At the time, not having Tony Fiammetta for Syracuse’s game against South Florida two weeks ago didn’t seem like the biggest deal. He’s just the fullback, not the quarterback or tailback. Someone else could fill in for him one time, and the offense would keep plugging away until he recovered from his lower leg injury.

The Orange wound up scoring 13 points, gaining a grand total of 9 yards in the entire second half. And at least according to the Bulls’ brass, that Syracuse struggled in Fiammetta’s absence was no coincidence.

‘We based our entire defensive game plan around No. 43 (Fiammetta),’ South Florida defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said after the game. ‘…We thought he was an exceptional player as a blocker and receiver.’

It may seem hard to believe, but the fullback has become one Syracuse player opposing teams are trying the hardest to stop. It could be a byproduct of the Orange’s inconsistent and often lackluster offense, but perhaps it’s a testament to Fiammetta – a team captain and one of the offense’s few legitimate NFL prospects – who has quietly remained a steady and overlooked presence in both the running and passing attack.

Fiammetta will return to the lineup completely healthy for Syracuse’s matchup against Louisville in the Carrier Dome Saturday (7 p.m., ESPNU), as the Orange attempts to remain bowl-eligible at least for one more week.

Nevertheless, if it still seems impossible to accept that the fullback can be the most important player on an offense, just ask Curtis Brinkley, the man who runs behind him every day, for some extra convincing.

‘I got Tony being the best fullback in the nation,’ Brinkley said. ‘He’s aggressive, he takes on two, three guys at a time. He’s a great person to run behind. I know I can just get behind him and hold onto his jersey, and he’s going to put me in the right direction.’

Brinkley would know better than anyone. The senior tailback has put up the best numbers of his Syracuse career so far this season, having gained 749 yards rushing and scored four touchdowns with Fiammetta as his lead blocker. Lately, Brinkley has carried the offense, compiling more than 100 yards in each of the Orange’s past four games, and he acknowledged that Fiammetta, his roommate, is an integral part of that success.

But worth being the focus of South Florida’s entire game plan? Even Fiammetta himself isn’t entirely sure.

‘As far as why they said that, I have no clue,’ Fiammetta said.

It certainly isn’t because of any tangible statistics. In fact, SU offensive coordinator Mitch Browning said he would like to see Fiammetta put up more numbers the rest of the year. All season long, he has gained just five rushing yards on three carries and caught 11 passes for 78 yards.

Maybe it’s his ability to play multiple positions that makes him so special. Throughout the season, Fiammetta has lined up at fullback, tailback and tight end. On running plays, he’s leading the charge to clear room for Brinkley, and on passing plays, he’s the last line of defense for quarterback Cameron Dantley when opposing defensive linemen break through.

‘Tony’s so versatile,’ SU running backs coach Randy Trivers said. ‘He’s a guy that can easily go unnoticed or under appreciated. …He can motion. He can catch the ball well, he blocks well, and he can run the ball. So he’s a very valuable part of our offense.’

Then there’s the mental aspect of Fiammetta – the most intangible and difficult to measure part of his game. Fiammetta has taken on a major leadership role for this offense, which lacks experience in most of its visible skill positions.

Not having him for the South Florida game hurt Syracuse on the field, but Browning said his injury affected the team even more mentally. That’s Fiammetta’s greatest gift to the team, and everybody on the offense felt it the moment they left the locker room.

‘It changes your psyche when you know Tony might be there, but he’s not running out of the tunnel with you,’ Browning said. ‘As much as anything, you lose from the psychological standpoint when everyone knows Tony Fiammetta isn’t going to take the field with you as part of your offense. That’s big because everybody knows how important and valuable he is to us.’

Again, though, the most important player on the team? ‘Well…’ Browning said, before his voice trailed off into silence. Then, upon further consideration, ‘Yeah, well, he’s been an important part of our team.’

That’s probably how Fiammetta wants people to think of him: important, but not the most important. When asked how important he was to Brinkley’s season, he deferred much of the credit to Brinkley and the rest of the offensive line. Spoken like a true team captain, Fiammetta regularly falls back to the oldest of sports clichés: ‘I just want to help the team out any way I can.’

He knows for sure, though, that the best way to help the team is to be on the field. When Fiammetta was injured, 300-pound offensive guard Adam Rosner had to fill in as a fullback, and seeing that big body in his position made Fiammetta cringe on the sideline.

‘He got in there and had to do what he was told to do,’ Fiammetta said, ‘and hopefully he won’t have to play that again.’

The Orange certainly hopes so, regardless if his worth is hard to notice for the average fan. The Big East is noticing, even if Fiammetta isn’t exactly sure why.

‘It took me by surprise, especially with my history here playing fullback,’ Fiammetta said. ‘You don’t hear that very often, but I’ll take it as a compliment and not get bigheaded.’

jediamon@syr.edu

Published on October 29, 2008 at 12:00 pm