Starter Carter?

The mantle is slowly being passed, it appears.

While Curtis Brinkley started at running back, Delone Carter entered on SU’s second possession – the earliest he’s played in a game all season.

Even though it was Carter who was involved in a fumble against Pitt – he and quarterback Perry Patterson muffed an exchange on Carter’s initial possession – the freshman continued to establish himself as the more effective back.

Carter didn’t match his 129-yard, four-touchdown performance from a week earlier, but he did finish with a team-high 57 yards on 16 carries. His longest run was a 27-yarder in the third quarter.

Brinkley only carried seven times for 27 yards, a week after running only 11 times for 32 yards. The sophomore received only two carries after halftime Saturday.

‘I’m just going to play my game, that’s all,’ Brinkley said. ‘I’m going to play the role they let me play. We both did what we could (Saturday) – and that’s all you can do.’

Davis emerges

Freshman Donte Davis turned heads when he started against Iowa. But he only saw a few plays after that.

Against Pitt, Davis was again on the field for the first play but this time played as much as the rest of the wide receivers.

He led the team with five receptions for 53 yards against Pitt, including a 26-yarder late in the first half down the left sideline. He did, however, drop a crucial pass on Syracuse’s second possession of the game with his team trailing 7-0.

Still, head coach Greg Robinson must like the speed in the 6-foot, 185-pounder in the wake of Taj Smith’s regular-season ending injury.

‘I guess the coaches are comfortable putting me in situations now,’ Davis said. ‘They’re putting me in the best position to make plays. All I have to do is make a play. Taj is a great player you can’t replace. We’ve just got to stick together as a unit for him. Everybody has to do their job.’

Yellow sky

After averaging less than six penalties a game coming into Saturday, Syracuse committed eight against Pitt. It seemed like more given their magnitude.

The two biggest calls came in the second quarter.

First, with Pitt leading 7-0, the Orange was called for illegal formation one play after Tom Ferron hauled in a one-handed reception to put SU on the Pitt 28. Its momentum shot, Syracuse settled for a field goal.

One possession later, Patterson converted a third-and-9 from the 50 with a 15-yard scramble. But Syracuse was whistled for holding. The Orange punted a play later.

‘All of those penalties are big,’ Robinson said. ‘When we have first-and-10 and we get called and it’s first-and-20. They are all critical.

‘More importantly, this is not designed to have Perry scramble. He is stepping back to get it downfield. We have to protect him and let him get the ball downfield because he is capable of doing it. You guys have seen it. If we have to drop back to run, that is not what it is about. So we have some issues that we have to address and we have got to get it fixed.’

Competition for Max

Bruce Williams returned the last punt of the game, the first time junior walk-on Max Maisel has been replaced all season. Williams returned the punt five yards.

‘I talked to (Maisel) on a couple of occasions about being smart,’ Robinson said. ‘That was not a good decision that he made not to fair catch that football (on an earlier punt). First of all, at that time of the game and also with the way that ball was up there.

‘There were a couple of situations in previous games, so, like anybody, it is going to be competitive. Bruce is a capable punt returner, too. It was his job until he got hurt.’

This and that…

Rice Moss returned after a separated shoulder took him out of last week’s game but he did not record a reception for the first time in 18 games. …Patterson passed Don McPherson for third all-time in pass attempts (711). On the same drive, he also passed Troy Nunes for fourth all-time in pass completions (379). …Patrick Shadle’s 44-yard field goal meant he is now 9-of-10 on the season. …Pitt now leads the all-time series, 30-29-3.

– Ethan Ramsey, sports editor

Published on October 7, 2006 at 12:00 pm