Syracusecoach Greg Robinsonwas firedon Sundayby athletic directorDaryl Gross, ending a turbulent span that was the worst four-year run in the program's history.

Robinson's record at Syracuse was 9-36 overall and 3-24 in the Big East. The Orange is 2-8 and 1-5 after losing to Connecticut, 39-14. The Orange has remaining games at Notre Dame and Cincinnati. Robinson, who has a year remaining on his contract and earns $1.1 million per season, is expected to coach the Orange for the last two games.

Gross is expected to move quickly on a successor, with the leading candidates being Connecticut coach Randy Edsall, East Carolina coachSkip Holtzand former Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin.

Edsall, a graduate of Syracuse and a former quarterback, is considered the frontrunner. When Edsall left the Syracuse staff in 1991 after then-AD Jake Crouthamel pickedPaul Pasqualonifor the job, Edsall joined former SU coach and player Tom Coughlin atBoston Collegeand later followed him to Jacksonville, where he worked for the NFL's Jaguars.

In Connecticut's 39-14 victory over Syracuse on Saturday, UConn tailback Donald Brown, the nation's leading rusher, finished with 123 yards and scored a touchdown. Brown broke a 49-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter to give UConn (7-3, 3-2) a 22-14 halftime lead. It came two plays after the Orange had scored its lone offensive touchdown and perhaps created some false sense of hope.

Syracuse tailback Curtis Brinkley rushed for 94 yards in defeat and went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season. He scored a touchdown on a twisting, determined one-yard blast in the second quarter on fourth-and-goal.

It was a sad, familiar script for the Orange, which hung in the game for a half only to collapse from its unrelenting dysfunction on offense and its habit of surrendering big plays on defense.

SEASON RECAP

Northwestern 30, Syracuse 10: RB Curtis Brinkley scored the first touchdown of the season in Syracuse's season opener at Northwestern, as the Orange rushed for 122 yards against the Wildcats. Brinkley's score was set up by DE Jared Kimmel's forced fumble, which was recovered by senior Vincenzo Giruzzi, the first fumble recovery of his career.

Akron 42, Syracuse 28: Greg Robinson made a surprising switch at quarterback before Syracuse's home opener, replacing Andrew Robinson with senior Cam Dantley. It worked: Dantley threw three touchdown passes and gave the dormant offense a spark. Now if only Robinson had a solution for his woeful defense.

Penn State 55, Syracuse 13: Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler each caught a pair of touchdown passes before halftime, and Penn State renewed the rivalry between the schools with a rout, gaining nearly 400 yards and scoring 38 points in the first half on the way to victory.

Syracuse 30, Northeastern 21: TB Curtis Brinkley ran for a career-best 145 rushing yards on 24 attempts and scored a touchdown. Sophomore Doug Hogue also had a career day with 100 yards rushing and 25 yards receiving, in addition to scoring two touchdowns. He found the end zone on the ground and via a pass from QB Cameron Dantley.

Pitt 34, Syracuse 24: Another disappointing loss for Syracuse in a game the Orange let slip away. Syracuse had an 11-point lead in the first quarter, held the lead at halftime, and was up 24-13 in the third. But Pittsburgh's LaRod Stephens-Howling scored two fourth quarter TDs as the Panthers came from behind.

West Virginia 17, Syracuse 6: Noel Devine took charge of West Virginia's sputtering offense, rushing for a career-high 188 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown run with 4:16 remaining.

South Florida 45, Syracuse 13: QB Matt Grothe threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, and the Bulls routed the Orange at Tampa. Grothe, who was also the team's leading rusher, with 72 yards, finished 19-for-26 for 255 yards. His second touchdown pass in the third quarter was the 40th of his career.

Syracuse 28, Louisville 21: Syracuse survived a late scare and defeated Louisville after safety Bruce Williams clinched the victory when he intercepted Hunter Cantwell's pass at the Syracuse 30 with 27 seconds to play. The Orange led 28-14 with 5:16 left but gave up a 37-yard TD pass to make it a one-touchdown game with 3:55 to play.

Rutgers 35, Syracuse 17: Mike Teel threw three touchdown passes and Rutgers rallied from an early 14-point deficit to beat Syracuse for its third straight win. Teel found Tiquan Underwood for scoring passes of 5 and 16 yards and connected with Kenny Britt nine times for 107 yards, including a 16-yard TD for the Scarlet Knights.

Connecticut 39, Syracuse 14: Donald Brown scored on a 49-yard run late in the second quarter to counter a Syracuse touchdown, and Jasper Howard and Robert McClain scored on consecutive plays from scrimmage late in the third to lead the Huskies past the woeful Orange.

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