Auburn proved the right tonic for a floundering Syracuse team last season.

After opening 2001 by losing two of their first three games, the Orangemen blasted the Tigers in the Carrier Dome, 31-14. The victory invigorated Syracuse, which went on to win eight games in a row and 10 of its last 11 on the way to the school's 15th consecutive winning season.

Cribbs At Home At Kent State

Kent State quarterback Joshua Cribbs is the type of player that drives coaches crazy. Including his own. "Part of what makes him so good is that he's a little bit of a gambler and is going to take some chances," said Kent State coach Dean Pees. "You can live with it or live with out it, but we'd rather live with it." It's not hard to tell why. Last season, Cribbs became the first freshman in Division I-A history to rush (1,019) and pass (1,5160) for 1,000 yards. Cribbs is a cinch to do it again. Through the Golden Flashes' first four games, Cribbs has rushed for 618 yards and passed for 606 yards. Cribbs led the nation in rushing after running for a career-high 207 yards against Cal-Poly on Sept. 14. He dropped to fourth among Division I-A rushers this week after being "held" to 126 yards against Miami on Saturday. But, Cribbs does more than just put up impressive numbers. He wins. Last year, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound native of Maryland paced Kent State to its first winning season since 1987 by leading his team to victories in five of its last six games. Not bad for a guy who drew virtually no interest for his quarterbacking skills coming out of high school. Cribbs wanted to go to Syracuse, but the Orangemen pushed for him to play defensive back. Cribbs chose to go to Kent State instead. "They wanted me the most," Cribbs said. "You want to go to the school where you can make a difference. It's not like I had a choice." Cribbs doesn't give opponents much choice, either. He beats them with his arm or his legs. Sometimes with both. Cribbs has passed and run for more than 100 yards four times during his career, including twice this season. "He's just a different breed of athlete," said Miami coach Terry Hoeppner. "He combines great balance, athleticism, determination -- that's the total package that I don't think we've seen in this league." Cribbs also is tough. Unlike most quarterbacks, he doesn't run out of bounds and refuses to slide, preferring to lower his shoulder into defenders. "I love getting hits and I love giving hits," Cribbs said. "It's all in the game of football. I've never been one to slide or anything like that. I'm not like a regular quarterback." While his running ability is unmatched, Cribbs admits a need to work on "decision-making" as a passer. He's thrown four interceptions in 96 attempts this season, after being picked off five times last year in 238 attempts. "He's still learning his way as a sophomore quarterback," Pees said. "He'll make some mistakes typical of a 19-year old, throwing the ball when he's under duress or trying to pinpoint a pass. But, when you're playing with youth, you have to live with that." Pees knows it's better than the alternative. -- Jorge Milian

Fast forward to 2002 and the Orangemen find themselves in the same situation as last season.

After opening with losses to BYU and North Carolina followed by a victory against Division I-AA Rhode Island, Syracuse is grasping for a confidence booster.

It's next opponent?

Auburn.

"To get our season going, this is the perfect game for us," said Syracuse quarterback R.J. Anderson.

Not much has gone perfectly for the Orangemen this season.

The year began with a forgettable 42-21 loss to BYU that preceded an equally uninspiring 30-22 defeat at home to a North Carolina team that is expected to finish at the bottom of the ACC standings.

A 63-17 rout of Rhode Island two weeks ago did little to dispel the questions surrounding the Orangemen.

Syracuse has struggled nearly everywhere, but particularly on defense.

BYU torched the Orangemen for 615 yards in the opener, and things haven't gotten much better in their next two games. North Carolina piled up 436 yards of total offense and even Rhode Island managed 445 yards, including 273 on the ground.

It's no wonder that Syracuse ranks near the bottom of several defensive categories among Division I-A teams.

Out of 117 schools, Syracuse is 114th in total defense (498.6 yards), 108th in rushing defense (214.3) and 113th in pass defense (284.3).

In the Big East, only Temple is allowing more points than the Orangemen, who are giving up 29.7 points a game.

