PHILADELPHIA – If there was one positive thing to take from the Syracuse football team’s embarrassing 34-24 loss Saturday, Damien Rhodes provided it.

Rhodes, a junior running back, ran for three touchdowns and 200 yards on 29 carries – all career-highs – before 15,564 at Lincoln Financial Field. Despite Rhodes’ game, SU still suffered a 10-point loss to one of the worst teams in the country.

After the game, most talk centered around SU’s bowl chances (slim), head coach Paul Pasqualoni’s job status (bleak) and explanations for how the Orange could lose to a team as pitiful as Temple (there were none).

Lost in the mayhem of those disastrous storylines was Rhodes.

The 6-foot, 185-pound back did little to distract from those topics. After the game, Rhodes showed up in a full black suit and towel wrapped around his neck, with his equipment bag at his side. The first question asked to the pristinely dressed Rhodes: how excited he felt to hit the 200-yard barrier.

‘It doesn’t mean anything right now,’ he said. ‘That doesn’t mean anything to me.’Still, Rhodes’ effort eased some fears about an inconsistent running game. Starter Walter Reyes averages 100 yards a game, but could run for as few as 31 – which he did against Purdue – or as many as 237, which he did against Rutgers.

On Saturday, a torn muscle in his right shoulder sidelined Reyes. Rhodes started and carried the bulk of the load for just the second time this year – and shined.

His first chance as the main guy came in SU’s 27-6 loss to West Virginia on Oct. 21. Then, with Reyes out with the flu, Rhodes rushed for 65 yards on 21 carries, a paltry 3.1 yards-per-carry average.

On Saturday, Rhodes provided SU (5-5, 3-2 Big East) its only consistent offensive option.

He established himself early, rushing for 21 yards on three carries on SU’s first possession. By halftime, Rhodes accumulated 78 yards on 15 carries.

In the second half, Rhodes tore the Owls up. On SU’s first second-half possession, Rhodes ran for 60 yards on a 75-yard drive, which culminated in a 31-yard touchdown scamper around the right side.

On SU’s next two possessions, Rhodes ran for touchdowns of 16 and 2 yards, respectively.

By the end, he had the biggest day of his career, the only bright spot on the gloomiest day of the Syracuse football season.

‘We knew that Damien was gonna have to have a big day today,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘He had a big day. I don’t know what his yardage was, but I thought he…’

Then someone informed Pasqualoni that Rhodes ran for 200 yards.

‘Two hundred?’ Pasqualoni asked. ‘Yeah.’

Then, without stopping, Pasqualoni continued his praise.

‘…made some plays. I’m sure Damien will tell you he’d trade in a few of those to get over that goal line one or two more times. But Damien had a real good game.’

Even the Owls, who have seen some runners tear them up recently, praised Rhodes, who constantly outran Temple to the outside corner and upfield.

‘He’s a great cutback runner,’ Temple linebacker Rian Wallace said. ‘Reyes is more patient. But Damien Rhodes is a good athlete. He’s a good back. We couldn’t get his number.’

Published on November 14, 2004 at 12:00 pm