Trouble in 4th sinks Cavs again
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 9, 2005

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass.

All that Al Groh wanted on this trip to rain-soaked Boston College on Saturday was a chance to beat the 18th-ranked Eagles in the fourth quarter.

Thanks to a stronger running game and an improved defensive performance by his own team, along with three botched field goal attempts by BC’s kicker, Groh got his wish. But this wasn’t the Cavaliers of the past, when they had ownership of Crunch Time.

Instead, as has become a disturbing trend this season, the fourth quarter was a disaster for Virginia in a 28-17 loss.

The Cavaliers’ landslide came in all three phases of the game:

* BC got a leg up with a crucial, 21-yard punt return (it would have been more had not UVa tailback Wali Lundy made the tackle) to gain key field position at the Cavs’ 43.

* On the same possession, the Eagles converted a third-and-six at the UVa 29 with a 28-yard pass play to wideout Kevin Challenger to the 1. BC scored to make it 28-17 with 8:17 to play.

* The Cavaliers had a chance to draw within a field goal with 4:09 to play (with all timeouts remaining), when they marched from their own 20 to the BC 2 and blew it, coming away with nada, zippo, nothing. On both third-and-goal, and fourth-and-goal from the two, Virginia defied logic by calling for two pass plays to Deyon Williams, both falling incomplete.

I don’t know about you, but with a dangerous weapon like mobile quarterback Marques Hagans in the backfield, if he can’t get two yards in two cracks with his evasive running ability, then you don’t deserve to win.

“The game can be defined very clearly,” Groh explained later. “I would say in the last 12 minutes we had the opportunity to make some plays and Boston College had the opportunity to make some plays. The game really hinged on [BC’s] ability to make those plays and the fact that we did not.”

Up until then, Groh didn’t have a lot to complain about.

In fact, he was encouraged by the fact his offense grinded for 155 yards rushing against the nation’s No. 2 run defense. And, after playing poorly at Maryland a week before, the Cavaliers defense hung in there against BC’s beefcake offensive line (that averages 317 pounds) and created two turnovers.

Other than the Cavaliers essentially handing the ACC’s newest member with a go-ahead TD (21-14) on a blocked punt and ensuing score, Groh’s team managed to keep itself within striking distance most of the rainy day.

Not too shabby considering the Cavs were playing with a patchwork offensive line for the second straight week, still missing preseason All-American left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and a defense minus All-American linebacker Ahmad Brooks, along with starting ‘backer Jermaine Dias.

As much as their backups try and give it everything they have, bless their hearts, they’re not Brooks and Dias. BC coach Tom O’Brien’s no dummy. He recognizes a mismatch when he sees one, just as Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen did last week.

Until the Cavs get these guys back, they’re playing with one hand behind their back.

“That’s some high-priced inventory sitting on the shelf,” Groh said about the walking wounded.

Virginia, trying to get Lundy back up to par, using speedy Michael Johnson and hard-running Cedric Peerman, managed to pound out 155 yards against a BC defense that had held three of its previous five opponents to less than 50 yards on the ground and and average of only 53 yards a game.

BC’s power running game piled up 196, but 57 of those came on one drive-extending run after UVa surrendered the ball without a sniff of paydirt at the 2 late in the game. Another came on a 35-yard run.

Obviously, Groh is concerned with his defense’s penchant for giving up too many yards, particularly larger chunks on big plays. But he’s a realist, too, and knows that the defense isn’t the same without key

personnel.

“If I said I wasn’t concerned I’d be pretty stupid,” Groh said. “Our players gave us what they had and battled hard.”

But he knew going in that might not be enough to win a key ACC battle.

Groh isn’t going to give up his players individually, call out their shortcomings. He has too much class to do so. But anyone who knows anything about football can see there are some major holes being exploited.

It all boils down to execution and for a second straight week, the Cavs were simply out-executed.

You could almost see it coming that when the schedule gradually began to toughen, that Virginia’s 3-0 start could easily sink to 3-3 with back-to-back road games at Maryland and BC, followed by this week’s home game against No. 4 Florida State.

Groh’s greatest ally in coming days will be Mother Nature and Virginia’s medical staff. With everyone healthy, the Cavs always have a chance.

Anything less and the frustration will continue to grow.
 

Game could mark start of bitter rivalry
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 9, 2005

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The way Virginia’s game at Boston College was played Saturday, it seemed more like a bitter rivalry than the third meeting ever between two programs.

From the opening moment there was verbal exchanges between players, followed by a handful of personal foul penalties, late hits and ejections.

But the one play that stood out on a rainy New England afternoon came early in the second half when Virginia senior tackle Brad Butler delivered a cut block to BC All-American defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, setting off a chain reaction. Penalty flags flew as offsetting personal fouls were called on both teams and Eagles senior tackle Alvin Washington was ejected from the game.

