He’s unknown, underrated and understated. One thing he’s not, though, is underappreciated.

Mention his name around the Syracuse football team, and teammates heap praise on their star running back.

He’d never say it himself. The soft-spoken junior doesn’t care for the attention.

But his teammates are promoting him. They’re endorsing him. They want the nation to know what they know: that Walter Reyes is one of the most overlooked running backs in the country.

‘He’s probably top five in the country,’ wide receiver Andre Fontenette said. ‘With the offensive line we’ve got and the experience Walter has, he doesn’t get enough credit from the so-called gurus.’

Reyes gets another chance to showcase himself tomorrow when Syracuse hosts Central Florida in the Carrier Dome at noon.

Reyes, though, will continue to be disrespected if he doesn’t get the ball. He carried just 16 times in a 30-20 loss to Louisville. Still, Reyes gained 87 yards, good for a 5.4 average.

‘I hope he gets the ball more than 16 times this week,’ offensive coordinator George DeLeone said. ‘To me, Walter is like the best back in the Big East, maybe in the country. But you’re not going to see that if he gets 16 carries. We’ve got to get Walter the ball a little bit more.’

UCF (1-1) held Virginia Tech running back Kevin Jones, a Heisman Trophy candidate, to 83 yards on 22 carries, just a 3.8 average.

‘Virginia Tech couldn’t run the ball an inch, to be honest,’ DeLeone said. ‘I don’t think we have a chance to beat Central Florida if we can’t run the ball effectively. It’s a tremendous concern.’

Reyes may be put in a no-win situation. Though the UCF defense has shown it can stop top backs, it’s still not recognized nationally.

With more carries headed his way, though, Reyes is looking to wear down the opposition.

‘That’s great,’ Reyes said of the added load this weekend. ‘That means a lot of carries. That’s what you play college football for. The coaches are depending on you.’

Backup Damien Rhodes’s health problems should increase Reyes’ load, too. The sophomore has battled an ankle injury since preseason, and he took himself out of Saturday’s game in the fourth quarter.

Rhodes didn’t practice Monday or Tuesday, Reyes said. He returned Wednesday, when SU (1-1) ran non-contact practices.

Even with another big game, though, the respect of college football experts will likely bypass Reyes. After all, it always has.

Following last year, when Reyes rushed for 1,135 yards and a school record 17 touchdowns, he was left off the Doak Walker award preseason list.

Reyes has dominated this year, rushing for 191 yards on 28 carries in the season’s first game on Sept. 6, a 49-47 triple-overtime win over North Carolina. He gained 55 of SU’s 56 total yards in overtime.

Louisville held Reyes under control for the first half in SU’s 30-20 loss Saturday. At halftime, the Cardinals had held Reyes to just 23 yards on eight carries, a 2.9 average.

But early in the third quarter, Reyes bolted for a 35-yard touchdown run, 55 seconds after Louisville had taken a 17-point lead.

‘I don’t know what Louisville was doing there for a while (in the first half),’ fullback Thump Belton said. ‘I think they were keying in on him a little bit. I mean, wouldn’t you?’

With so many offensive weapons to deal with, UCF’s defense may be looking to stop SU’s pass game.

Wide receiver Johnnie Morant, who is leading the Big East with 151 receiving yards per game, has created a two-dimensional Syracuse offense. It’s something that SU lacked last season.

‘The added offense can only help me,’ Reyes said. ‘They have to respect (quarterback) R.J. (Anderson). They have to respect Johnnie.

‘Towards the end of the year last year, teams tried to focus on the run a lot. They focused on me a lot. They didn’t respect the pass game.’

Now, teams must respect both the run and the pass. And if Reyes gets more than 16 carries, he, too, could get the respect that has dodged him for so long.

‘It’s a very important game, no question,’ Reyes said. ‘Last year was tough on everyone. I don’t want to lose anymore.’

Published on September 18, 2003 at 12:00 pm