Two members of the Syracuse special teams turned in hard-hitting performances. Brendan Carney took aim at footballs. Darryl Kennedy took aim at people.

And coupled with Collin Barber, who connected on both of his field goal attempts, Kennedy and Carney helped to give the Orangemen their best special teams performance of the young season in Saturday’s 34-7 victory against Toledo.

Carney, a freshman punter and kick-off specialist, kicked off to the Rockets seven times. Five of those sailed into the end zone for touchbacks. The other two times, Toledo returners were thumped to the ground at the 11 and 15-yard-lines, respectively.

On the first of those returns, Toledo’s Lance Moore, just past the 10-yard-line, was summarily steamrolled by a charging Kennedy. As the sound of the hit still echoed, Moore fell backward, helpless like scissors versus rock.

‘I’m just trying to break through the wedge, but if I see a hole, I’m gonna go for it,’ said Kennedy, who plays fullback. ‘It felt great to break that wedge and make a hit.’

Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni called Kennedy’s collision ‘excellent,’ and for good reason – it came just five minutes into the first quarter, right before Toledo’s opening possession of the game. With the Carrier Dome crowd suddenly frenzied, the SU defense forced a three-and-out.

‘A play like that, it gets everybody else going,’ Kennedy said. ‘Somebody had to set the tone, and I guess it was me.’

Throwbacks and flashbacks

The play looked familiar. The result – thankfully, for Lenny Cusumano – looked quite different.

Last year, as SU trailed by a touchdown against BYU and faced a fourth-and-one at the Cougar’s goal line, Syracuse ran its patented play: a quarterback rollout and a throw across the field to a tight end.

Against BYU, Cusumano dropped the ball, and the embarrassing play became indicative of what would unfold during a 4-8 season.

‘But just forget about last year,’ Cusumano said.

That’s no longer asking for so much, because against Toledo, Syracuse ran the identical play – on a fourth-and-two right before halftime – and this time, the senior tight end hung on to the ball, giving the Orangemen a 24-0 lead.

‘That play was wide open,’ Cusumano said. ‘It seemed like that ball was up there for half an hour. You’re standing there all by yourself…’

And this time, he overwrote a bad memory.

‘I’m so happy for Lenny,’ said tight end Joe Donnelly, who’s missed the entire year with an injured shoulder. ‘He’s my best friend. Especially in a big game like this for the throwback pass to work – a lot of people remember the play at BYU last year. For him to get that pass and that touchdown, it’s very gratifying for me to see that. I’m sure it’s gratifying for him, too.’

The Rhode back

By playing backup running back Damien Rhodes on Saturday, Syracuse eliminated the notion of redshirting the sophomore who has been hobbled by a lingering ankle injury since preseason.

Players can redshirt if they play in no more than three or 25 percent of a team’s games. Since Rhodes has played in three of SU’s 12 scheduled games, he is no longer eligible to redshirt.

He missed last week’s 38-14 win over Central Florida. This week, though, he returned with 2:12 left in the first quarter with a 9-yard run. He rushed 14 times for 36 yards, a 2.6 average.

‘I don’t think he’s 100 percent,’ offensive coordinator George DeLeone said. ‘He’s feeling significantly better than last week. We believe strongly in playing a two-tailback system. It keeps them fresh at the end of the game and the end of the season.’

Gaines lost

Xzavier Gaines has played only one series so far this season.

Still, the third-string quarterback arrived at the Carrier Dome on Saturday banged up, limping on crutches.

Gaines sat most of the game with his right leg extended on the bench, chatting and cheering with teammates.

‘I know he’s in a lot of pain,’ said tight end Joe Donnelly, who himself is sidelined with a shoulder injury. ‘He was in pain Tuesday. He seems in good spirits. He said he’ll be out a few weeks.’

DeLeone said Gaines hurt his quadriceps in practice earlier in the week.

This and that

Syracuse encountered an unusual punt formation Saturday. The Rockets used seven men on the offensive line – three offensive linemen (including a long snapper) and two gunners spread out to each side. Halfway between the punter and snapper, the Rockets placed three of their biggest offensive linemen to form a last line of protection. ‘It’s a little unique, and probably I’m a little unique,’ Toledo head coach Tom Amstutz said. ‘We spread out and try to get guys down to cover the ball. We can have some plays out of it and it’s kind of fun.’ … David Tyree, an SU captain last year now playing receiver with the New York Giants, took advantage of his bye week by coming to the Dome for the game. He wore a red, Mississippi Valley State throwback Jerry Rice jersey. … Thomas Whitfield and Kellen Pruitt dropped UT quarterback Bruce Gradkowski in the fourth quarter for a 5-yard loss, SU’s first sack of the season. … The margin of defeat was Toledo’s largest since losing, 56-21, to Bowling Green in 2001. … Reyes’s two rushing touchdowns tied him for third in Syracuse history at 28 with Ernie Davis and Dee Brown. … True freshman punt returner Marcus Clayton had his career longest return, a 40 yarder in the first quarter, called back because of a holding call. … Anderson has thrown 121 passes without being intercepted. … Late in the fourth quarter, tight end Joe Kowalewski got behind Toledo’s defense and Anderson threw what appeared to be a sure a touchdown. But Kowalewski stumbled, and when he turned around to catch the ball, he dropped it. ‘It was one of those plays you see in slow motion,’ DeLeone said, mouthing a long, Noooo. ‘God, I wish he caught that.’

Published on September 28, 2003 at 12:00 pm