Ricky Krautman got the call just minutes before the game – the freshman kicker would start for the first time in his career.

Instead of making the day memorable, Krautman missed his only two kicks of the day in SU’s 39-14 win over Boston College at the Carrier Dome. Punter Brendan Carney relieved Krautman and connected on 3 of 4 extra points.

Krautman started because regular starting kicker Collin Barber hurt his right thigh in practice this week, special teams coach Chris White said. Barber iced the knee this week and planned to start Saturday. But Saturday morning, the leg tightened up and coaches called on Krautman.

‘We were hoping Collin would be ready,’ White said. ‘When he came to the Dome, he just couldn’t strike the ball. We tried Ricky in pregame kicking sessions and he seemed to be all right.’

In the game, though, Krautman struggled. After a Rashard Williams touchdown in the first quarter, Krautman botched the extra point, striking it off the right upright.

On SU’s third drive, the offense marched 64 yards on 12 plays to the Boston College 19-yard line. His 36-yard kick missed wide right.

Was Krautman unnerved by his first career start?

‘Not at all,’ Krautman said. ‘I was very relaxed. I was lucky to get into the game. When I missed (the first time), I walked off and just told myself I’d get the next one. I stayed upbeat, never really got down. I didn’t dwell on the miss, just tried to keep my head up.’

Fan favorite?

Last week, SU quarterback R.J. Anderson praised Virginia Tech fans, claiming ‘they think they play, too. That’s what’s good about playing for Virginia Tech, that’s great. I’m not so sure we have that in the Dome.’

Saturday, as fans chanted ‘A-C-C!, A-C-C!’ with 2:15 left in the third quarter and SU up 32-7, Anderson gleamed.

‘I gave them a challenge last week,’ Anderson said. ‘I challenged them to come out and be supportive. They responded. I liked what they were doing. I was with them.’

Bad Knight

After SU linebacker Kelvin Smith helped hold BC back Derrick Knight to 51 yards on 19 carries, he once again resorted to insulting an opposing team’s running back.

Early last week, Smith dismissed Virginia Tech’s Kevin Jones as ‘a good back, but he didn’t really impress me.’

His comments were confusing considering Jones accumulated 131 yards on 19 carries.

Saturday, he directed his criticism at Knight.

‘Knight was much easier (to stop than Jones),’ Smith said. ‘He’s a good back, but he didn’t show me nothing.’

Despite the poor outing, Knight is still leading the country with 133.9 yards a game.

Big foot

For all the long passes, blocked punts and hard tackles, Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni cited a second-quarter punt as one of the game’s key plays.

Facing a fourth-and-10 from their own 1, the Orangemen punted from the back of the end zone clinging to a 12-7 lead. Carney responded with a 49-yard punt.

‘That was a huge play from way back in the end zone,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘I thought (Carney’s) foot was too close to the line. That’s how close he was. But it was huge for us.’

Carney struggled with hang time last week against Virginia Tech, largely because the Hokies pressured him. This week, his punts soared.

‘I’m not sure, last week, he was that confident that the protection would be as good as it was last week,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘All he needed to do was just settle down and punt the ball.’

This and that

Just 1:19 into the game, offensive lineman Adam Terry lay sprawled out with an injury on the Dome turf following a short Walter Reyes run. After a brief stint in the locker room, he returned to the bench and eventually returned to the game. … Reyes scored a rushing touchdown in his 11th straight game, a new SU record. He also surpassed the 2,000-yard mark for his career. He now has 2,050 rushing yards. … Safety Diamond Ferri intercepted his first career pass in the first quarter. After cornerback Thomas Whitfield knocked a pass in the air, Ferri corralled the ball and returned it 17 yards to the BC 19-yard line.

Published on October 19, 2003 at 12:00 pm