The area that most concerns Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni is the run defense, especially with Auburn on deck. The Tigers rank 16th nationally in rushing offense, averaging 229 yards in their four games.

"If you're going to have a good football team, you're going to stop the run," Pasqualoni said. "It's frustrating. Over the years, more seasons than not, we've done a decent job stopping the run. I think we have the people to do it."

Part of the problem has been injuries. The two returning starters on the defensive line -- end Josh Thomas and tackle Christian Ferrara -- have spent most of the season on the sideline with injuries. Ferrara sat out the last two games with sprained knee. Thomas missed most of the last two games with a sprained foot.

Both are expected to be back in the lineup on Saturday.

The offense has also sputtered, not surprising considering that Syracuse lost nine of 11 starters from last season.

Both sides of the ball will have to play much better against Auburn, which has won three in a row after a season-opening loss to USC.

Although it's a non-conference game, Pasqualoni admits it's a critical one for his team.

"It had a lot to do with our winning streak last year because the kids came out of that game with a great deal of confidence," Pasqualoni said. "As great a challenge as it was last year, this is even more of a challenge."

One that Syracuse players say they're ready to meet.

"We felt the same problems last year," Ferrara said. "We started 0-2 and everyone wasn't giving us any respect. Then we won eight in a row. This year, we started 0-2 and I think we have a great season ahead of us."

Around the Big East

Boston College
Boston College (2-1) played No. 1 Miami close before falling apart late in the fourth quarter. A missed field goal and two fumbles allowed the Hurricanes to scored three touchdowns during a span of 2:43 in the final period. ... Quarterback Brian St. Pierre is still looking for a breakout game. The senior connected on 14-of-24 passes for only 138 yards against Miami and threw his sixth interception of the season. He had 10 interceptions all of last season. St. Pierre has thrown four touchdown passes after finishing with a Big East-best 25 touchdowns in 2001. ... Saturday's game between the Eagles and Central Michigan is the first between the two schools.

Miami
Quarterback Ken Dorsey was seen as a Heisman Trophy candidate prior to the season, but it's tailback Willis McGahee that may have a better chance at winning the award. McGahee ran for 135 yards against Boston College and also caught three passes for 86 yards as the top-ranked Hurricanes (4-0, 2-0) beat the Eagles for the 13th consecutive time, 38-6. The game was McGahee's third straight over 100 yards following a 204-yard effort against Florida and a 134-yard outing against Temple. ... The Hurricanes have allowed four sacks in four games, matching last season's total. ... Miami extended three streaks against Boston College. The Hurricanes have won 26 consecutive games, 19 straight against Big East opponents and 18 in a row at the the Orange Bowl. The current home win streak is UM's longest since its NCAA-record 58-game run from 1985-94. ... Miami has a bye week before facing future Big East member Connecticut on Sept. 28. It's the first meeting between the Huskies and Hurricanes.

Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh's offense continued to struggle in the 23-3 victory over Rutgers. The Panthers (3-1, 1-0) converted only 3-of-17 third- and fourth-down attempts, fumbled twice and were unable to manage much of a running game (110 yards on 44 carries). Pittsburgh began seven possessions inside Rutgers' territory, but produced only one score. "Offensively, we're going to go back to the drawing board and, maybe, cut back a little bit," said coach Walt Harris. "We had a rough game." ... Pittsburgh did get a yeoman's effort from their defense, which held Rutgers to minus-3 yards rushing, forced four turnovers and registered three sacks. Through four games, the Panthers have allowed 51 points. ... Pittsburgh has not allowed a passing touchdown this season. ... The Panthers enter a tough stretch with games against Toledo, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Boston College and Virginia Tech. Those teams have a combined 14-4 mark. The games against the Orangemen, Irish and Hokies are on the road. ... Pittsburgh kickers have missed four field goals in its last two games.

Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights (1-3, 0-1) lost their 16th consecutive Big East game, but were competitive in a 23-3 loss to Pittsburgh in the conference opener for both teams. Rutgers might have kept it closer if not for an inept offense that produced minus-3 yards rushing, five turnovers and several costly penalties. "We struggled a great deal moving the ball, but there were enough positive things to feel encouraged about our team," said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. Schiano said he did not expect to make any major changes among his offensive personnel. ... Quarterback Ted Trump was 18-for-45 for 131 yards, threw two interceptions and his second-quarter fumble was returned for a touchdown. ... The Scarlet Knights, in the midst of a stretch where they play four-of-five games on the road, are in Knoxville to play Tennessee on Saturday.

Syracuse
Receiver Johnnie Morant, suspended for the Rhode Island game for undisclosed reasons, has returned to practice, but Pasqualoni declined to say whether the junior would play against Auburn. ... The Orangemen are 45-2 under Pasqualoni when they rush for three touchdowns in a game and 39-2 when they attempt fewer than 20 passes. ... Junior strong safety Keeon Walker has been supplanted in the starting lineup by senior Will Hunter. Walker has been bothered by a pulled hamstring, but is expected to play against Auburn.

Temple
Temple quarterback Mike McGann continued his season-long struggles in the 42-21 loss to South Carolina. McGann completed 9-of-23 passes for 78 yards. He threw a touchdown pass, but was picked off twice, including one that was returned for a touchdown. The sophomore has thrown eight interceptions this season and only three touchdown passes. ... The only experienced receiver available for the Owls (1-3, 0-1) was Zamir Cobb, who caught two touchdown passes. All-Big East selection Sean Dillard missed another game with a knee injury while Mekonnen Fenton was not able to play because of an ankle problem. Dillard is expected to play Saturday against Cincinnati. ... Tailback Tanardo Sharps, who rushed for 143 yards, was knocked out of the game with a nerve injury in his mouth. Sharps should play against the Bearcats, according to Temple coach Bobby Wallace.

Virginia Tech
Much was made of Texas A&M's rush defense, which ranked No. 1 going into Saturday's game against the Hokies (4-0). But, it was Virginia Tech's defenders that came up big in the 13-3 victory, holding the Aggies to 156 total yards and forcing three turnovers. Texas A&M's three points were its fewest at home since 1987. ... The Aggies were the third straight ranked team Virginia Tech has beaten. ... Quarterback Bryan Randall was brilliantly efficient again, completing 10-of-11 passes for 119 yards, including a 52-yard catch-and-run to Ernest Wilford that set up Lee Suggs' 1-yard touchdown run with 12:29 remaining in the game. Randall did not turn the ball over. ... Suggs and Kevin Jones combined to rush for 99 yards on 28 carries. ... The Hokies are now 13-1 in regular-season non-conference road games since 1993. ... Virginia Tech is in the middle of a three-game stretch on the road that continues when the Hokies travel to Kalamazoo to play Western Michigan on Saturday. Virginia Tech blasted the Broncos (1-2) 31-0 last season in Blacksburg.

West Virginia
Sophomore receiver Miquelle Henderson leads the Big East with an average of five receptions and 80 yards receiving per game. Henderson became the seventh receiver in West Virginia history to have consecutive 100-yard outings, following his 106-yard performance against Wisconsin on Sept. 7 with eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown against the Bearcats on Sept 14. The 6-2, 203-pound native of Mobile, Ala., has 15 catches for 240 yards this season "He's a year older and more comfortable," said West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. "He's not blazing fast, but he knows how to go up and get the ball." ... The Mountaineers play four of their next five games in Morgantown including Saturday's meeting with East Carolina.

