NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For 20:51, Syracuse kept itself in the game. The Orange gave its fans hope the impossible was possible Saturday in its penultimate match of the season against Notre Dame, carrying a three-point lead into the second quarter.

Though the Orange eventually succumbed to the No. 6 Irish, 34-10, at Notre Dame Stadium, 20 minutes was longer than most expected. It was a lot longer than many Orange fans gave its team as SU showed promise hardly seen in its last six games.

After the Notre Dame band marched into position and 80,795 fans took their seats, a surprisingly cool Orange team emerged. The SU defense forced a quick three-and-out and Irish kicker D.J. Fitzpatrick missed a 39-yard field goal on its next drive before Syracuse took its first lead in six quarters.

Orange running back Damien Rhodes rushed for 58 yards on four carries in SU’s first scoring drive since the third quarter of its loss to Cincinnati on Oct. 29. Quarterback Perry Patterson, starting for the first time in three games, looked sharp. He completed two of his first four passes, including a 9-yard out to wide receiver Rice Moss. It set up a 31-yard field goal by John Barker that split the uprights despite a stiff wind.

‘(Patterson) was under duress quite a bit,’ Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson said. ‘I wish his numbers were better, but I don’t find him to be the reason we lost.’

Patterson played well enough to keep himself in the game. Robinson said he intended to play backup Joe Fields, but changed his mind when SU started with poor field position. Patterson then carried the Orange into the third quarter.

But that was it for the Orange (1-9, 0-6 Big East). Never again would it threaten to score against Notre Dame’s starting defense. SU had 105 first quarter yards against Notre Dame. The Orange wouldn’t have doubled its first quarter yardage if the Irish hadn’t put in an all-senior defense in the fourth quarter because it was ND’s homecoming game.

Orange players said they weren’t affected by the mystique and tradition of playing at Notre Dame. Their performance to start the game supported that claim.

‘It was just another game for us,’ senior safety Anthony Smith said. ‘I don’t think anyone was nervous. We got out to a fast start, then we were just behind the 8-ball after that.’

The Orange didn’t complete another pass until there were about six minutes remaining in the third quarter, an 11-yard pass to tight end Alex Shor on third-and-6. At that point, SU had more penalty yards (29) than passing yards (25).

‘(The Notre Dame defense) played aggressive, it was really more aggressive than I had seen them on film,’ Robinson said. ‘(Notre Dame defensive coordinator Rick Minter) was gonna make us earn everything. They squeezed us pretty good.’

Meanwhile, Heisman Trophy candidate Brady Quinn and the Notre Dame (8-2) offense rolled to a 34-3 lead. With 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Quinn surpassed Ron Powlus as Notre Dame’s all-time leading passer with a 12-yard completion to receiver Jeff Samardzija. Quinn is now the only Irish quarterback with more than 3,000 yards passing.

With the loss, the Orange move one step closer to its first one-win season since 1948. But after coming in as 35-point underdogs, Robinson was happy with parts of his team’s performance.

‘We got a little something going there in the first quarter and then we went dormant,’ Robinson said. ‘At least we didn’t have the big turnovers.’

Published on November 19, 2005 at 12:00 pm