EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – The grand Greg Paulus Experiment ended with a tease Saturday afternoon, leaving tantalizing visions of an impossible future. The local hero delivered a magnificent performance against a Connecticut team destined for a postseason bowl, completing 24-of-32 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns.

Not bad for a quarterback in just his 12th football game at the collegiate level. For any other first-year player, this season would almost certainly go down as a triumph, creating excitement and promise for the next three to come.

But that’s what makes Paulus such a unique situation. He is far from an average first-year player, having come to Syracuse as a minor celebrity following a full career under the microscope as Duke’s starting point guard. As a result, Paulus was never allowed the learning curve he probably deserved.

Watching Paulus finally match his unrealistic expectations Saturday stamped a bittersweet coda on a tumultuous season. It all came together just in time for his career to end. Twelve games and out. A mercenary brought in to lay the foundation for the future of Doug Marrone’s program resuscitation plan.

So here we are, days after Year 1 of a new era, trying to make sense of the unprecedented endeavor of having a point guard play quarterback and wondering if it was all worth it. Judging from the full body of work and the potential future implications, the decision to bring in Paulus appears to be the right one.

‘It was a very easy decision to bring someone like Greg Paulus into the program,’ Marrone said Saturday. ‘People are going to have their opinions on what we should do with the program, ‘Coach should do this, coach should do that,’ and I appreciate their opinion because they support the team.

‘But I don’t want to be the guy who says, ‘Hey, I told you so.’ I don’t want to be that guy.’

Paulus’ time at Syracuse likely is remembered most for his 14 interceptions, particularly the five he threw against South Florida. That he set the single-season program records for completions (193) and completion percentage (67.7) will long be forgotten.

His poor decision-making was consistent with what Paulus was: a rookie quarterback trying to feel his way through playing against top competition. It was easy to forget he was new at this, partially because though Paulus may have been just a glorified freshman, he never acted like one.

Paulus came to training camp in August and immediately commanded – and earned – the respect of his teammates and coaching staff. Don’t forget his peers voted him team captain about a month after he arrived on campus. This is a testament to his personality, work ethic and leadership ability. Regardless of Paulus’ play on the field – and it was bad at times – those qualities should not go overlooked.

Marrone never treated Paulus like a newcomer, instantly opening the playbook and trying to run a complex offense with a quarterback who in hindsight was unprepared for its rigors. The result was the slew of crucial interceptions, which may have cost Syracuse a victory or two.

As the season progressed, Marrone simplified things and Paulus improved. Outside of a ball that bounced flat off Marcus Sales’ chest in Louisville, he did not throw a pick in the Orange’s final three games, culminating with the superb effort against the Huskies.

Instead of wondering what could have been if Paulus had not thrown the interceptions, perhaps the question should be what could have been if Marrone had toned down the offense earlier. Of course, Paulus would never make that excuse.

‘I’m never satisfied,’ Paulus said, ‘with what I’ve done.’

Paulus was not a novelty act; enough with the conspiracy theories. Nobody was pulling the strings from above, ordering Marrone to play Paulus for any reason other than his on-field merits. To suggest otherwise insults Marrone, who made it clear all season he is not in the business of anything but winning games now.

And yet, it is impossible to separate Paulus’ performance from what he means to the future of the program. Paulus gave Syracuse relevance. He served as an ambassador for a team in desperate need of a face. SU football was better for having Paulus – on the field and off it.

And when it was all over on Rentschler Field, miles away from the disgraceful boos of the Carrier Dome, Paulus went out the only way he knows how – fighting.

‘I’ve been getting better each week,’ Paulus said. ‘Whether something might have happened to make someone not say that, I know I’m getting better, getting more comfortable, seeing things quicker and faster.’

He then left the press room for the team bus, only to return a moment later.

‘I just want to thank all you guys,’ he said to the group of lingering media. ‘It’s been a pleasure.’

To the contrary, Greg: Though some things may have happened to make some people not say it, the pleasure has been all ours.

Jared Diamond is the sports editor for The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at jediamon@syr.edu.

Published on November 30, 2009 at 12:00 pm