SYRACUSE - A new offense and signs of a stronger running attack equaled the same old story for the Syracuse Orange - another lost season-opener.

And yet despite Syracuse's 30-10 loss at Northwestern on Saturday, his fourth season-opening setback in four years as head coach, Greg Robinson didn't deviate from his customary soliloquy, which is very polished considering his record at Syracuse stands at 7-29.

“As a whole, I truly believe in so many ways this team can improve, and in a hurry,” Robinson said Tuesday. “This is an opportunity for us to clean this up and get better.”

A year after posting some unfathomable numbers (in 2007, the school that produced Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Larry Csonka managed an embarrassing 2 yards per carry and just 753 yards rushing in all while opponents ran for 2,494 yards), the Orange running attack appears headed back in the right direction. With a rotation of Curtis Brinkley, Delone Carter and Doug Hogue, Syracuse gained 122 yards on 30 carries against the Wildcats, more than double its production per carry from last season.

Robinson said he would continue to use all three backs but wouldn't name a starter for Saturday's home opener against Akron (0-1). Brinkley, who missed the final four games of 2007 with a broken leg, started the opener but nobody received carries in more than two consecutive drives.

“It will take care of itself,” Robinson said. “Practice will have a lot to do with how things go. We had production. Why try to fix it?”

Brinkley gained 49 yards on nine carries, Carter had 45 yards on six carries, and Hogue finished with 23 yards on six carries and also caught a pair of passes for 12 yards. Among Brinkley's carries was a 28-yard run and Carter, who did not play last season while recovering from a dislocated hip, had a 32-yarder.

“I'm just worrying about what I can do to beat both of them out,” said Brinkley, who scored the Orange's lone touchdown on a tough 2-yard run. “When I got injured, I was hearing a lot of stuff like, 'Brinkley's going to quit.' That motivated me.”

The one constant on offense a year ago was the solid play of quarterback Andrew Robinson, who managed to pass for 2,192 passing yards and 13 touchdowns with just seven interceptions even though he had little help from the line or running game. He was sacked 50 times and survived countless hits.