SYRACUSE - Syracuse begins Big East play with a lot of questions hovering over the program. The most pressing: Are the Orange finally at the point where they can take a meaningful step forward?

“I believe the time is now,” defensive end Anthony Perkins said. “We're going like a water hose, springing spurts (of progress). Everything's coming together.”

Judging by recent history, that kind of talk is cheap. Syracuse's conference record in three-plus years under head coach Greg Robinson is 2-19 (0-7 in 2005 and 1-6 in each of the past two seasons), which has helped put his job in jeopardy.

To his credit, Robinson remains focused on the present, not what seems likely to happen if the Orange don't start winning consistently. Syracuse (1-3) hosts longtime rival Pittsburgh (2-1) on Saturday in the conference opener for both teams.

Syracuse is hoping to build on the momentum they took away from last week's 30-21 home win over Northeastern.

The series is tied 30-30-3, but Pitt has the edge in recent games. The Panthers eked out a 20-17 victory a year ago at Heinz Field for their fifth win in six games against Syracuse, the lone blemish a double-overtime loss in the Carrier Dome in 2004.

“They had a nice win last week,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “They did a lot of good things. They played well in all phases. That's why they won. And you look at the history of us going up to Syracuse, it's always been one of the toughest places that we have to go. We have to be ready to play a lot better than we did last week.”

Pitt was ranked 25th at the start of the season, but a bad 27-17 home loss to Bowling Green to open the season set the Panthers back. They've since rebounded with wins over Buffalo (27-16) and Iowa (21-20), but led the Bulls by only a point after three quarters and had to hold on at the end last week against the Hawkeyes.

And that made Pitt wary of Syracuse, no matter what the Orange have been through, as the Panthers prepared for their first road game of the season.

If the Panthers are hoping to finally get their run game in high gear- they're ranked last in the Big East in rushing at 123 yards per game- they couldn't ask for a more obliging opponent.

Of the 119 teams in college football's top division, Syracuse ranks 102nd in rushing defense (198 yards per game), 114th in total defense (476.23 ypg, or 6.52 yards per play), and has allowed 20 touchdowns.

And Pitt has two backs itching for a breakout game.

LeSean McCoy set a Big East freshman rushing record with 1,328 yards last season but still doesn't have a 100-yard game this season, and LaRod Stephens-Howling has only 118 yards rushing.

Two years ago against the Orange, Stephens-Howling rushed for a career-high 221 yards- 178 yards on 14 carries in the first half alone- and scored on a 70-yard run to key a 21-11 Pitt win in the Carrier Dome.