By the time it trickles down to Antwon Bailey, it’s the end of the domino effect.

With just 49 non-specialist scholarship players on Syracuse’s football roster as of Wednesday’s practice, SU head coach Doug Marrone realizes he is asking all of his players to compete in practice. The depth chart is only so deep.

And though the detriments of having fewer than 50 players on the practice field at the collegiate level are obvious, Marrone believes there is the plus for each player of increased time in 11-on-11 drills.

For the entirety of the team, repetitions are aplenty. Everyone is getting a look. The first two days of practice have literally provided everyone with a chance. The facts are the facts: The other seven Big East teams average 90 players on their spring rosters. A staggering 38 more players than what SU put on the field Wednesday.

‘We are going on the field with 52 scholarship players, three are specialists,’ Marrone said following Wednesday’s practice. ‘For the players out on the field, they are doing a nice job because when you have a limited number of players out on the field, you are getting a lot of reps.’

A lot. In comparison, SU entered the 2009 season with what many thought was a low number of players — around 70.

And the player who is affected the most could be Bailey.

During Syracuse’s two practices this spring, the pint-sized running back has seemingly been in every play for the Orange. As a dual-threat out of the backfield to carry the ball and haul in passes, Bailey is the offensive threat touching the ball the most.

‘It is what you came to college to do, play football,’ Bailey said. ‘It’s tiring, but at the same time it is what you expect.’

And with Monday’s loss of former running back Mike Jones after he was slotted to switch to wide receiver on the pre-spring depth chart, Bailey is going to have to expect it more.

Bailey was on full display Wednesday. As one of a group of three running backs, including rising senior starter Delone Carter and rising sophomore Averin Collier, returning with in-game experience, Bailey ran through the same core plays time and time again.
With every call of, ‘Red-80, Red-80,’ the rising junior was able to get a little taste of everything. One possession, it was a handoff from quarterback Ryan Nassib. The next, a catch in the flat on a pass from Charley Loeb.

With his speed and catching ability, Bailey is the one player at a skill position who it appears will be called on most frequently with this abbreviated roster. Sometimes it will be as a receiver. Sometimes, as a blocker. And of course, sometimes as a running back.

But Bailey feels he is ready for it. As long as his body can hold up, he will be able to help hold the paper-thin team together. He did it some last year, as he finished second on SU with 339 rushing yards, as well as fourth in receiving with 27 receptions out of the backfield.

And in that aspect of the spring, he may be the most important — thanks to that versatility — of the 49.

Said Bailey: ‘We work out for this. Things are going to get interesting once the pads get on.’

Under center

Ryan Bartholomew spoke with Jim McKenzie Wednesday. But SU’s current starting center wasn’t picking the brain of the recently departed three-year starter due to graduation. He has done that enough over the past couple years.

On Wednesday, it was just everyday talk.

‘I’m sure this season I’m going to call Jim up and ask him what he thinks,’ Bartholomew said after practice Wednesday. ‘I trust Jim, he is a very good guy. But today, we didn’t talk about football today.’

As the spring wears on, Bartholomew acknowledges that relationship will have to continue even though McKenzie will be prepping for medical school. He is the man anchoring the offensive line now.

After McKenzie started three consecutive seasons at center for the Orange, the would-be redshirt senior decided to forego his last year of eligibility after receiving his undergraduate degree. Bartholomew then stepped up to No. 1 in the depth chart.

And Marrone is happy with what he’s seen thus far. Whatever time Bartholomew has spent talking to McKenzie about football must be enough so far.

‘I think he is fine,’ Marrone said. ‘I think he is a solid player, I knew that coming in. He hasn’t showed me anything to think anything else. He has been a good football player.’

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Published on March 24, 2010 at 12:00 pm