Joe Fields will start at quarterback for the Syracuse football team at Purdue on Sunday, according to fellow quarterback Perry Patterson’s high school football coach.

Scott Feldman, who coached Patterson at McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pa., confirmed Tuesday to The Daily Orange that Patterson lost the quarterback competition and will start the season on the bench.

Calls to head coach Paul Pasqualoni were not immediately returned. Calls to Fields’ and Patterson’s South Campus apartments were not answered.

Feldman called Patterson recently to inquire about training camp. When Patterson returned Feldman’s call Sunday, the sophomore told Feldman that he lost the competition and that Fields was the starter.

‘(Perry) was very, very disappointed,’ Feldman said.

Patterson also told Feldman that he thought he had beaten Fields out for the job.

The coaching staff made its decision Friday but didn’t announce it publicly. Patterson was told by Pasqualoni he’d play at some point this season, Feldman said.

The only question is when. For now, the reins of the offense have been handed over to Fields.

Fields enrolled at Syracuse in January 2004 after graduating a semester early from Booker T. Washington High School in Houston. As a high school senior, Fields completed 97 of 187 passes for 1,823 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed 88 times for 492 yards and two touchdowns.

Published on August 31, 2004 at 12:00 pm