A few evenings a week, Dennis Goldman slips into a sweatsuit, laces up some old sneakers and starts running.

Out of the Iocolano-Petty Football Wing. Past Manley Field House. Down Euclid Avenue.

Goldman doesn’t so much jog as he does lumber. It’s a creaky sort of stride, a product of his 12-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week lifestyle as the Syracuse football team’s wide receivers coach.

‘It’s kind of a nice release at the end of the day,’ Goldman said of his evening jogs. ‘It gives me a a little bit more energy.’

And as the 1-5 Orangemen crawl to the season’s midpoint, Goldman’s Gang – an eclectic group marked by talent but marred by mistakes – should play an energizing role in flamed-out SU salvaging what’s left of its season.

Since the Orangemen have nothing to lose, why not take a risk? Why not have fun? Air it out in a blowout against Virginia Tech. Throw a Hail Mary on the first play against Miami.

After all, the passing game’s shown some promise.

In a 17-16 loss at Temple last Saturday, SU quarterback R.J. Anderson threw a season-high 34 times for 239 yards, the most for the Orangemen against a Division I-A opponent since a 39-28 win over Boston College last Nov. 24.

Against the Owls, SU opted for more short routes rather than a few long bombs, like in previous games.

‘One of the things we thought we could take advantage of,’ Goldman said, ‘was throwing the ball quick against them. Their cornerbacks played awful deep.’

So the Orangemen worked the middle of the field with quick slants and screens. Goldman said he might try to employ the strategy again later this season if an opponent shows a similar defense.

Throwing shorter passes more often Saturday appeared to help Anderson find a rhythm.

‘It creates a situation,’ Goldman said, ‘where the decision is very easy.’

On Saturday, for the first time this season, the Orangemen threw more than they ran. That statistic has to please Goldman’s receivers, who have longed for a larger role.

‘It’s like a golden day in our lives,’ senior David Tyree said before the season, ‘when we see that ball in the air.’

Tyree had three catches for 37 yards Saturday, second to Jamel Riddle’s 145 yards.

‘I feel like we were probably the best strength of the offense,’ Tyree said yesterday. ‘And we weren’t necessarily used in such an effective manner.

‘We got the opportunity, and it showed that when given the opportunity, the receivers are going to make plays.’

Or not.

In the third quarter Saturday, Johnnie Morant, in his first game back from a three-game suspension, dropped a would-be touchdown pass near the Temple sideline.

‘That’s not an easy catch,’ Goldman said of Morant’s over-the-shoulder near-nab. ‘But he’s supposed to make that catch. R.J. threw a perfect ball to him, and he dropped it.’

‘When you throw the ball to (Morant) out there, and it’s one-on-one,’ SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni said, ‘that’s a tough deal on the defense. I think you have to do those things, and we have the people to do those things.’

So, for crying out loud, just do it.

Goldman thinks he’s got receivers who can. Like a trusty set of wrenches, there’s one for every situation.

Morant – a 6-foot-5 beanpole who can outleap a cornerback. Riddle – a 5-foot-7 speedster who can cut on a dime. Tyree – the group’s leader who said if his NFL aspirations don’t pan out, he’ll try law school.

‘I don’t think we have any Heisman Trophy candidates,’ Goldman said. ‘But we have some really excellent receivers.’

And they’re here to entertain. To inject some delight into this dreadful season. To – what a concept – put some butts in the bleachers.

They’re Goldman’s Gang. And maybe they’ll put a little skip in his jog.

Darryl Slater is an assistant sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his columns appear regularly. E-mail him at dpslater@syr.edu.

Published on October 16, 2002 at 12:00 pm