It wasn’t clear what UVa player drew the personal foul call, but Butler claimed it was not on him. Official play-by-play did not single out the Cavalier offender.

As a result, the Cavaliers got a first down at the BC 44 and scored two plays later on a 23-yard scoring strike from Marques Hagans to Deyon Williams for a 14-7 lead.

A fired up Boston College came back and won the game 28-17, seemingly inspired by the first-half incident, although Kiwanuka was ejected with five-and-a-half minutes remaining in the third quarter. Kiwanuka landed an open-handed blow to Butler’s face or helmet after a play and was immediately ejected, the first of his distinguished career.

Afterward, most everyone declined to talk about the extra curricular activities, except Kiwanuka.

Butler, who has never been accused of dirty play in the past, turned away several questions about the incident.

“I have no comment on the incident,” Butler said. “I was not called for a penalty on that play. In the past I’ve played hard and to the whistle. I’m more interested in the fact we lost the game ... it doesn’t have anything to do with me.”

Or did it?

The play, which was shown several times on the Alumni Stadium replay scoreboard, riled the crowd of 32,000 partisan BC fans and seemed to fire up the Eagles’ offense.

“[The ejections] was not the way that we want to play and act on the football field, but I think it rejuvenated the stadium and got our football team going,” said BC coach Tom O’Brien. “They met the challenge from that point on and took over the football game.”

Kiwanuka agreed.

“Some people came up to me afterward and said, ‘I hated to see you go out, but that may have been what we needed,’” the big defensive end said.

After the Cavaliers scored on that possession, they managed to put up nothing more than a field goal the rest of the way, although one drive fizzled at the 2-yardline.

“I remember Kelvin Winslow a couple of years ago when he flew off the handle about a guy delivering a cheap shot,” Kiwanuka said. “I definitely feel like I understand him a little bit more. You play against players who maybe feel like they’re not matched up to you as well as far as talent goes. They’re going to do some things, they’re going to take their shots.”

Asked about Butler’s block, the BC star said that he felt the block came a significant amount of time after the whistle had blown.

“I felt a little bit of pain,” said Kiwanuka, who left the game earlier with an ankle injury, but returned heavily taped. “My first reaction [to the Butler block] was to get up and do something in retaliation, but I was trying to keep my head. I decided to beat the ground.”

The BC player said that he didn’t know if Virginia’s linemen were specifically targeting him because he knew from watching the Cavaliers on film that they liked to cut block, so the Eagles were expecting it.

“But, obviously once I went out and came back in the game, things changed a little bit,” Kiwanuka said. “I could tell that something was different.

“You want to play teams that are feisty and are going to give you a big game,” he said. “The only things you don’t want is for somebody to play dirty or do something outside the field of play.”

Asked why he punched Butler in the face later in the game, which caused his ejection, Kiwanuka disagreed with that judgment.

“In my opinion it wasn’t a punch,” he said. “I was trying to separate myself from him. The play had been over and he was still holding onto my jersey. It was an attempt to create some separation between me and him.”

Kiwanuka said he wasn’t sure if he was ejected, nor were some of the game officials after the flag was thrown.

Butler’s lone response to the plays was simple.

“I was not called for a personal foul on either of the plays,” the Cav said.

UVa coach Al Groh also declined to get into the details.

“I don’t have any commentary on that,” Groh said. “That is up to the officials. I remember plays that determine who won the game.”

 

Major error on special teams
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 9, 2005

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Chris Gould prides himself on being an athlete.

In addition to playing football in high school, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore played baseball, basketball and soccer.

Despite his athletic ability, Gould knows he is no match for an unblocked player when he is trying to get off a punt in a heartbeat.

Need proof? Just get your hands on Saturday’s game film of Virginia’s 28-17 loss to Boston College.

With just over 20 minutes left and the game hanging in the balance, Gould had his first punt blocked on the season as BC freshman Paul Anderson rushed through Virginia’s offensive line.

Gould tried to react quickly to the blocked punt, scrambling for the loose ball as it rolled to the Virginia 4.

Did Gould think about picking up the loose ball?

“For a split second I did,” Gould replied.

“Then I turned around and looked and saw their player coming kind of hard,” Gould said. “My first instinct was to get the safety and not let him get the football.”

Gould tried to get the safety, which would have given BC a 16-14 lead. Doing his best striker impression, Gould blasted the ball backwards with his left foot, his non-punting foot.

“I thought the easiest way to get the safety would be to kick it left-footed out of the back of the end zone,” said Gould, who finished with five punts for 207 yards (41.4 yards per punt)

There was one problem - the rulebook states that a punter cannot kick a ball twice. BC was given the ball at the UVa 2, which was half of the distance to the goal from where Gould kicked the football the second time.

“I had watched football before and I thought I had seen punters do that before,” a puzzled Gould said.

If Gould had kicked the ball when it was in the end zone, the ruling would have been for a safety.

