No one – not on the Syracuse football team or otherwise – works harder than Joe Donnelly. He led the Orangemen this summer, when almost every member of the team followed him in voluntary lifting sessions. He bench presses more than 500 pounds.

So it’s not that the senior tight end doesn’t like the weight room. Donnelly’s just tired of being confined to it.

Donnelly, who injured his left shoulder at the end of preseason, has yet to play in a game for 3-1 Syracuse. After four weeks of rehabilitation, Donnelly is returning to practice this week and will play Oct. 11, when SU travels to Virginia Tech.

‘Man, it drives me crazy,’ Donnelly said. ‘I can’t sleep at night. I’m in the weight three times a day. I can’t wait to get back on the field, especially going into a game like Virginia Tech.’

When he finally makes his debut against the Hokies, Donnelly will replace Joe Kowalewski, who filled in admirably. Though he caught just one pass for 14 yards, SU’s running game didn’t miss a beat with Kowalewski on the line.

Still, Donnelly at full health will be an upgrade.

‘Joe looks good,’ SU fullback Thump Belton said. ‘You really can’t even tell that anything was ever wrong with Joe. He works real hard. He’s one of the fastest runners we have. He’s a weight room God.’

Full time

Mention last Saturday’s win over Toledo to Belton, and a beaming smile creases his face. One reason is SU’s 34-7 win. The other might be the season-high 34 yards he gained against the Rockets.

Belton received four carries and ran for 34 yards, good for an 8.5 yard average. Backup fullback Greg Hanoian also registered a season-high, rushing for 17 yards on two carries, including one 15-yard run.

‘Sometimes our purpose is to block, sometimes they call on us to run,’ Belton said. ‘They called on us more for the run, which is good.’

So, will using the fullback more become a trend? Don’t ask Belton.

‘I don’t know the gameplan,’ Belton said. ‘That’s why they’re coaches and I’m a player. I’m like a child. The coach tells a child exactly what to do, and you do as they say.’

No worries

At the beginning of the third quarter against Toledo, SU running back Walter Reyes became tangled up with UT defensive end Frank Ofili and overextended his quadriceps muscle. He laid on the Carrier Dome turf for a few minutes.

Thankfully for the Orangemen, Reyes rose and jogged off the field. This week, in practice, Reyes has felt no ill-effects from the scare.

‘It was just a shock,’ Reyes said. ‘It’s fine. I just iced it up after the game. It was fine Monday.’

Reyes, who ran for 162 yards and two touchdowns against the Rockets, leads the nation in rushing at 170.2 yards a game.

This and that

Outside linebacker Jameel Dumas, who hasn’t played since SU’s season opener at North Carolina due to a left leg injury, could return against Virginia Tech. SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni said he was ‘optimistic’ that Dumas, who was hopeful to return against Toledo but wasn’t healed enough, will play against the Hokies. ‘He’s walking better,’ Belton said. ‘His spirits are up.’ … Safety Diamond Ferri showed a few blitzes against Toledo, nearly sacking quarterback Bruce Gradkowski in the fourth quarter. ‘I like blitzing,’ Ferri said. ‘I can do it because I’m fast. I hope the coaches call some more.’

Published on October 1, 2003 at 12:00 pm