Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFans boo Paulus, cheer Nassib in 2nd half
By Jared Diamond
Posted: 11/2/09, 2:27 AM EST Section: Sports
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Though head coach Doug Marrone maintained afterward that Paulus is still his starter, Saturday marked the first time the SU fans turned against their hometown hero all season.
"When you're out on the field, you're focusing on what you need to do," Paulus said. "We have some great fans and some passionate fans, but when we're playing and the snap's going on, we're thinking about reads, progressions, getting first down and playing to the task at hand."
The jeers stemmed from a crucial play in the second quarter, when Paulus threw an interception in the end zone with Syracuse trailing by just seven. The play called for a fake screen to Donte Davis and then a pass to the middle of the end zone, but Cincinnati was not fooled, and Drew Frey jumped the route.
From that point on, the fans booed Paulus every time he stepped onto the field, disappointed that Marrone decided to let him play. Meanwhile, they applauded for Nassib and expressed approval whenever Marrone put him in. This pattern continued for the rest of the game.
Syracuse rotated the two quarterbacks liberally, especially after halftime. Nassib exclusively played the Orange's last drive, which ended in a punt. Paulus finished 12-of-17 for 85 yards, a touchdown and the interception. Nassib went 7-of-10 for 97 yards, including a 30-yard bomb to Antwon Bailey - SU's longest play of the afternoon.
After the game, Paulus and Marrone both said they did not hear the booing. Though Nassib admitted he heard the cheers and that "it felt good" to know the crowd was behind him, he said it is easy to ignore the crowd when the game is on.
"Once you're in the heat of the moment, you don't notice that," Nassib said. "Me and Greg, we both needed to do what we needed to do to get the ball moving and do what we need to do to accomplish plays on offense and keep the ball rolling.
Williams held in check
Mike Williams isn't sneaking up on anybody anymore. Cincinnati built its defensive game plan around containing Syracuse's star wide receiver.
Whatever the Bearcats did, it worked.
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