Standing over a receiver he had just decked with the biggest hit of his football life, Anthony Smith couldn’t help it. He gave his jersey a triumphant tug, skipping away from the fallen body with his Syracuse football teammates. Hey, he had just made ‘SportsCenter’ – No. 8 on the Top 10!

Thing was, that receiver – Louisville’s Joshua Tinch – had just hauled in a 23-yard first down.

‘It was a big hit,’ Smith said. ‘But we need to eliminate those type of plays.’

Smith, a sophomore in his first year as SU’s starting free safety, looks ready to do just that. To go with his highlight-reel stick, Smith made his first career interception and eight other tackles, a career high.

‘Anthony looked more comfortable,’ SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni said. ‘He had his best week of practice, and it definitely showed in the game.’

Indeed, Smith was a bright spot in a dreary SU secondary, one that was exploited for the second time in as many games. Syracuse rendered 266 passing yards and three touchdown passes.

Steve Gregory, the unit’s anchor at cornerback, looked lost getting burned for a first-quarter touchdown.

‘That’s a play I need to make,’ Gregory said. ‘My team expects me to make that play.’

Soon, it’ll expect Smith to make them. Saturday, he had his best day as an Orangeman.

When asked for any players who performed well, the first name out of Pasqualoni’s mouth was Smith’s.

‘It boosts my confidence,’ Smith said. ‘It inspires me more to know that I can do more, make more plays.’

Syracuse needs it. Though they’re just sophomores, Smith and Gregory are the grizzled veterans of SU’s defensive backfield. Strong safety Diamond Ferri played running back before this season, and cornerback Terrell Lemon is a redshirt freshman.

While Ferri seems to be adjusting quicker than Lemon, Smith and Gregory still bear the burden of correcting the secondary.

‘It’s a role we have to take and accept,’ Smith said. ‘We have to be the leaders out there.’

Smith especially. He’s responsible for making any adjustment to the defense between the time the Orangemen break the huddle and the snap.

Any time a man goes in motion, Smith makes sure everyone is where they need to be. If the quarterback calls an audible, Smith’s responsible for aligning the defense accordingly. Basically, he quarterbacks the defense.

For now, it’s a defense that other teams have been shredding through the air.

‘It’s lack of respect,’ Smith said. ‘We have to earn that respect back. Until then, we know they’re going to go up top.’

As good a game as Smith had Saturday, there’s still room for improvement. He still bites a little too long on play action, opening up the deep post.

And, even his most exciting play came with a 23-yard cost.

‘I was happy that it made ‘SportsCenter,” Smith said. ‘But I would’ve been happier if we’d have won. Once we can shut down the pass, we know we can be a great team.’

Published on September 15, 2003 at 12:00 pm