Running wild
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — If one game can serve as a barometer, the future looks bright for Pittsburgh and not so bright for the Syracuse Orange.
With a chance to snap its seven-game losing streak in the Big East and give head coach Greg Robinson his first conference victory since taking over the program before last season, Syracuse self-destructed Saturday and lost 21-11 to the Panthers.
The performance by the Orange (3-3, 0-1 Big East) was so miserable — they lost three fumbles, including one in the red zone, and offensive linemen drew 10 penalties, although four were declined — it made Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko's job that much easier.
Palko had his normally efficient game, passing for a touchdown and running for another, and tailback LaRod Stephens-Howling had a breakout game, rushing for 221 yards and one TD.
"We just didn't get it going," said Robinson, who hinted there could be personnel changes after a review of the game. "We put ourselves behind the 8-ball constantly. You can't play first-and-20, second-and-19. It wasn't good."
Stephens-Howling stunned Syracuse twice in the first half. His 40-yard run up the middle on the game's opening drive set up Palko's 4-yard bootleg that gave Pitt a 7-0 lead.
Syracuse rallied on a 44-yard field goal by Patrick Shadle early in the second quarter and was threatening again when the offensive line made perhaps its biggest gaffe.
Eugene Newsome was penalized for holding, negating a 15-yard run by quarterback Perry Patterson to the Pitt 35 on third-and-9. Syracuse was forced to punt, and Stephens-Howling scored on a 70-yard run on the next play, speeding through the line untouched to give Pitt a 14-3 halftime lead.
"Everybody in this locker room knew it was coming," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. "He's fast and can make big plays. It was just a matter of when, and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time."
The Syracuse defenders were unable to tackle what they couldn't see. Stephens-Howling is just 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds and got lost in the shuffle.
"I was just being patient and letting things develop in front of me," said Stephens-Howling, who entered the game with 207 yards on 56 carries. "The defensive backs were making a lot of tackles, and they wouldn't see me until I broke out of the pack."
It was the third straight victory for Pittsburgh (5-1, 2-0 Big East), and it snapped the Orange's modest three-game winning streak.
"It was definitely a step backwards," said Robinson, who now has to prepare his team to face No. 4 West Virginia on the road. "We lost an opportunity to win here at home. That hurts."
Palko, who finished 20-for-24 for 177 yards, kept the Orange defense at bay with his short passing game. Syracuse, which entered the game leading the nation with 25 sacks, didn't come close to registering one until early in the fourth quarter when cornerback Terrell Lemon dropped Palko for an eight-yard loss on a third-and-10 play.
"We're happy as an offense to come off the field with a win, but we did miss some things through the air," said Palko, who entered the game leading the nation in passing efficiency with a rating of 191.59. He was 13-for-14 in the first half for 96 yards. "The run game showed up for us, and we didn't have to rely on throwing it."
