LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Senior tailback Damien Rhodes ended his Syracuse career in the worst possible way: on the sideline.

Rhodes suffered an apparent concussion with 10:12 remaining in the second quarter of Saturday’s 41-17 loss to Louisville on a 5-yard running loss. He was hit hard in the backfield and did not return.

Rhodes ended with 13 yards on 10 carries, a disappointing end to his four-year career at Syracuse. Rhodes was tackled several times in the backfield for losses Saturday and never found much running room.

The senior tailback from Manlius finishes his career No. 9 on SU’s all-time rushing list with 2,461 yards.

‘I definitely feel for Damien,’ tailback Paul Chiara said. ‘Last game as his collegiate career, it’s definitely not the way I’d want to go out. He’s a great runner. It’s a shame to see him to suffer a concussion.’

Another head injury

Chiara also suffered a blow to the head on a stunning hit but he managed to return. Chiara originally jumped up after the hit but then slowed down and needed assistance to the sideline.

Chiara said after the game that he wasn’t sure if he suffered a concussion but he passed the medical tests administered to him and was allowed back into the game.

‘I remember the hit,’ Chiara said. ‘I’m good now, just a little shook up.’

Chiara said the team gave him a written test which asked general questions like about the date, time and location. He also had to remember a statement that an official told him at the beginning of the test and repeat it at the end.

Chiara gained 38 yards on eight carries filling in for Rhodes. He scored his first college touchdown with 6:29 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 24-yard run.

SU quarterback Perry Patterson appeared to audible at the line of scrimmage before handing off to Chiara on a delayed run. Chiara got to the linebackers and then sliced a hard juke to the right to beat the secondary into the endzone to trim the Louisville lead to seven, 24-17.

‘It was my first collegiate touchdown and all that I could expect,’ Chiara said. ‘It was too bad it wasn’t enough for us to get the win…I was really excited when it happened…It made it close.’

Joe starts but Perry finishes

Joe Fields got the starting nod at quarterback Saturday but his odyssey lasted just three plays. Fields missed badly on his only two passing attempts and Robinson went to Patterson the following possession.

Patterson then led Syracuse on a six play, 67-yard drive. He connected on his first two passing attempts and then rushed for 16 yards on an option, exploding through a small hole outside the line.

Two plays later Patterson eluded two tackles in the backfield, including the talented Elvis Dumervil, before finding Nick Chestnut for a 36-yard touchdown. Chestnut made a nice catch to stretch past Louisville free safety Brandon Sharp.

Patterson’s throw was in front of Chestnut enough that only the freshman receiver could grab it and also took advantage of a defensive offside penalty thrown at the beginning of the play.

Patterson finished 19 of 39 for 259 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. One interception came on a ball that was jarred lose from Tim Lane as he tried to catch it and the other came during the final moments of the game.

Patterson threw the ball with more precision and sharper than he has for most of the season.

‘Perry had an outstanding effort,’ SU head coach Greg Robinson said.

Patterson found a favorite target in Rice Moss, too, hooking up for six catches and 116 yards. Patterson targeted Moss on a short pass when the Louisville defense was playing off the ball and Moss stretched it into a 33-yard play.

‘It was one of the best days I’ve ever seen him play, especially against a defense like that,’ SU linebacker Kelvin Smith said. ‘He was real poised, he stood in there and made a lot of plays.’

Patterson also found Moss in the fourth quarter for a 43-yard reception. On 2rd-and-3 from the SU 46, Patterson pump faked and froze the corner on Moss, giving the sophomore an extra step on his coverage.

If Patterson had thrown the ball a little bit harder it might have been a touchdown.

Instead Moss slowed down, hauled in the pass and was tackled at the 11. Two plays later Patterson took a questionable intentional grounding penalty when he scrambled outside the pocket and then back into it, lofting a ball toward the sideline with no receiver nearby. The referee flagged Patterson for the penalty, pushing SU to the 30-yard line. Two plays later John Barker hit the left upright on a field goal attempt and SU remained two scores behind.

Carney on topThe punt watch ended at the 4:38 mark of the second quarter.

That was when Brendan Carney punted the fifth time, shattering Mike Shafer’s single-season punting record of 77. Carney finished Saturday with nine punts, setting a new record with 81.

Fittingly Carney’s record-breaking punt was also his longest of the day, a 53-yard boomer.

Carney came into the game averaging 42.5 yards a punt, which places him No. 24 in the country and No. 1 in the Big East.

This and That…Freshman running back Curtis Brinkley did not make the trip to Louisville after his father passed away earlier in the week. Freshman receiver Bruce Williams took Brinkley’s spot on the kickoff return team….Ricky Krautman continued extra-point kicking duties. Krautman lost that job after missing a try versus Cincinnati and sat the game against South Florida. He returned to kick one PAT last week against Notre Dame….A Gator Bowl representative was on hand with the Cardinals a possible pick for the Jan. 2 bowl game.

Published on November 26, 2005 at 12:00 pm