CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Last week, Syracuse football head coach Paul Pasqualoni insisted that although Perry Patterson won the starting quarterback job against No. 12 Virginia, the position was not cemented. Despite a decent showing by Patterson against Cincinnati last week, freshman Joe Fields would likely see time against U.Va.

But Patterson had different plans. Though he did not throw any touchdown passes against the Cavaliers, he proved himself reliable Saturday at Scott Stadium. Patterson completed 15 of 23 passing attempts for 141 yards in a solid performance, one that will make the starting position his to lose. Fields, who was demoted Monday in favor of Patterson, didn’t get into the game.

‘Perry Patterson – in a very loud, pretty hostile environment – did a nice job managing the team,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘We moved the ball well. A couple times we miscued, and it took us out of some drives. But offensively, a very much-improved job today.’

For SU’s first three weeks, Pasqualoni planned on how to use the quarterbacks before the games. That usually involved two drives per quarterback before letting momentum dictate who lined up under center.

Against Virginia, though, Pasqualoni didn’t necessarily plan to use Fields.

‘We planned on starting Perry and seeing how the game went,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘I wouldn’t hesitate to put Joe in, but there was no reason to put Joe in today.’

Fields did not show up for post-game interviews.

The 31-10 SU loss was no indication of Patterson’s efficiency. On Syracuse’s opening drive, the Orange marched downfield to an early 3-0 lead. Patterson completed four of five passes, including a 15-yard dart to tight end Joe Kowalewski that gave the Orange a first down on U.Va.’s 15-yard line.

‘Perry started out the game very well,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘That first drive was an impressive drive. I thought that he had some rhythm going and the team had some confidence in him.’

‘He did a good job reading the defenses,’ Kowalewski said. ‘I thought our offense grew a lot today.’

The 12-play march downfield covered 68 yards and took 4:52. The authority Syracuse used in moving the ball gave Orange fans hope against one of the top defenses in the country.

Meanwhile, Fields watched from the sidelines, waiting for his turn at running the offense – a turn he would not get.

When asked if Patterson had solidified his role as the starting quarterback, Pasqualoni was complimentary.

‘Yeah, I’d say he did,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘He managed the team. He made sure with the loudness and the noise that people knew exactly what they were doing.

‘(Patterson) kept his poise and played with confidence. For the kid’s first start – pretty good.’

After poor defensive play by the Orange in the second quarter gave Virginia a 21-3 lead, Patterson opened the second half effectively. SU’s 15-play, 80-yard drive gave the Orange another glimmer of hope.

Patterson completed three passes to Jared Jones on the drive for 33 yards. In total, Patterson and Jones hooked up seven times for 70 yards in the game – by far the best performance this season by both.

‘I think I did pretty well controlling the offense, sustaining drives,’ Patterson said. ‘They really couldn’t stop us – that’s the way we felt. Coach (George) DeLeone and the whole offensive staff really drew up a good game plan against a pro-type defense.’

Patterson and the offense methodically chipped away at the formidable Cavalier defense. The Orange mixed a number of play-action passes and bootlegs with runs from Walter Reyes and Damien Rhodes. The duo combined for 117 yards.

The scheme kept Virginia on its toes throughout the game.

‘I just made sure I completed third-down passes,’ Patterson said. ‘That’s all I’ve been working on – not trying to do too much, but just do my job.’

Published on September 26, 2004 at 12:00 pm