The first question asked to Walter Reyes yesterday was whether the Syracuse football team’s running back would be out for the rest of the year.

Like everyone else, he didn’t know.

Reyes spoke to the media for the first time yesterday since tearing a muscle in his right shoulder in SU’s 38-31 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday. With a bye week following this weekend’s game at Temple, Reyes is hopeful he can return before SU faces Boston College on Nov. 27.

‘Right now I’m out,’ Reyes said. ‘We’ll see how I feel before BC.’

Reyes injured the shoulder on a run up the middle, then stayed in the game. When he took the next handoff, he could barely raise his right shoulder. Then he lay on the ground in pain.

‘At first I thought it was just a stinger,’ Reyes said. ‘I thought I’d be able to shake it off. On the next play, my arm went numb. I knew I couldn’t play.’

Reyes donned a blue sling.

‘I can’t move my arm at all,’ Reyes said. ‘It’s very painful.’

Reyes left the game, and the trainers kept him in the locker room until the end of the game. Now, he’s receiving treatment three times a day.

‘Luckily, we have a bye week next week,’ Reyes said. ‘I hope I’m back (in time for BC). I want to make sure I’m 100 percent when I come back. Not 80 percent. When I get back, I don’t want to reaggravate it.

‘I can deal with pain. But when I can’t move my arm, I can’t play.’

Reyes, a senior, has rushed for 800 yards this season. Before injuring his shoulder Saturday, Reyes had 17 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown.

For the third straight week, Syracuse will face a defense with five defensive backs.

The nickel setup works for Temple.

‘They have the ability to have five defensive backs,’ offensive line coach George DeLeone said, ‘so if you put in four wide receivers, they don’t have to adjust.

‘At the same time, their defensive backs are strong enough to move up and stack eight in the box against the run. So it’s a very difficult defense to play.’

Earlier this season, safety Anthony Smith suggested he wanted to block one punt each game.

Since then, Smith has blocked none.

‘They’re double-teaming me,’ Smith said. ‘It’s harder to get back there.’

Coaches have been moving Smith around to try to find the weakest link on the line. So far, though, it hasn’t worked.

‘Hopefully I’ll get a couple more,’ Smith said. ‘Maybe … three more.’

Smith has three blocks so far this season.

Cornerback DeAndre LaCaille will return to the starting lineup Saturday, Smith said. LaCaille had injured his shoulder and sat out against Connecticut. He didn’t start against Pittsburgh before entering the game in the second half. … Saturday is the first Police Athletic League Day at Temple Football. Former Orange and current Philadelphia Eagle Donovan McNabb is sponsoring it. PAL contributes money to educational and athletic programs around the city.

Published on November 10, 2004 at 12:00 pm