TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With about five minutes remaining in the third quarter Saturday, third-string running back Paul Chiara found Stephen McDonald in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown.

Though it was eventually overturned on a pass interference call, the play was the closest the Syracuse football team’s passing offense came Saturday to solving the Seminoles’ first-string defense.

Once again, the Orange offense struggled, mustering only 234 total yards and scoring its only passing touchdown with 3:20 remaining in the fourth quarter. Seven sacks, one interception and three lost fumbles doomed the Orange in a 38-14 loss to No. 6 Florida State before 83,717 at Doak Campbell Stadium.

The crowd, the largest SU played in front of since a 2001 game at Tennessee, and 88-degree heat were additional obstacles Syracuse (1-3, 0-1 Big East) faced in its first game away from the Carrier Dome this season.

On SU’s second possession and the game still scoreless, Orange quarterback Perry Patterson fumbled after scrambling for a first down on fourth-and-5. It was SU’s only chance to take the lead and a sign of the offensive futility that was to come.

‘My arm was soaking wet and the ball just popped out,’ Patterson said. ‘I didn’t hold onto it.’

Facing by far the fastest defense it’s seen this season, the Orange allowed four sacks in the first half and gained only 57 yards. Syracuse is the only FSU opponent this season that failed to score in the first half, including the Citadel, which notched 10 first half points Sept. 10.

While Damien Rhodes provided relief to the West Coast offense earlier this season, he failed to run outside the tackles against FSU. He rushed 11 times for 31 yards in the first half.

The offensive troubles inspired backup cornerback Marcus Clayton, who played wide receiver during his freshman season, to reach out to SU’s wide receivers.

‘When the game was going on, I was talking to the receivers, telling them to stop playing around with the corners and go get open,’ Clayton said. ‘I said, ‘The quarterback is looking for you and you’re getting the quarterback sacked.”

Quarterbacks coach Major Applewhite was not disappointed with Patterson’s play, recognizing the tough situations he was put in.

Patterson finished the game 14-for-25 for 189 yards with one touchdown, one interception and seven sacks.

‘I thought he did some good things,’ Applewhite said. ‘Overall managing the game and staying tough, I thought he did a good job. There were times when we had some breakdowns in protection, but that’s on everybody – the quarterback, the line, the tight ends and the running back.’

Applewhite said the Orange simulated the environment in Tallahassee by blaring crowd noise at practice this week. The crowd tomahawk-chopped and chanted throughout the game, but the loudest moment came in the fourth quarter when the Alabama-Florida score flashed on the Jumbotron.

Alabama’s 31-3 victory signaled the Seminoles would leapfrog the Gators in the Top 25 polls this week.

Starting tight end Joe Kowalewski did not travel with the team. After a career day against Virginia on Sept. 17, a mild shoulder separation kept him in Syracuse.

The Seminoles (4-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) were slow offensively in the first half as well. Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington, a speedy duo of running backs, rushed for only 43 combined yards in the first half and the Seminoles turned the ball over twice.

FSU opened the second half with a 10-play, 84-yard drive to take a 24-0 lead. Patterson scored SU’s first touchdown of the game with 4:06 remaining in the third quarter on a two-yard run after Chiara’s trick play was called back.

Rhodes still struggled to find open field in the second half. He finished the game with 49 yards on 15 carries. Patterson looked sharp on SU’s last scoring drive in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-4 for 78 yards against the Seminole backups.

‘It was a hard loss because we prepared so well for them,’ punter Brendan Carney said. ‘We have to feel (this loss). We can’t hang our heads; we really have to feel this loss.’

Published on October 2, 2005 at 12:00 pm