The second game began in overtime. A 13-13 tie with Rutgers at the end of regulation reset the score, giving both teams a fresh start. Antwon Bailey’s first-quarter fumble was erased.

‘Every game we go into, we want to say we can pound it,’ Syracuse offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. ‘That’s the identity that we want to have.’

Overtime was no exception. On SU’s possession in the first extra period, Bailey chipped away at the Scarlet Knights’ defense. Ten yards here, 6 there, another 3 there.

But on third-and-1, second-string tailback Jerome Smith was stuffed. No gain. The drive stalled, and Syracuse kicked a field goal.

‘One of the things we have to do is just keep building confidence in this running game, so we’re not holding our breath on third down or fourth-and-short and being able to go out there and be able to feel extremely confident in what we’re doing,’ SU head coach Doug Marrone said.

And as the Orange (3-2, 0-1 Big East) travels to Tulane this weekend for a prime-time showdown at 8 p.m. in the Louisiana Superdome, pounding the ball is again the focus. Despite the loss of Prince-Tyson Gulley, who is out for the season with a broken collarbone, Syracuse’s primary offensive focus won’t be altered. Behind a veteran offensive line that has strung together a trio of strong performances, SU is faced with a golden opportunity to reassert itself against a Green Wave (2-3, 1-1 Conference USA) rush defense that is one of the worst in the country.

Despite Bailey’s pair of fumbles against Rutgers and Smith’s inability to pick up the crucial first down in overtime, Marrone and Hackett have faith in SU’s group of running backs.

With Gulley out, Smith assumes the No. 2 role for the second consecutive week. Behind him is the 244-pound freshman, Adonis Ameen-Moore, who arrived at Syracuse with a significant amount of hype after rushing for nearly 1,800 yards and scoring 26 touchdowns his senior year of high school. Steven Rene, the Orange’s punt returner, is fourth on the depth chart.

The plan for Saturday against Tulane is a solid rotation with Bailey as the clear No. 1 back.

‘I think they’ve done a nice job,’ Marrone said of the backups. ‘So I expect them — all three of those players — somewhere along the line, depending upon the play calling and what’s going on, but I wouldn’t be surprised if all of those players do get reps at running back in this upcoming game.’

Though none of the Orange coaches and players would speak poorly of the Green Wave defense, it’s a unit that is statistically one of the worst in Division-I football against the run. Tulane gives up 168 yards rushing per game this season and has allowed 15 rushing touchdowns — tied for the most in the country.

Last week, Tulane was massacred 45-6 by Army. The Black Knights racked up 353 yards on the ground and threw only three passes the entire game.

‘I know that our team feels very bad about not performing to their capabilities week in and week out,’ Tulane head coach Bob Toledo said in Tuesday’s C-USA teleconference.

Syracuse’s new quartet of running backs will look to reopen the wounds Army left in the Green Wave defense. And with Gulley out, Tulane must prepare for players with drastically different styles of play.

The 5-foot-7 Bailey is quick and elusive, Smith is a complete back who can ‘do it all,’ in the words of Hackett, Ameen-Moore is a wrecking ball and Rene is a shifty punt returner with limited experience in the backfield.

Gulley has been in the film room with Smith this week, helping him work his way into the No. 2 spot. Bailey said Gulley’s energy hasn’t wavered despite his injury, and he’s been a key source of motivation this week. He went as far as calling him another coach for the Orange.

‘In the running back room, Tyson is like my best friend,’ Smith said. ‘Me and him still talk, he still watches film with me every Sunday. Coming from him, you can’t take it personal. So it’s like, ‘If he thinks I should be doing this, then I probably should be doing it.”

With the bulk of the workload falling on Bailey’s shoulders, Syracuse has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in each of the past two games. To keep that going against Tulane, Smith and Co. must step up.

And while Gulley’s burst and energy will certainly be missed, the group behind him provides the potential for addition by subtraction. Saturday against Tulane is a chance to get everyone involved and assign clear roles before the rest of the Big East schedule kicks in.

‘We need to utilize every guy on the team,’ Hackett said. ‘We need to win football games, and it’s hard to get through the season with just two running backs.’

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Published on October 5, 2011 at 12:00 pm

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