“He was thinking right and he knew he was trying to get the ball off the field,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “Unfortunately, his choice of how to do it was against the rules. But, if we could have scooped it out we would have gotten a safety on it.”

The problem in the block lies not in Gould’s effort, but in the blocking scheme.

Boston College had blocked a punt against Ball State in its previous game, so Groh and his staff knew pressure was coming.

“It was the same rush that Boston College had been using throughout the game that we had blocked effectively,” Groh said.

Virginia tailback Wali Lundy, who is the gunner for the Cavaliers’ punt team changed the call at the line.

Why?

“Sometimes when you come up to the line, you make a call on the sidelines, and then when you get out on the field the team is set up differently,’ Gould explained. “Maybe there is six [players] on the left, six on the right. Then Wali comes out and makes a different call. It’s kind of like an audible.”

Groh seemed baffled by the end result.

“For whatever reason, somebody changed the protection call for what it had been on all the previous and all the ensuing plays,” Groh said. “It was unfortunate mental lapse and I’m sure we would like to have it back.”

The Cavaliers would also like to have the seven points that the blocked punt produced, but Gould was not ready to place the blame on Lundy.

“It was just a huge mistake by the punt team as a whole.”

 

Notebook from Virginia's loss at Boston College
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 9, 2005

NOT A FULL DECK: It takes a rare moment or mood to get Virginia coach Al Groh to talk about injuries. The former coach of the NFL’s New York Jets employs a no-excuse mentality.
That said, it would be hard to argue with the coach if he asked for some sympathy.
Virginia was without four would-be starters on Saturday when play opened against Boston College.
Left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson made the trip but dodged raindrops not pass rushers as he watched in street clothes. The team’s starting center, Brian Barthelmes (ankle), was limited as he played sparingly as a reserve at right guard.
Linebackers Ahmad Brooks (ankle) and Jermaine Dias (foot) did not make the trip to Boston. And the list keeps growing.
Chris Cook, a true freshman, started the contest at cornerback for sophomore Chris Gorham, but was lost for the season when he broke his right leg in the first quarter.
“[Cook] had been playing so well and we are going to miss him,” said UVa cornerback Marcus Hamilton. “But, we have guys that have to step up and make plays and fill in.”
When asked whether the injuries would keep some of his star power from Virginia’s game against Florida State on Saturday, Groh said he was “hopeful.”
He added that he didn’t “really have any reason to know whether [he was being] optimistic or pessimistic. They have, between now and when we start practice on Monday, 48 more hours of treatment and rehab. Hopefully, that will make a difference.”
Like Virginia’s fanbase, Groh said he is eager to get the players back on the field.
“We will be anxious to find out,” said Groh, “because that’s some high-priced inventory on the shelf.”

CLOSING THE GAP: With his start against BC, Virginia defensive end Brennan Schmidt inched closer to making school history. Schmidt has now started in 44 consecutive games, the longest streak for a Cavalier defensive player since Mike Frederick started 47 games in a row at defensive end from 1991-94.
Schmidt, whose brother J.D. played at Boston College, finished with four solo tackles.

JUST KICKING IT: Connor Hughes, a preseason All-American, passed former UVa placekicker Rafael Garcia for the school’s all-time scoring leader in modern history with an extra point in the second quarter.
Hughes, who added two more PATs and a 37-yard field goal, entered the contest tied with Garcia with 272 career points.
Next up for Hughes? He can set the all-time scoring record with 15 more points. That would pass the mark of 293 points set from 1912 to 1915 by former Virginia legend Gene Mayer.

NEW FACES AT NEW PLACES: Fifth-year senior Bryan White started against the 18th-ranked Eagles at inside linebacker. It was first start of the season for White, who started five games as a sophomore in 2002.
White was inserted into the lineup after Brooks failed to make the trip. To accommodate the move, Groh shifted senior Mark Miller from inside to outside linebacker.
White made five tackles (three solo, two assisted) and Miller made two stops.
White’s starting assignment might not last long.
Even if Brooks does not return, Groh could turn a starting spot over to true freshman Antonio Appleby, who played much of the second half for White.
“We had to play Mark Miller outside today which really just left us with a three-man rotation inside,” Groh said. “It seemed like Antonio’s time is here. He had a good week of practice. We’re committed to playing these young players and the only way they are going to improve is to play them in the game.”

