It has gotten so bad for Syracuse these days that a desperation pass thrown backward can go off the fullback’s head and into a defender’s arms for an interception.

But that was far from the beginning of Syracuse’s futility Saturday against South Florida. That began on the very first play of the game, when Max Suter fumbled the opening kickoff. The Bulls scored four plays later when Mike Ford walked into the endzone untouched from one yard out.

There were false starts, holding penalties, too many men on the field, senseless timeouts, blown coverages…

And that was only the first half.

South Florida destroyed a deflated Syracuse team 41-10 in front of 38,039 at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse has now lost three in a row and head coach Greg Robinson’s paltry record in the Big East stands at 2-17.

Syracuse (2-8, 1-4) had no defense for the Bulls’ running game, which coming into the game was fourth in the Big East, averaging 172 yards per game. South Florida (7-3, 2-3) rushed for a mind-boggling 346 yards compared to the Orange’s grand total of 15.

In his postgame press conference, Robinson blamed Syracuse’s struggles on the youth of the team and numerous injuries to key players.

‘There’s a lot of people out that really, part of it is that the inexperience got to us. It got to us,’ Robinson said. ‘Then there’s also a few I wish were out there that can’t be out there with us.

‘It’s real. Sometimes people don’t want to hear that, but it’s a fact. I’ve been sitting here trying – because I hate to sit here and sound like I’m making excuses. I’m not. I’m telling you what it is.’

The Orange offense, directed by backup quarterback Cameron Dantley, making his first career start replacing an injured Andrew Robinson, never had a chance to move the ball because of a porous offensive line that made incomprehensible mistakes.

The rushing game, which mustered only 30 total yards at Pittsburgh last week, was rarely used. Starting tailback Doug Hogue carried the ball seven times for two yards. Backup Max Suter rushed for 11 yards on three attempts.

‘Curtis Brinkley isn’t playing,’ Greg Robinson said. ‘Delone Carter isn’t playing. … Our two top tailbacks aren’t playing, so we go into the game with a true freshman tailback and another freshman ‘tailback’ for 10 days, or whatever it’s been, playing tailback.’

Meanwhile, Ford, a freshman whom USF head coach Jim Leavitt said was not playing at 100 percent, rushed for 134 yards and two scores.

‘I thought Mike Ford ran pretty well today,’ Leavitt said. ‘His ribs had been hurting badly. It had been so bad that we held him out on Thursday at practice. He showed tremendous courage.’

USF’s Aston Samuels had 101 rushing yards on two carries. The freshman had 42 rushing yards coming into the game. His first run was a 76-yard dash down the Syracuse sideline to the SU 2-yard line that wasn’t a touchdown only because of a diving ankle tackle by Orange safety Dowayne Davis. South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe ran for 73 yards and a score as well as two scores through the air on 181 yards. He was removed at the end of the third quarter.

At one point, with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, South Florida had 321 rushing yards. Syracuse had zero.

It wasn’t the misdirections and quarterback options that have tormented the Syracuse defense all season long. South Florida’s rushing game was a little bit of speed but mostly sheer overpowering the Syracuse defense.

‘They can hurt you in more ways than one and it comes down to staying in the gaps,’ Syracuse middle linebacker Jake Flaherty said. ‘I know a couple times I didn’t get that done. You can’t give them that inch because they’re such good athletes. They will take it and they’ll take more than an inch.’

Even when Syracuse put together a 71-yard drive in the third quarter, capped by a Mike Williams 3-yard touchdown reception, South Florida answered with a 10-play, 76-yard methodical possession. Nine plays were rushes. Ford scored on a 1-yard run up the middle and the Bulls led 34-10.

And the rout could have been worse if it weren’t for 16 penalties committed by South Florida for 144 yards.

Greg Robinson said the defense couldn’t make adjustments like it should be able to because of the inexperience. That’s something he can’t fix right now.

‘I have to swallow and just realize that they’re young people and they’re trying,’ Robinson said. ‘They are trying. But sometimes they don’t get it. That’s just the way it is.’

Published on November 9, 2007 at 12:00 pm