BUFFALO – All preseason, we heard constantly about Walter Reyes. He was supposed to carry the Syracuse football team. If SU had any hopes of a winning season, Reyes’ legs would have to take it there.

Of course, Reyes deserved the preseason praise. He made SU worth watching last season, as he rushed for 1,347 yards. It’s Reyes who gave SU fans a bit of hope for this season.

But after watching Reyes for just two games, much of that hope has turned to disappointment.

After he rushed for 31 yards in SU’s season-opening 51-0 loss to Purdue, most figured he had an off game. But throw in this week’s 59-yard effort against Buffalo – the same team that allowed 238 rushing yards to Eastern Michigan – and it’s pretty clear that Reyes is not the same player we watched dance through defenses last season.

And maybe that’s not a bad thing for the Orange.

In case you forgot about him in all the overblown Heisman hype, SU has another running back, too.

Damien Rhodes was easy to forget after Reyes’ dominant 2003 season. It didn’t help that Rhodes missed eight games because of injuries to his ankle.

But he’s back now. And Saturday night, when he rushed for 85 yards on 10 carries, he looked damned good.

‘We’re fortunate that we’ve got two backs,’ SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni said after the game. ‘The tailback position had a lot of production tonight. It wasn’t pretty, but we got a lot of production.’

And most of it came from Rhodes. In a performance reminiscent of his 2002 season, Rhodes reminded us why we once thought he was SU’s running back of the future. And he still might be.

Let’s face it. No matter what Rhodes does this season, there’s no way he’ll force Reyes off the field. And he shouldn’t. Reyes is still one of Syracuse’s best and most athletic players. But so is Rhodes.

So why can’t they be on the field together more often?

Maybe not both as running backs. Neither is cut out to be a blocking back. But at 6-feet-1-inch and 214 pounds, Rhodes seems the perfect size to line up as a slot receiver. It would give the Orange a taller, speedier threat down field.

Of Syracuse’s four primary wide receivers, only one – Andre Fontenette – is taller than Rhodes. And based on the 84 yards the Orange gained through the air Saturday, SU’s receiving corps needs all the help it can get.

But most importantly, SU’s two best offensive players would be on the field at the same time. And until Reyes can find the form that made him a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, Syracuse needs more big games from Rhodes.

Pasqualoni said Rhodes currently is involved in the receiving game. But Rhodes has just two catches in two games. He needs to be involved more than that.

After SU’s win over Buffalo, Rhodes offered little praise for himself. While cameras surrounded Reyes, Rhodes stood with a few reporters. He deflected credit for the game to his offensive line, and said he didn’t care where or how much he played if Syracuse got the win.

While Rhodes proved modest, he needs to realize how much SU needs him. Until SU can open its offensive attack more, teams will continue to stack eight and nine men in the box. And if that continues, SU will continue to average 236 yards of offense per game.

If SU can get Rhodes on the field more, either as a tailback or receiver, he’ll continue to shine. If this happens, watch out.

It might be the tailback everyone forgot about who receives the postseason hype.

Michael Licker is an assistant sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his columns appear regularly. E-mail him at mjlicker@syr.edu.

Published on September 12, 2004 at 12:00 pm