Ben Maljovec knows it. So does Jake Flaherty and Vincenzo Giruzzi. For the three Syracuse upperclassmen linebackers, this is the time to shine – simply because it could be the only chance.

‘We had a couple years where we were behind some great players and now that they’re gone, we have our opportunity to compete with each other as well as the guys behind us,’ Maljovec said.

Maljovec, Flaherty and Giruzzi have started a grand total of zero games at Syracuse. With the Orange’s 2006 starting linebackers – Kelvin Smith, Jerry Mackey and Luke Cain – all graduated, the three less-than-household names make up SU’s spring middle three.

And they are loving every minute of it.

‘It’s just an opportunity every day,’ Giruzzi said. ‘It’s an opportunity every day just to get better, to work on the things to be successful. That’s what the spring is. You are competing for a spot and you’re out there playing. It’s great.’

Maljovec, a former free safety, Flaherty, a two-year special teams player, and Giruzzi, two years removed from a devastating fractured knee, are receiving the majority of reps at linebacker with the arduous task of replacing the 227 tackles by last season’s three – 26 percent of SU’s total stops.

Three weeks into spring practices and Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson is more than pleased with what he’s seen.

‘People want to know how (the linebackers) are doing,’ Robinson said. ‘I’ll tell you this: I don’t notice a lot of mistakes coming from the experienced players in Ben, Jake and Vinny. I’ve been pleased with what I’ve seen from them. Not to say that some of those younger guys aren’t growing a little more comfortable each day.’

Maljovec, a rising junior, is the most experienced of the bunch. He tallied 12 tackles and two interceptions last season, including a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown in Syracuse’s 34-14 win over Miami (Ohio).

Like Flaherty (6-foot-1, 222 pounds) and Giruzzi (6-foot-3, 230), Maljovec at 6-foot-3, 214 pounds is comparatively light for the linebacker position. Maljovec said he is not satisfied with his spring performance thus far because he needs to become more aggressive and physical.

‘We just have to play physical and be violent players,’ Maljovec said. ‘The linebacker position is a violent position, so just bring the violence hard to the field.’

SU defensive coordinator Steve Russ maintained he is not worried about the size of his current linebacking corps. Maljovec said, for now, whatever he lacks in size, he makes up with his speed. Russ agreed.

‘In life you give to get,’ Russ said. ‘Sometimes you have a bigger guy who doesn’t run as well as a smaller guy. As a linebacker you have to be able to function in a lot of ways. Each guy can play to his strengths. They may be a different size, but that’s something I don’t think we’re really concerned about.’

Giruzzi, a rising senior who will play in his fifth season at Syracuse after redshirting in 2003 and 2004, says his knee is stronger than ever and is relishing the chance to make it onto the field. The Utica native has 11 career tackles in the two seasons he has played, almost all on special teams.

Flaherty will be a junior in 2007 with just as limited on-field experience, coming mostly in the form of special teams in the last two years. Still, Russ is impressed with what he’s seen from not only Flaherty, but also from the entire group of inexperienced linebackers.

‘Anytime starters leave, and that’s just the nature of college football, it happens,’ Russ said. ‘I don’t think it’s earth shattering in any way, shape or form. But anytime you have that there’s that extra level of competition because there’s that vacant seat.’

That competition is vital to Maljovec, Flaherty and Giruzzi in the spring because they have the coaches’ full attention. Come August, at least four potential linebackers will join the Orange as freshmen, and some could push the older players for immediate playing time – even starting jobs.

‘We don’t have the mentality here that you wait your two years or three years,’ Russ said. ‘There’s not a pecking order. This isn’t a monarchy where a guy is just anointed to the throne. You go out there and you work and you earn it.’

That said, Maljovec is valuing the chance he has now to impress his onlookers.

‘There’s no stepping backward now,’ Maljovec said. ‘We don’t have any time to step backward. Everything has to be moving forward.’

O-line updateRobinson provided a status report last week on the progression of the offensive line, specifically naming rising senior Marvin McCall and rising junior Ryan Durand as players who have distinguished themselves.

‘I think that Marvin McCall is a player that I see a difference in him from a year ago,’ Robinson said. ‘I thought he was making progress in the fall. I like where Ryan Durand is now. I think he is better than he was. Not to take away from Carroll (Madison). Carroll’s a good player. He’s been playing at a very good level, so it’s harder to make a quantum leap. I think that Corey Chavers is getting a little more confident in what he’s doing, too.’

Published on April 10, 2007 at 12:00 pm