EXTRA POINTS: Saturday’s game marked the first for Virginia in the state of Massachusetts in 42 years. The last time the Hoos played in the state? It was 1963. UVa lost that contest 30-21 against Boston College. Virginia coach Al Groh saw limited playing time in that game, which was 15,303 days ago. … The Cavaliers also played eight other games in Massachusetts, all between 1915 and 1938. All of those games were played at Harvard and won by Harvard. … Boston College tailback Andre Callender had a 57-yard run, the longest of his career. He finished with 119 yards and scored his first TD of his career. …
Since 1994, Virginia has now played in just 10 games on artificial surfaces. Oddly, three of Virginia’s last four road games have come on an artificial surface (against Fresno State in Boise, Idaho, at Syracuse and at BC). Under coach Al Groh, UVa is now 2-3 on artificial surfaces. … Virginia has not beaten a ranked team on the road since knocking off No. 19 Clemson in Death Valley in 2001. …
Virginia’s leading tackler was Nate Lyles. The sophomore safety was credited with seven solo tackles. He also recovered a fumble. … A Boston College spokesperson said 18 NFL teams requested credentials for Saturday’s game. As expected, most were coming with anticipation of watching BC defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka go up against D’Brickashaw Ferguson. That plan went up in smoke when Ferguson was unable to play. Kiwanuka was ejected for the first time in his career during the third quarter. … Boston College held an opponent scoreless in the first quarter for the fourth time this year. … The Eagles outgained Virginia by 149 yards (499 to 350). That is nothing new for BC. They have outgained all of their opponents this season.

- Compiled by Jay Jenkins

 

Opportunity knocks often but Virginia can’t cash in
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© October 9, 2005

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Virginia had received all the breaks a team could reasonably expect on the road against a top-25 opponent.

Boston College had missed three field goals. Two of the Eagles’ best defensive players, one of them defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, the preseason ACC Player of the Year, had been ejected. The fourth quarter opened with Virginia trailing by just four points. Three plays in, the Eagles fumbled, handing Virginia an opportunity.

The Cavaliers didn’t take advantage of that chance, or any other, during the last 12 minutes of the fourth quarter Saturday. No. 18 Boston College did. That, to coach Al Groh, was the story of Virginia’s 28-17 loss on a drizzly afternoon at Alumni Stadium.

“All the things that preceded it, they just set the stage,” Groh said.

Yes, but it made for some nice theater, especially in a chippy third quarter that awoke the Eagles, and their 35,000 rain-slicked fans.

Things turned testy when Virginia tackle Brad Butler cut-blocked Kiwanuka after a play, taking out his legs and sending him tumbling awkwardly to the turf. Boston College defensive tackle Alvin Washington took exception, and charged into Butler.

The teams were called for offsetting personal fouls. Washington was ejected.

“You go up against players who feel they are not matching up against you talent-wise … they’re going to take their shots,” Kiwanuka said.

Butler declined to comment on the play.

“ I play hard and I play to the whistle,” he said.

Virginia went on to score to take a 14-7 lead, but the sequence triggered something in BC, according to coach Tom O’Brien.

“I think it rejuvenated the stadium and got our football team going,” he said.

It did. BC answered with a 78-yard touchdown drive, then blocked a Chris Gould punt. Gould, not wanting to fall on the ball inside the Virginia 5, instead kicked it backward out of the end zone, thinking he was giving Boston College a safety. Officials called him for an illegal kick and gave the Eagles the ball on the Virginia 2. Brian Toal scored two plays later.

“I was trying to save five points,” Gould said. “I wasn’t aware of that rule. I thought you could kick it out of the back.”

Gould never would have been in that position had a Virginia player not changed a punt protection call at the line of scrimmage, allowing Boston College’s Paul Anderson to come in unblocked, Groh said.

“It was an unfortunate mental lapse,” he said.

Kiwanuka was ejected on the next series, after hitting Butler on the helmet following a play.

“It wasn’t a punch,” he protested. “I was trying to separate myself from him. The play was over and he was still holding on to my jersey.”

With “Kiwi” gone, Virginia cut the BC lead to 21-17 on a Connor Hughes field goal late in the third quarter.

But Virginia missed two chances to get closer, and fell to 3-2, 1-2 in the ACC. Deyon Williams dropped a pass on third-and-5, giving BC the ball with 11:34 left. Faced with some critical third downs of their own, the Eagles converted. Quinton Porter set up another Toal touchdown run with a 28-yard strike to Kevin Challenger on third-and-6 from the Virginia 29.

Virginia drove to the BC 2, but couldn’t get in. Williams failed to haul in a third-down pass in the corner of the end zone. On fourth down, quarterback Marques Hagans, under pressure, threw the ball into a crowd. Williams and Fontel Mines were in the area, but so were several BC defenders.

The Virginia receivers stayed on the turf for a few seconds, their heads down. The Eagles, now 5-1, 2-1 in their new conference, began celebrating.

“The game really hinged on their ability to make those plays,” Groh said. “And the fact that we did not.”

 

Cavs can't keep pace in the 4th
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHESNUT HILL, Mass. -- In the days following an upset loss to Maryland, only the Virginia special teams escaped coach Al Groh's disapproval.

Their reprieve lasted seven days.

Boston College scored two touchdowns following Virginia breakdowns Saturday afternoon and rallied for a 28-17 victory at rain-soaked Alumni Stadium.

The score was 14-14 before 18th-ranked Boston College (5-1 overall, 2-1 ACC) took the lead with 5:46 remaining in the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Brian Toal.

