insulting your intelligence to say I wished (New England) good luck. But I wish them no ill luck either.’

Published on November 11, 2007 at 12:00 pm