The Syracuse defense came into Saturday’s game against Rhode Island knowing Rams’ quarterback Steve Probst was as much of a threat running the ball as he was throwing it.

Still, most of URI’s offense came on broken plays when Probst managed to avoid the pass rush, tuck the ball and take off into the open field. He frustrated the Orange throughout much of the game, as he kept getting around to the outside of Syracuse’s blitzes.

But when SU needed to contain him most — on the last drive of the game — the Orange did just that.

‘At the end of it, we were able to contain on the outside, keep him in the pocket and pressure up the middle,’ Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone said. ‘And that’s what was able to get him.’

Back-to-back sacks by Marquis Spruill on the Rams’ final possession halted the URI attack, allowing Syracuse (2-0) to survive with a 21-14 win in front of 36,421 fans in the Carrier Dome. SU’s offense struggled to put up points despite racking up 354 yards of total offense. And fittingly, the defense that had held strong throughout most of the contest came through with the game-sealing plays to end it.

‘I think you have the feeling that, ‘Dang, it shouldn’t have went down like that,” Orange running back Antwon Bailey said. ‘But honestly, we won. It’s something that hasn’t been going on a lot around here.’

It is the first time Syracuse has started 2-0 since 1999.

Before Saturday, Rhode Island’s closest game against a Big East opponent came when the Rams lost 52-10 to Connecticut in 2009. And SU looked like it would be firmly in control of the game after the first quarter on Saturday.

Syracuse outgained the Rams 126 yards to 24 yards through the first 15 minutes of play. URI didn’t pick up a first down until the last play of the period. But even with the dominating performance, SU only held a 7-0 lead entering the second quarter.

‘Like most (Bowl Championship Series) teams, they try to knock you out at the beginning,’ Rhode Island head coach Joe Trainer said. ‘And if they don’t, then you have a shot going into the second half.’

SU did come out swinging, but the Rams started to turn things around in the second quarter. Syracuse’s defense forced three straight three-and-outs to start the game, but it finally started to bend as Probst began to rely on his legs more than his arm.

Faced with a third-and-long early in the second quarter, Probst rolled right and cut back to his left. He nearly broke the play open for a long gain, but safety Phillip Thomas knocked him into his own lineman downfield and Probst fell forward for the first-down conversion.

Later on the same drive, he turned a third-and-7 into fourth-and-inches by scrambling up the middle. He picked up the inches on a quarterback sneak, and two plays later Rhode Island knotted the game at 7-7.

Not including yards lost due to sacks, Probst led the Rams with 66 yards rushing.

‘He did hurt us,’ Marrone said. ‘We ran up the field, got around him. He was able to make some key first downs on some drives.’

SU answered immediately with a long pass to Van Chew that led to a Ryan Nassib touchdown pass one play later, but from that point on, the offense sputtered until the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, the pressure was heaped back onto the SU defense, and for the most part, that unit held strong. Most of URI’s offensive success continued to be when plays broke down and Probst took off as opposed to pure offensive execution.

‘That means that everybody, your DBs, your linebackers, they held their spots, and they didn’t let anybody get open (downfield),’ Spruill said. ‘And the defensive line had a good rush, and he had to scramble.’

URI managed to tie the game on its first drive of the second half, but SU’s defense locked down the rest of the way. Led by Nassib, the Orange offense finally put together another scoring drive early in the fourth quarter to go up 21-14, and from there, the defense took over.

Rhode Island netted only 4 yards and one first down after SU took the lead in the final period. And on the last drive, the blitzes that Syracuse had been sending all game finally corralled Probst.

Spruill charged through the heart of the Rams’ line to push Rhode Island back 17 yards with his 1.5 sacks on the final drive. Probst then heaved a desperation pass downfield two plays later, but his prayer landed in the waiting arms of Thomas for his second interception of the game.

And just like that, Syracuse survived.

‘We didn’t play to our potential,’ Thomas said. ‘But a win is a win.’

zjbrown@syr.edu

Published on September 9, 2011 at 12:00 pm