Toal's run was set up by a blocked punt by the Eagles' Paul Anderson that resulted in Boston College taking possession at the 2-yard line.

"It was the same rush that Boston College had been using throughout the game and we blocked effectively," Groh said. "For some reason somebody changed the protection call from what it had been on all the previous and all the ensuing ones. It was an unfortunate mental lapse."

UVa punter Chris Gould reached the ball first but only compounded the damage by kicking the ball out of the end zone.

"I thought it was a safety," Gould said. "But, as I was running off the field, I saw a flag out of the corner of my eye and thought, 'Uh, oh, maybe I shouldn't have kicked it.' With all the football I've played or watched, I'd never come across that situation before."

Groh might want to add that contingency to the Cavaliers' special-teams manual.

"You would like for them to scoop it or pick it up and run it out," Groh said. "He was thinking right and he knew he had to try to get the ball off the field. Unfortunately, the way he chose to do it was against the rules."

Virginia (3-2, 1-2) cut the deficit to 21-17 on a 37-yard Connor Hughes field goal with 2:06 remaining in the third quarter, but the Eagles took advantage of a short field for a second Toal touchdown that concluded the scoring with 8:17 left.

The Eagles had taken possession after DeJuan Tribble caught a low, 29-yard Gould punt on the run and returned it 20 yards to the Cavaliers' 43. Gould had averaged 44.5 yards on four previous punts, with the block counting as a team loss.

"The short punt just wasn't one of my better ones," said Gould, whose earlier efforts had included a season-long 53-yarder. "I think maybe I was still replaying the other [blocked] punt in my mind. I was thinking that I needed to get it off real fast and ended up hurting the team there, too."

The Cavaliers mounted one last drive, taking advantage of a pair of major Boston College penalties in driving from their 20-yard line to the Eagles' 2 before quarterback Marques Hagans failed to connect with Deyon Williams on two passes into the end zone.

Williams took the blame for his failure to haul in a third-down pass in the left corner of the end zone. On fourth down, he collided with teammate Fontel Mines.

"I think we threw the same [third-down] pass for a touchdown against Duke," Groh said. "We had enough space, enough room to convert. It was a little bit of a stretch for the ball. That was big."

Mines had a spectacular touchdown catch that held up under a replay official's review late in the first half and Williams had a 23-yard touchdown reception that gave Virginia a 14-7 lead early in the third quarter, but he got his hands on five balls in the fourth quarter that he was unable to catch.

"We had anticipated coming up here that this would be a fourth-quarter game and that's what it was," Groh said. "In the last 12 minutes, we had the opportunity to make some plays and Boston College had the opportunity to make some plays. The game hinged on their ability to make those plays and the fact that we did not."

Virginia's third-quarter touchdown only served to wake up the Eagles, whose players and fans became enraged at the ejection of defensive tackle Alvin Washington. Repeated replays showed that Washington jumped on UVa offensive tackle Brad Butler after Butler chop-blocked BC defensive end Mattias Kiwanuka.

"That's not the way that we want to play and act on the football field," said BC coach Tom O'Brien, who later saw Kiwanuka ejected for punching Butler, "but I think it rejuvenated the stadium and got our football team going. They met the challenge from that point on."

Even when Virginia's final pass fell incomplete in the end zone, there was 4:09 remaining, but BC ran out the clock, driving from its 2-yard line to the UVa 19 on a drive that included eight runs, including a 57-yarder by Andre Callender.

In the Cavaliers' last four losses, dating back to the 2004 season, opponents have gained 166, 143, 175 and 128 yards in the fourth quarter. And now, after back-to-back road losses, UVa returns home to face fourth-ranked Florida State, a team the Cavaliers have beaten once since 1992.

"I'd be stupid to say I wasn't concerned," Groh said.

 

All-American talents sitting on the shelf
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- In each of its first four football games, Virginia had the services of one of its preseason All-Americans, but not the other.

In the fifth game, there was a new wrinkle.

Neither Ahmad Brooks nor D'Brickashaw Ferguson, once viewed as potential top-10 NFL Draft picks, was available Saturday as the Cavaliers lost to 18th-ranked Boston College 28-17.

Ferguson, a first-team All-ACC offensive tackle in 2004, joined his teammates on the sidelines and held the team flag but was not in uniform.

Brooks, another first-team All-ACC choice and one of three 2004 finalists for the Butkus Award that goes to the nation's top linebacker, did not make the trip.

Ferguson sustained a sprained knee in the Cavaliers' third game, Sept. 24 against Duke, and has not played since. Brooks, who did not play in UVa's first three games while rehabbing from offseason knee surgery, started Oct. 1 against Maryland but sustained a sprained ankle.

Head coach Al Groh did not speculate on their chances of returning for the Cavaliers' game next Saturday against fourth-ranked Florida State.

