SYRACUSE - As the new offensive coordinator at Syracuse, Mitch Browning is under the gun and knows it.

“I'm smart enough to know that in this business the future is now, probably was even yesterday,” Browning said Monday after being introduced by head football coach Greg Robinson. “So there is a sense of urgency, and that's going to be our approach - that we're going to get this fixed and get it turned around going in the right direction.”

Browning was named Friday to succeed Brian White, who was fired after two years on the job.

Browning's job will be to jump-start what has been one of the nation's worst offenses since Robinson replaced Paul Pasqualoni as head coach nearly three years ago. Browning is the third man to hold the job under Robinson. Brian Pariani was the first, and he quit after one season.

Time is of the essence. Robinson's teams have gone 1-10, 4-8, and 2-10, and his job is at stake. The offense has been saddled with much of the blame for those dismal records. Of the 119 schools that play at college football's top level, Syracuse finished 2007 ranked 116th in scoring (16.4 points per game), 114th in total offense (291.9 yards per game), and 118th in sacks allowed (54) and rushing (62.6 ypg).

“We're going to approach this thing like we're going to be here,” Browning said. “I don't see any reason why we can't develop the momentum and put a system in and get this thing turned around.”

It's no secret where he plans to start.

“Obviously, the offensive line needs fixing. If you want to be good on offense, you've got to be able to control the line of scrimmage,” Browning said. “You can put up the best-looking pass play in the world, but if you can't protect it, what good is it?

“Greg and I have done a lot of talking in the last day or so,” Browning said. “I find it hard to believe that we can't come up with five guys that are good enough to play at this level that are already in this program. We're going to figure out a way and come up with a way to implement a system where we can control the line of scrimmage, by hook or crook.”

Browning hinted that the system employed by his predecessors might have been too complex.

“The system has to be simple enough so that when those guys line up they can play as aggressive and as hard as they possibly can,” he said. “It's awful hard to ask a player to play hard and play aggressive and play physical when he's not sure what he's supposed to do and how he's supposed to do it.”

Despite suffering all those sacks, the Orange did average 229 yards passing per game to rank 54th nationally. And quarterback Andrew Robinson has one full year under his belt as the starter heading into his junior year.

Browning and Robinson first worked together in 1980 at North Carolina State, where Robinson was an assistant coach and Browning was a graduate assistant. The two have remained close.

Browning coached under Glen Mason at Minnesota from 1997 through 2006, including seven years as offensive coordinator. The Gophers made several strides under Mason, emerging as one of the premier rushing offenses in the nation with stars such as Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney carrying the ball. Minnesota had eight consecutive seasons with more than 2,000 yards rushing,

But Mason and his staff were fired last New Year's Eve, two days after the Gophers blew a 31-point third-quarter lead against Texas Tech and lost the Insight Bowl.

“We were blindsided by the timing,” Browning said. “I don't think anybody would have envisioned us getting fired after going to seven bowl games in eight years. Obviously, it was not fun to deal with.”