Around the MAC
Akron QB Charlie Frye had a career day, setting personal marks for completions (27), attempts (47) and yards (336), but it wasn't enough as the Zips (0-4) fell to Virginia 48-29 in Charlottesville. Frye passed for one touchdown and ran for two more scores. "There's not a whole lot good that can come out of a loss against anyone," said Akron coach Lee Owens. "We need a win real bad." ... The Zips face Miami on the road on Saturday. ... Ball State (1-2) is 13th in MAC scoring, averaging 12 points per game. That's half of last year's average when the Cardinals was eighth in the conference with 24.4 points per game. ... .After driving 77 yards for a touchdown, Ball State was held to 143 yards and zero points the rest of the way in a 30-7 defeat at Clemson. ... Running back Marcus Merriweather just missed registering his seventh 100-yard outing in his last eight games, by finishing with 96 yards on 24 carries. ... The Cardinals are on the road for the third time in four games when they face Connecticut on Saturday. ... Bowling Green RB Joe Alls registered his second straight 100-yard outing by rushing for a career-high 161 yards and also threw a touchdown pass in the Falcons' 39-16 win at Kansas. Bowling Green (3-0) is the MAC's only remaining undefeated team. ... Quarterback Josh Harris accounted for 236 yards of total offense and accounted for three touchdowns -- including his second scoring reception in as many weeks. Harris also scored two rushing touchdowns, the fifth game in a row he's scored two or more touchdowns by running. ... Nose guard Alex Glantzis was named the MAC's West Division defensive player of the week after registering nine tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles. ... The Falcons have the week off before beginning their conference schedule against Ohio on Oct. 5 at Perry Stadium. ... Minnesota had a 24-0 lead before Buffalo (1-3) converted a first down in their 41-17 defeat. "Our kids never stopped playing hard," said Buffalo coach Jim Hofher. ... The Gophers were the first Big Ten opponents Buffalo has played since 1901 when it lost to Michigan, 128-0. ... The Bulls open their MAC schedule on Saturday against Ohio. Buffalo defeated the Bobcats last season, 44-0. ... Central Michigan (3-1) lost their first game by blowing a big lead, allowing Indiana to score the game's final 23 points in a 39-29 loss. Central Michigan piled up 307 yards in the first half, including 15 plays of 10 yards or more, while jumping out to a 29-16 lead. "After the game in the locker room, these guys were sick," said coach Mike DeBord. "We had an opportunity to put that team away. We let them get away." ... Chippewas kicker Mike Gruzwalski had a tough day, missing two extra points and a 39-yard field goal that could have tied the game with 6:59 remaining. ... CMU plays its third game on the road on Saturday, facing Big East foe Boston College. ... Tailback Terrence Jackson (knee) has been cleared to practice this week, but remains questionable for Boston College. ... Eastern Michigan has paid dearly for a difficult stretch of early-season games. They were victimized on Saturday by Maryland, 45-3. "It's been a very tough early schedule, but the attitude is great," said EMU coach Jeff Woodruff. "We're probably not going to face anything like we have early on in the year.". ... The Eagles' biggest deficiency isn't hard to figure out. EMU ranks last nationally in scoring defense allowing 49.5 points per game. The Eagles have allowed 15 rushing touchdowns, the most in Division I-A. ... Kent State (2-2, 0-1) was down to their third-team linebackers in the 27-20 loss to Miami because of ankle injuries to Jeff Jensen and Eric Mahl. Strong safety Jacon Avery also left the game with an ankle injury, severely hampering the Golden Flashes' run defense. Coach Dean Pees said he expects all three players back for Saturday's game against Northern Illinois. ... Second-team all-MAC running back David Alston was held to 17 yards on 9 carries against the RedHawks. ... Starting defensive end Pierre Wilson remains hobbled by a high ankle sprain. Wilson has not played this season and Pees doesn't know when he'll get the senior back. ... Marshall QB Byron Leftwich connected on 28-of-49 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns during Marshall's 26-21 win against Central Florida, but called it "the worst game of my career." Leftwich threw two interceptions and had another pass ruled incomplete, although television replays indicated the throw was picked off by a Knights' defensive back. ... Marshall coach Bob Pruett welcomes this week's bye. "We're beaten up," Pruett said. "We need some time to heal up. I'm tickled that we have the time." ... Miami (2-2, 1-0) finally found their running game and it translated into a 27-20 victory against Kent State. Miami, which had gained 43 yards on 34 carries in its previous two games, gained 176 yards on 49 carries, including 171 yards on 35 carries by reserve tailback Luke Clemens. ... Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass for the 15th time in his 16 starts, connecting for a 7-yard score to Michael Larkin that put the RedHawks ahead after Kent State had run off 17 straight points to take a 17-14 lead nearly three minutes into the second half. ... Miami has turned the ball over four times inside their opponents' 20-yard line in the last two weeks. ... Starting tailback Cal Murray is expected to miss another week with an ankle injury. ... The RedHawks play four of their next five games on the road including Saturday's encounter at Akron. ... A week after narrowly losing to Wisconsin, a Big Ten opponent, Northern Illinois (1-3) dropped a 29-26 decision to Division I-AA Western Illinois. It was Western Illinois' fourth straight victory over the Huskies. "The thing we haven't been able to do is finish," said coach Joe Novak. "Yeah, there's a concern there. Certainly, it does wear on you a little bit." ... The loss overshadowed a sensational effort by tailback Michael Turner, who ran for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Turner's 82-yard scoring run in the second quarter was the fifth longest in school history. The 282 yards are the most by any Division I-A runner this season. ... Tailback Thomas Hammock, the Huskies' two-time 1,000-yard rusher, will visit a specialist in Minnesota on Thursday concerning a career-threatening heart condition. ... Ohio lost its 10th consecutive game, despite the performance of running back Chad Brinker who rushed for 159 yards on 29 carries in the 37-19 loss to Connecticut. Brinker's 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was Ohio's first touchdown in eight quarters. Ohio was winning 19-6 in the third quarter before UConn ripped off 31 unanswered points. "Right now, we're a little fragile," said coach Brian Knoor. "We need to win a game in the fourth quarter. Until we win a game in the fourth quarter, it's going to be very difficult. It's frustrating, We've lost 10 in a row. It affects your whole life.". ... The Bobcats begin their conference season on Saturday against Buffalo. The Bulls shut out Ohio last season, 44-0. ... Toledo (3-1) won their 16th consecutive home game by defeating UNLV 38-21 in the Glass Bowl. William Bratton, a sixth-year senior, scored three rushing touchdowns for the second straight week and has eight for the season. Toledo has 75 rushing touchdowns in its last 26 games, including four against the Rebels. UNLV had allowed only three rushing touchdowns in three games before Saturday. ... Toledo quarterback Brian Jones was sacked for the first time this season. He was dropped twice by the Rebels. ... The 16 consecutive home victories is one off the school record set between 1969 and 1971 when the Rockets went 35-0 overall. Toledo can tie the record against Ball State on Oct. 12. ... Toledo, 26-4 in its last 30 games, faces Pittsburgh (3-1) at Heinz Field on Saturday. It's the first meeting ever between the Panthers and Rockets. ... UCF (0-3, 0-1) has opened the season with three straight losses, including last Friday's 26-21 defeat to Marshall in the Knights' first MAC game in school history. The defeat means UCF will likely have to win the rest of its conference games and hope Marshall loses twice inside the MAC to have any chance at winning the East Division. "Our destiny is not quite in our hands, but anything can happen in this conference," said Knights coach Mike Kruczek. ... Quarterback Ryan Schneider has already thrown five interceptions. His career high was 11 during his freshman season in 2000. Schneider threw only nine interceptions last season. "He's a little inconsistent at this time," Kruczek said. ... The Knights play six of their next nine games at home, including Saturday's meeting against Liberty. ... Western Michigan (1-2) has played several highly-ranked teams over the past few years. Next is fifth-ranked Virginia Tech which visits Kalamazoo on Saturday. "We're not a stranger to these things now," WMU coach Gary Darnell said about playing the nation's best. "The biggest difference is that we're playing it here." ... The No. 5 Hokies are the highest-ranked team ever to visit a MAC school, according to a conference spokesman. ... Darnell said his quarterback starter for Saturday's game is "up in the air." Jon Drach has started two games while junior college transfer Chad Munson has started once. Both have played extensively in each of the Broncos' games.

Jorge Milian covers college football for the Palm Beach Post.