Greg Paulus will remain Syracuse’s starting quarterback, head coach Doug Marrone confirmed Monday afternoon. Speaking at his weekly press conference with local media, Marrone said that even with his team mathematically eliminated from bowl contention, Paulus still gives the Orange (3-7, 0-5 Big East) a better chance to win its final two games than backup Ryan Nassib.

After connecting on 12-of-16 passes Saturday in SU’s loss to Louisville, Paulus holds a completion percentage of .658, putting him on pace to break Bill Scharr’s program mark of .633 set in 1989. Marrone called Paulus’ potential milestone ‘unnoticed’ because of the team’s poor record and cited his accuracy as the primary reason for his decision to stick with him this weekend against Rutgers (7-2, 2-2).

‘We’re still looking for packages for Ryan, too’ Marrone said of his backup quarterback. ‘We’re still going out there to win games, not to give people experience for next year. It’s not next year until the last game is over. The way people are getting experience now on this team is through injury, unfortunately.’

Despite Paulus’ impressive completion percentage, he has struggled with his decision-making at times. He has completed 156-for-237 passes for 1,586 yards with 10 touchdowns this season, but his brief college football career will likely be remembered for throws to the opposing team more than anything else.

Paulus’ 14 interceptions places him third in school history for most picks in a season, tied with Bernie Curtis (1948) and Troy Nunes (2000). Dave Warner holds the record with 16, a number he posted in 1980.

Considering Syracuse cannot qualify for the postseason and Paulus holds no NCAA eligibility after this season, now seems like an opportunity to start grooming Nassib for 2010. Nassib, who Marrone named this season’s starter before Paulus’ arrival, has been relegated to the second leg in an unorthodox two-quarterback system.

Nassib possesses superior arm strength, but Marrone has been reluctant to hand him the full-time reigns, despite Paulus’ struggles. Nassib has completed 25-of-53 passes for 289 yards with two touchdowns and an interception this year, and has seen more snaps each of the last several weeks.

‘I’ve always played to win,’ Marrone said. ‘I think this team will always play to win. …I think that’s what you do here at Syracuse – you play to win.’

Jones, Phillips out for season

The injury bug continues to plague the Orange.

Marrone said Monday that kick returner and slot wide receiver Mike Jones and long snapper Dalton Phillips will miss the remainder of the season with injuries.

Phillips, who served as the snapper on SU’s field goal unit, collided with a Louisville player Saturday while playing in kick coverage. He suffered a concussion with a loss of consciousness and was hospitalized following the game, according to a statement issued by SU Athletics Monday night. Phillips was released from the hospital Monday afternoon.

Max Leo took over for Phillips the rest of the game. His poor snap on an extra point cost Syracuse a key point in an eventual 10-9 loss.

Jones suffered a tear in his left flexor muscle. He first reported soreness before the Louisville game and complained of increased pain afterward. An MRI confirmed the injury.

Jones was one of SU’s top freshmen this season, serving as an explosive kick returner and a versatile option on offense. His 987 kick return yards rank second on the Orange single-season record list.

Upon further review…

After watching the film from Saturday’s game, Marrone shifted the blame for Syracuse’s botched extra point. He said Monday the play was a product of a poor snap by Leo, not Rob Long’s hold.

In his press conference following the loss, Marrone said he believed the snap was good and that the ball tricked through Long’s hands. He amended his statement Monday, saying that Leo’s snap was wide, forcing Long to reach for the ball.

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Published on November 16, 2009 at 12:00 pm