"I'm hopeful," Groh said. "I don't really have any reason to know whether I'm optimistic or pessimistic. They have, between now and when we start practice on Monday, 48 hours of treatment and rehab. Hopefully, that will make a difference.

"If they practice on Monday, it will be to a degree that we won't be able to tell until later in the week whether they're going to be effective. That will be a big issue for us. We'll be anxious to find that out because that's some high-priced inventory on the shelf."

Lineup changes

A second injured starter, outside linebacker Jermaine Dias, has a sprained foot that kept him home for the second straight week. Brooks had taken Dias' place against Maryland, so more changes were in order Saturday.

Mark Miller, a starter at inside linebacker in the first four games, moved to Dias' old spot on the outside. Replacing him at inside linebacker was Bryan White, granted a redshirt year after back surgery caused him to miss most of the 2004 season. White's last started during the 2002 season.

Center Brian Barthelmes, who went through pregame drills at Maryland but did not play, entered the Boston College game on the second series but saw action only at right guard, the position at which he has spent most of his college career.

Crippling blow

First-time starters for Virginia were sophomore nose tackle Ron Darden and true freshman cornerback Chris Cook, but Cook's day -- and probably his season -- came to a premature end when he sustained a broken right leg and was carried off the field with 3:54 left in the first quarter.

Cook, from Heritage High School in Lynchburg, had moved ahead of sophomore Chris Gorham, who had started the first four games. Gorham replaced Cook on Saturday but, after Gorham was victimized on a 43-yard reception by Larry Lester in the second quarter, he was replaced by true freshman Mike Brown.

Tony Gonzalez later beat Brown for a 19-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter, more evidence of the Cavaliers' shortcomings at corner. Virginia came out of the 2004 season with three experienced corners, but Tony Franklin was moved to safety and Philip Brown flunked out of school.

The third member of that group, junior Marcus Hamilton, had his third interception of the season and the seventh of his career.

Virginia next week

The Cavaliers (3-2, 1-2 ACC) will celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of their monumental wins when they entertain Florida State (5-0, 3-0) at 7:45 p.m. next Saturday.

Virginia officials announced Saturday the playing field at Scott Stadium had not suffered any serious damage Thursday night when rain started falling during the Rolling Stones concert. Florida State, which has only lost to UVa once, prepped for its trip north with a 41-24 victory Saturday over visiting Wake Forest.

 

Cavs squander bid for upset on road
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 9, 2005

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Get to the fourth quarter and find a way to win. It was Virginia’s plan entering Saturday’s game against Boston College without its two preseason All-Americans, D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Ahmad Brooks.

It was Virginia’s position, trailing by four heading into the final quarter.

It wasn’t, however, the Cavaliers’ end result.

For the second straight week, Virginia couldn’t make a fourth quarter play to put it over the hump in a 28-17 rain-soaked loss to No. 18 Boston College at Alumni Stadium.

Special teams mistakes and stalled drives derailed Virginia (3-2, 1-2 ACC), which dropped to 1-8 on the road against ranked teams under coach Al Groh.

“We knew what was at stake, so obviously it was imperative that we do well in the fourth quarter,” linebacker Kai Parham said. “Unfortunately, it got away.”

It was unfortunate because the Eagles (5-1, 2-1) were eminently beatable Saturday. Despite putting up 497 yards of total offense and getting 301 yards passing from quarterback Quinton Porter, who returned from an ankle injury, Boston College did everything in its power not to run away with the game.

Kicker Ryan Ohliger missed three makeable first-half field goals. The Eagles had 11 penalties for 111 yards, including five personal foul penalties and one more that was offsetting.

Two of their defensive linemen, All-American Mathias Kiwanuka and Alvin Washington, were ejected after several back-and-forth exchanges with UVa tackle Brad Butler.

And yet for all those lapses, all of those mistakes on BC’s part, Virginia couldn’t capitalize.

“My freshman year we were known for being a team that would come back in the fourth quarter and win a game even if we were down 14, 20 points, whatever it was,” Butler said. “It’s disappointing (this has) happened the last two games.”

Virginia led 14-7 in the third quarter before the Eagles turned the game around in a hurry. Boston College tied the game when Tony Gonzalez hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass to complete a 72-yard drive in nine plays.

On the ensuing possession, Virginia went three-and-out. On fourth down, Boston College’s Paul Anderson came off the left corner of the line untouched and blocked Chris Gould’s punt. Gould thought he was making a heads up play when he approached the ball near the 4-yard line and kicked it out of the back of the end zone, but that is an illegal kick.

“You don’t practice anything like that,” Gould said. “ It’s more of just knowing what to do, going over that situation before the game and just talking it out with the coach to make sure what the rules are.”

Boston College took possession at the UVa 2-yard line and scored two plays later on the first of Brian Toal’s two touchdown runs to take a 21-14 lead.

“It was the same rush that Boston College had been using throughout the game and we had blocked effectively,” Groh said. “For whatever reason, somebody changed the protection call from what it had been on all the previous ones.

