Sitting at 183 yards in the fourth quarter, Walter Reyes was gassed. All day, the Syracuse football running back had punished the Central Florida defense, pounding the ball in, out and around UCF defenders.

Still, with 6:01 left in the game, Reyes took a pitch from quarterback R.J. Anderson and sprinted toward the right sideline.

Then, he just seemed to stop. He patiently waited for his blockers, floated in the backfield and hit the hole.

Bam – he pounded through the gap. Whoosh – slipped under the defender.

Reyes was gone. He danced 58 yards to the end zone, slipping around would-be tacklers and making them look foolish.

The junior gained 241 yards on 31 carries and four touchdowns in SU’s 38-14 win over Central Florida. All day, Reyes displayed the burst of speed and his quick feet that he’s fast becoming known for.

Asked if his monumental day was tiring him, Reyes said, ‘Nah. I got a little winded toward the end there, but we were winning so I had to suck it up.’

Reyes fell short of Joe Morris, who rushed for 252 yards against Kansas in 1979, for the SU single-game rushing record. Reyes’s four rushing touchdowns ranks tied for third behind Jim Brown’s record of six set against Colgate in 1956.

‘I told (running backs) coach (David) Walker with six minutes left that I wanted to go for 300,’ Reyes said. ‘He kind of laughed. But that’s how freaky injuries happen.’

Walker was the last SU player to rush for four touchdowns, against Pittsburgh in 1991.

Syracuse relied on Reyes for most of the offense because fellow running back Damien Rhodes sat out the game with a sprained left ankle. SU coach Paul Pasqualoni said the goal was to rest Rhodes in hopes of getting him back for next week. Redshirt freshman Tim Washington filled in for Reyes with 4:03 left in the game.

‘When Walter gets enough carries, he can do that every week,’ Anderson said. ‘I’ve said it since the beginning. He’s the best running back in the Big East, if not the nation. The guy just does it all.’

After he ripped off the 58-yard run, Reyes was mobbed by his teammates. After the touchdown, his fourth, he was serenaded with chants of ‘Wal-ter Rey-es’ from the student section. Leaving the field after the game, Reyes flashed the Heisman pose for his admirers.

While he’s not considered Heisman Trophy material yet, Reyes leads the Big East in yards per game (173) and touchdowns (8). He has 191 more yards after three games than Virginia Tech Heisman candidate Kevin Jones.

‘I really have to thank my offensive line,’ Reyes said. ‘They made my job easy today. Without them, I couldn’t have gotten anywhere. That’s what I came to Syracuse for, to be one of those backs you can give the ball to and depend on.’

All day, Reyes looked tranquil. He ran like Patsy Cline sang. Easy. He didn’t sprint behind blockers, he patiently cruised. Then, at first sight of an opening, he burst through the line like a Maserati changing gears.

It’s a style that’s finally gaining Reyes some recognition. In the bowels of the Dome on Saturday, Reyes was whisked away for an interview with football guru Mel Kiper Jr. and Dave Revsine on ESPN Radio. He did a live three-minute take after the game for a national audience. He’s getting noticed. And deservedly so.

‘Syracuse has obviously had a lot of great backs,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘We have to see how Walter’s career over the next two years turns out. But Walter, he’s a guy that in the tradition of great backs at Syracuse is bringing that kind of excitement to the team and to the fans.’

Published on September 21, 2003 at 12:00 pm