Orange continue to practice outside

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - After four spring football practices, the Syracuse Orange still haven't seen the inside of the Carrier Dome.

On Monday, the wind howled and the temperature hovered around 40 degrees, but at least there wasn't any rain in the air like the first practice. And most of the snowbanks were just about gone.

Coach Greg Robinson couldn't have asked for more.

``It was a great day,'' Robinson said for the second straight Monday. ``I love that we had to deal with the conditions. It's real good learning stuff. I think that's part of football, part of growing in the game. It really made our guys concentrate. We had a period of time where our offensive group of seven-on-seven completed a number of balls in a row with the wind right in their face. I just love that they had to really focus and concentrate on doing the little things to get those completions.''

The benefits of playing in the elements were lost on at least one key player.

``It's making it tougher for us. I don't know why we're doing it,'' quarterback Perry Patterson said. ``I'd rather go into the controlled weather in the (Carrier) Dome, but I can't complain.''

Patterson, nearing the end of his sophomore year, said the adjustment to the new West Coast offense was going well, even though the playbook he was toting seemed as thick as ever.

``I can't even count them (the plays), but this is quarterback-friendly,'' said Patterson, who started nine games last season after winning the job from freshman Joe Fields. ``You just drop back and find the open guy. It's nothing too complicated for us. It lets us be more relaxed back there.

``Calling the plays is simpler, but you've still got to get your right reads. You have to know where your eyes have to be (looking) on every snap, every coverage. But calling the plays, it really tells you where people are at, where they're supposed to go.''

Although the learning curve has been steep, Patterson, who again is battling Fields to be the starter, clearly was enjoying every moment.

``It was overwhelming the first couple of days, but we're all starting to get the hang of it now,'' Patterson said. ``I've still got a lot of work to do. There are some things that I've never learned before. I feel like the last two years I missed out on a lot of things I could have been doing.''

``Everything's kind of settling down a little bit. Everything's slowing down,'' Fields said. ``I just have to get the offense down. I think I've got to know it more than anybody else.''

Steve Gregory, who will be a senior, will be returning to cornerback after an injury-filled year at wide receiver. It was his decision.

``I just kind of feel like it's the best position for me,'' said Gregory, who last season caught 38 passes for 420 yards and one TD but missed four games. ``I think I can help the team out the most at that position. I had the year at receiver, but things didn't go quite exactly how I planned. I just feel like moving back would be the best move for me. I'm starting to come along. It's definitely the last time around, so I'm trying to go out with a bang.''

``That's what he wanted to do,'' Robinson said. ``We obviously didn't have a lot of depth in the secondary, so it's been good.''

As has the mood of the team.

``They're making football fun,'' Gregory said. ``Everybody has a positive attitude. We wake up in the morning looking forward to going to practice.''