“It was an unfortunate mental lapse. I’m sure we’d like to have it back again, but they don’t allow you to do that.”

A 37-yard Connor Hughes field goal got Virginia within 21-17 heading into the final quarter. But on third down of the Cavaliers’ first fourth-quarter possession, Deyon Williams dropped a sure first-down pass. The resulting punt was short, allowing Boston College’s DeJaun Tribble to field it on the run and return it to the Cavaliers’ 43-yard line.

Five plays later, Toal punched in a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 28-17.

The Cavaliers moved the ball well on their next drive but stalled out near the goal line. Hagans, who was 21-for-35 passing for 195 yards and two touchdowns, couldn’t get a third, overthrowing an open Williams in the corner on third-and-goal on a play that had worked for a touchdown against Duke earlier this year. On fourth down, Hagans threw a jump ball into a scrum of players that fell incomplete.

A play here. A play there. Virginia never made one.

“It’s frustrating that we’re losing,” cornerback Marcus Hamilton said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the first quarter or the fourth quarter, it’s frustrating.”

 

Butler boo'd by BC fans after play
Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 9, 2005

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Virginia tackle Brad Butler has never been accused of being a dirty player. But when he left Alumni Stadium’s field after a 28-17 loss to Boston College to a chorus of boos from the Eagles crowd, that was certainly the implication.

The reason for the boos stemmed from a third-quarter incident in which Butler, playing left tackle, chopped out the legs of Boston College’s All-American defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka very late in a play.

After seeing the play on the replay board, the crowd perceived the block as a cheap shot. Earlier in the game, Kiwanuka injured his ankle and had it wrapped. It was the same ankle Butler blocked low from behind.

Boston College defensive end Alvin Washington thought the hit was late. Upon seeing it, he jumped on Butler and pushed his head into the ground. The result was offsetting personal foul penalties and Washington’s ejection.

“I have no comment about today,” Butler said. “As far as in the past, I play hard and I play through the whistle. That’s how every offensive lineman plays.”

Butler and his teammates refused to comment further on the play after the game.

Kiwanuka was ejected two series later when, after getting locked up with Butler one-on-one, he gave Butler a shove to the chin that bordered on a punch. The contact nearly knocked Butler’s helmet off. Kiwanuka was given a personal foul and thrown out of the game.

“That was not the way we want to play and act on a football field,” Boston College head coach Tom O’Brien said. “But I think it rejuvenated the stadium and got our football team going. They met the challenge from that point on and took over the football game.”

Cook breaks leg

The beginning of Saturday’s game was as good as it could get for Heritage graduate Chris Cook, who made his first career start at cornerback. He didn’t even get through the quarter before suffering what appears to be a season-ending injury.

Cook, a freshman, broke his right leg while blocking on a punt return with 1:58 left in the first quarter. He stayed down after the play was over, holding his ankle. Trainers helped him off the field, keeping his leg from touching the ground on the way to the sideline.

Once there, Cook’s leg was equipped with a boot and he was carted off the field, holding up his index finger as he passed by a section of Virginia fans.

“I spoke to him a little bit and I’ll probably talk to him a little bit tonight or tomorrow if I see him, just talk to him and see where his head is at,” fellow UVa cornerback Marcus Hamilton said. “He’s going to be fine. I believe his spirits are fine.”

Musical chairs at LB

With Ahmad Brooks and Jermaine Dias having not made the trip due to ankle injuries, Virginia had to shuffle its linebacking corps again. Mark Miller, who started the first four games at inside linebacker, moved outside, and Bryan White replaced him in the middle.

The Cavaliers experienced the same old problems, however. In the second quarter, BC running back Andre Callender busted up the gut for a 35-yard touchdown run on a play reminiscent of last week when Maryland gouged the UVa defense for 250 rushing yards, largely on runs up the middle.

“Same result. Different play,” UVa head coach Al Groh said. “There was a gap that wasn’t defended. … It was upsetting to say the least.”

Groh shuffled things more later, putting true freshman Antonio Appleby in at middle linebacker. Appleby made two tackles.

“Antonio’s come along real nicely,” Groh said. “He’s what we’re looking for, that type of guy in there. … It seems like Antonio’s time is here. He had a good week of practice. We’re committed to these young players and the only way they’re going to improve is to play them in the game.”

Extra points

Senior Brian Barthelmes, who missed last week’s game with a leg injury, played but not at center. Jordy Lipsey started at center and Barthelmes came into the game at right guard for Marshal Ausberry on a few series. … Two plays were reviewed and came out in Virginia’s favor. Officials reviewed Fontel Mines’ 9-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, saying he had possession when he came down with one foot in the back of the end zone. In the third quarter, a Marques Hagans fumble was overturned when replays showed his right knee hit the ground before the ball came loose. … Virginia ran for 155 yards in the game. Boston College entered the game with the second-best rushing defense in the nation, allowing 53 yards per game on the ground. … The Cavaliers had four penalties on their first possession and 11 penalties for 88 yards in the game.

