PITTSBURGH — Jerome Smith called it crazy that senior running back Antwon Bailey will no longer be with Syracuse after the loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday.

‘That was my mentor,’ Smith said. ‘When (running backs) coach (Tyrone) Wheatley wasn’t coaching, (Bailey) was right behind me. He knew what was going on in practice or in a game. That’s crazy that he’s gone.’

But if Smith’s performance against the Panthers is any sign of things to come, the Orange may be just fine in Bailey’s absence.

Smith matched his mentor’s output on the ground in SU’s 33-20 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday at Heinz Field. The sophomore ran for a career-high 56 yards on 10 carries and scored his first career touchdown during the third quarter. And his physical style of running allowed Smith to run for chunks of yardage at a time as a change-of-pace back for Bailey.

‘He’s a great kid,’ the senior Bailey said. ‘He’s one who definitely took everything, and it showed with his progression on the field. Every game and every practice, he just gets better.’

Smith’s breakout performance wasn’t enough for Syracuse against the Panthers, but he did play a major role in keeping SU within striking distance during the second half.

After Orange defensive end Chandler Jones returned an interception inside the Pittsburgh 30, SU turned to Smith to convert a third-and-2. The 5-foot-11, 213-pound sophomore picked up the first down and then some, carrying a pile of defenders for a 10-yard pickup.

And on the next play, Smith again flashed his physicality. He burst through a hole on the left side and only Pittsburgh’s K’Waun Williams stood between him and the goal line. The two met at the 5-yard line, but Williams proved no match for Smith, who dragged the Panthers cornerback into the end zone to pull SU within 20-17.

‘I’m just running,’ Smith said of his style. ‘If there’s someone in the way, I’m just running.’

Smith also played a key part in Syracuse’s next scoring drive, carrying five times for 20 yards before the Orange settled for a field goal.

After the game, the sophomore added that he’s looking forward to an increased role next year, even if it will be without his mentor Bailey there to coach him along the way.

‘I’m really excited,’ Smith said. ‘I’m going to work hard in this offseason, get ready for next year and do better than we did this year.’

Nassib, Lemon, Provo set SU records

Rarely does a team that commits six turnovers in a losing effort have a lot of positives on the offensive side of the football.

That was the case for SU in its loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. Quarterback Ryan Nassib, tight end Nick Provo and wide receiver Alec Lemon all broke Orange records at Heinz Field in Syracuse’s final game of the season.

But all those record-setting performances were overshadowed by Syracuse’s fifth straight loss.

‘All that counts are the wins and losses and that’s what I tried to emphasize because statistics are funny,’ head coach Doug Marrone said.

Nassib had already broken his own single-season completions record earlier in the year and finished with 259 completions in 2011. He also threw his 22nd touchdown of the season on a screen pass to Antwon Bailey in the first quarter, tying the SU record held by Donovan McNabb and Don McPherson. Nassib also broke the Orange record for passing yards in a season, throwing for 225 yards against Pittsburgh to put his season total at 2,685.

Provo set the SU record for career catches by a tight end with back-to-back grabs in the fourth quarter. He finished his time at Syracuse with 92 receptions, one more than previous record holder Chris Gedney.

Lemon entered the game tied for the single-season receptions record with 60 on the year, and he finished the game with eight catches for 99 yards to set the new mark.

zjbrown@syr.edu

Published on December 4, 2011 at 12:00 pm