PITTSBURGH – Perry Patterson thought Saturday was finally going to be The Game.

You know, the game he finally played to his potential, managed the offense, drove down the field efficiently and figured out the West Coast Offense after nearly two months and five losses’ worth of guessing.

And until there was 4:50 in the second quarter against Pittsburgh, it was The Game for Patterson, who led SU to 10 first-quarter points, the most the Orange has scored in the first quarter all year.

But at that 4:50 mark, Patterson left the game with a 17-7 lead and handed the quarterbacking duty to Joe Fields. By the time Patterson returned with 9:50 left in the third quarter, SU had fallen behind 24-17, and the Orange wouldn’t score again.

Patterson shouldn’t have been replaced Saturday and shouldn’t be replaced the rest of the season.

Fields lost his redshirt eligibility and head coach Greg Robinson probably feels like he owes it to his backup to at least make his lost season a little more worthwhile. But this is Patterson’s offense to suffer with and learn from and the only way he’ll get comfortable in the offense is if Robinson stops this two-quarterback charade and hands Patterson the full reins.

‘I wanted to be in there, but Coach felt like he needed to change some things up,’ Patterson said about his removal. ‘That’s his decision, but I’m still in there rooting for Joe, making sure he does the right things.’

That does not sound like a man happy to be sitting on the sidelines. Deflecting the responsibility to Robinson’s decision is basically saying, ‘I don’t like it, but there’s nothing I can do.’

I’m not saying Patterson is perfect or that he’s a great quarterback, but on Saturday he showed flashes. To douse a fire when it’s in the kindling stages just to placate the backup kills progress.

Granted, Patterson was handed three starting drives inside the Pitt 40-yard line in the first quarter and only came away with 10 points, but those 10 were a huge improvement from anything Patterson and the Orange offense mustered all year.

Patterson went 3-for-3 on SU’s touchdown scoring drive, including 16- and 13-yard completions and the 4-yard touchdown pass. That’s progress.

Sure, you can say Patterson threw three interceptions and went 0-for-5 with two of the picks between his touchdown and removal. But his interceptions were catchable balls that just escaped his receivers’ grasps.

Patterson can’t be perfect on every drive. It’s actually the drives where he goes 0-for-2 that help him learn and force him to adjust to the defense.

Instead, when he should have been making those adjustments, Patterson sat for Fields, who basically enters games to scramble, hand off to Damien Rhodes and throw interceptions.

‘I was getting real stiff (on the sidelines),’ Patterson said. ‘I wanted to get back into a little flow. … I felt like I was out of the game a little bit.’

Patterson was out of the game literally and figuratively, saying it took him another one or two series after his re-insertion to feel comfortable again.

That problem would’ve been avoided if Patterson stayed in the entire time. So I suggest he stays the full-time leader of this offense. If Fields came in and offered anything, it might be a different story. But to curtail Patterson’s progress by lessening his playing time for Fields, who can’t progress with the limited time he sees, hurts both quarterbacks instead of helping either.

‘Me and Joe are in this together,’ Patterson said. ‘I don’t feel any dislike when he’s in the game and things like that. It’s just something we gotta get by.’

That’s the problem. They’re in this together when Patterson should be in it alone.

Mike Janela is an assistant sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his columns appear occasionally. E-mail him at [email protected]

Published on October 22, 2005 at 12:00 pm