The Daily Orange

Media Credit: Court Hathaway

Tails between their legs, players trotted into halftime to the dull drizzle of cheers and moans. Almost immediately, anger and confusion filled the locker room. This was Akron all over again.

The ecstasy of last week's win had faded. Syracuse was now losing to Division I-AA Maine. Players screamed at each other, fuming over the cruel déjà vu. Flashbacks of SU's past letdowns were spreading.

Amid the tumult, running back Delone Carter spoke up.

"He brought the whole team together and said, 'We're not going back to our old ways, it's not going to be the same anymore," SU receiver Mike Williams said.

And a new team showed up. Syracuse (2-2) rectified a first half littered with demoralizing trick plays and defensive seizures to beat Maine, 41-24, in front of 35,632 spectators Saturday night. Unlike last year's embarrassing 42-28 loss to Akron, the Orange's lethargic play disappeared at halftime.

Carter made the distinction. This team is different, he told his teammates.

"We had to have a few words with each other to get ourselves refocused and get ourselves back in the game," Carter said. "A lot was said. We did not want to go back to our old ways."

The "old ways" haunted SU in the first half. After cutting Syracuse's lead to 7-3, Maine rolled the dice on a surprise onside kick and won. One play later, quarterback Warren Smith air-mailed a perfect 56-yard touchdown to Landis Williams over cornerback Kevyn Scott.

The trickery didn't cease as Maine treated Saturday like its last meal. The Black Bears successfully converted two fake punts and two onside kicks. The first fake punt came at its own 26-yard line when pseudo punter Mike Brusko hit teammate Desmond Randall for 35 yards.

On the sideline, Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone stood motionless in awe. With his clipboard pinned against his hip, Marrone watched the gutsy play unravel. Five plays later, Williams caught a tipped ball for a touchdown. Maine - hardly the Big Ten-talent Syracuse has been playing - took a 17-13 lead into the half.

Marrone stayed calm. He's new here. He wasn't around for the embarrassing losses of seasons past.

"Just relax, just relax," he recalled telling his team.

For the players, visions of last year's sobering loss to Akron resurfaced. That harsh, symbolic nightmare of the past returned. Especially to Carter.

Continued...

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