In his perfect world, Doug Marrone would like to set up the pass with the run. Scampers through gaping Justin Pugh-plowed holes 30-yards downfield from Delone Carter would, ideally, open up 50-yard bombs from Ryan Nassib to Van Chew.

But on Monday, Marrone acknowledged the obvious and cleared up any confusion. And he did it while also going with what has been the flow for the Syracuse (2-1) offense through its first three games. That flow: exceptional play from the first-year starter Nassib creating the initial openings for the SU offense. The most clear example of that coming with Nassib’s SU record five touchdown passes in Saturday’s 38-14 victory over Maine.

So, no, it doesn’t have to start with the running game. It’s going to start with whatever is working best for SU after the opposing defense has already clamped down on whatever, while opening up other opportunities. Through three games, Nassib, if anything, has been working. Marrone knows that.

‘If someone comes in and decides they’re not going to let Delone Carter beat them, then it is tough to run the football,’ Marrone said. ‘Other people then have to step up and do it, and Ryan (Nassib) showed that he can do it, at least in this last game. We have to continue with that.’

Through three games, Nassib has carried the SU offense, thanks to a 148.27 passer rating and 691 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. Saturday, Nassib went 19-for-28, throwing for 260 yards. Carter has struggled somewhat to start the season, averaging 82.3 yards per game. It’s a number down from Carter’s 110.25 yards per game he averaged over the course of SU’s final four games last season.

But Nassib’s numbers didn’t get to his head with his response after Saturday’s game. When asked about etching his name in the school record book, it was typical Ryan Nassib. Few words. And even fewer words about himself.

‘It feels pretty good, especially with all the great quarterbacks that have come through here,’ Nassib said. ‘I am extremely humbled and grateful.’

As for this season, Marrone said the way the Orange is judging and operating its rushing attack comes down to situations. Thus far this year, Marrone said, most of those situations have been planned to be negated by opponents.

And when delving further into those situations, SU’s running game comes down to three things: force, support and leverage.

In those certain three-pronged situations Saturday, Maine planned against Carter. As a result, Marrone said, SU didn’t try to force the idea. The Orange took what was given, even if it may now be maturing into SU’s greatest offensive strength.

‘If the team is giving you the ability to throw the football, why put your ego into it and try to force something that isn’t there?’ Marrone said. ‘If I have to pass to set up the run, I have to be able to do that. You have to have balance, and I’ve always talked about that from an offensive standpoint, we have to have balance in what we do.’

Marrone, in his own words, doesn’t want to ‘pound his head against the wall.’ The odds he was given Saturday running the ball against Maine were odds he wasn’t happy with. So he threw the ball 29 times and rushed a combined 26 times — just 15 tries for Carter.

But now the odds that Ryan Nassib will be able to carry his offense are apparently growing vastly. Maybe even exponentially since the beginning of the season.

And Marrone is OK with that. It may just become his perfect world with a quarterback that is quickly becoming Marrone’s ideal gunslinger and ideal team leader.

‘Yes, he was very productive with the touchdown passes,’ Marrone said. ‘But what I look at is his footwork, and his progressions are getting better and better. We’ve only touched the surface of how good he could be.’

aolivero@syr.edu

Published on September 20, 2010 at 12:00 pm