 

Cavs falter late in loss
Fourth is long again for U.Va. as Boston College moves to 5-1
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 9, 2005

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- A troubling trend continued yesterday for the University of Virginia football team.

Had the Cavaliers played well in the fourth quarter against 18th-ranked Boston College, they might have emerged with a rare ACC road victory. But the final period proved U.Va.'s undoing at Alumni Stadium, just as it had last weekend against Maryland at Byrd Stadium.

BC scored the only points of BC 28 U.VA. 17the fourth quarter -- on Brian Toal's second touchdown run and William Troost's PAT and prevailed 28-17 in a game played under gray skies in a steady rain before an announced crowd of 35,286.

Two of the Eagles' starting defensive linemen were ejected in the second half, including All-America end Mathias Kiwanuka, who threw a punch at Brad Butler, the Virginia offensive tackle who'd blocked him low and from behind early in the third quarter. Rather than making things easier for U.Va., however, their departures seemed to inspire BC's players and fans.

That "was not the way that we want to play and act on the football field," said Boston College coach Tom O'Brien, a former U.Va. assistant, "but I think it rejuventated the stadium and got our football team going."

In five games this season, U.Va. (1-2, 3-2) has outscored its opponent in the fourth quarter only once -- in the Sept. 3 opener against Western Michigan.

The Eagles (2-1, 5-1) gained 128 of their 497 yards in the final quarter. BC drove to the U.Va. 14 in the final minute and might have scored again had O'Brien not instructed quarterback Quinton Porter to take a knee.

"We had anticipated coming up there that this would be a fourth-quarter game," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "That's what it was."

Special teams was another point of emphasis for the Cavaliers, and they struggled in that area too. With the score 14-14 in the third quarter, BC's Paul Anderson charged in untouched and blocked sophomore Chris Gould's punt. The ball bounced back toward the U.Va. goal line. Gould booted the ball out of the end zone from the 4, thinking that would limit the damage to a safety.

Instead, Gould was penalized for kicking the ball a second time, and the Eagles were awarded a first down at the 2. Two plays later, Toal, a full-time linebacker to whom BC hands the ball near the goal, plunged over from the 1 for his first TD.

Had Gould scooped up the ball and run into the end zone, Virginia would have given up a safety and then had to kick off.

"I wasn't real familiar with the rule," Gould said.

Even after that special-teams breakdown -- apparently the result of up-back Wali Lundy's decision to change the blocking scheme -- Virginia trailed only 21-17 entering the final period. And the Cavaliers forced a turnover in the first minute of the fourth quarter, safety Tony Franklin knocking loose a fumble that safety Nate Lyles recovered.

On the ensuing drive, however, junior wideout Deyon Williams dropped a pass from senior quarterback Marques Hagans on third and 5 from U.Va.'s 35, and Gould had to punt again. His kick was short and low, and a good return gave BC a first down at the Virginia 43.

Here was another chance for U.Va. to make a stand. But on third and 6 from the 29, Porter lofted a long pass to wideout Kevin Challenger, who beat Franklin and came down with the ball for a 28-yard gain. A play later, Toal bulled over from the 1.

"When it came down to it, we gave away seven points that probably shouldn't have been given away, on the punt block, and BC made more third-down plays in the fourth quarter than we did," Groh said.

Virginia's last drive ended near the BC goal line with 4:09 left. After a second-and-goal run by reserve tailback Michael Johnson gained 2 yards to the Eagles' 2, Hagans threw across the field to Williams in the end zone. Williams couldn't hold on to the pass, which was a little overthrown but still catchable.

On fourth and goal, Hagans tossed a pass toward the back of the end zone, where Williams and junior wideout Fontel Mines were about to converge. Williams got his hands on the ball momentarily, only to have it knocked out, apparently by Mines.

"We ran into each other," Williams said.

Of the third-down throw, Williams said, "I should have just come up with the play. No excuses or anything. Good players make big plays, and at that time I wasn't a big player."

Virginia turned ball over twice and was penalized 10 times, for 86 yards, in the first half. But Hagans' 9-yard touchdown pass to Mines late in the second quarter, combined with three missed field-goal attempts by BC's Ryan Ohlinger, left the teams tied 7-7 at the break.

U.Va. took its only lead early in the third quarter on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Hagans to Williams.

Neither of Virginia's preseason All-Americans played yesterday. Junior linebacker Ahmad Brooks (ankle) didn't accompany the team to the Bay State. Senior offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson (knee) made the trip but didn't dress out. Moreover, sophomore Jermaine Dias, who started the first three games at outside linebacker, is nursing a foot injury and stayed behind in Charlottesville.

Late in the first quarter, U.Va. lost yet another front-line player when cornerback Chris Cook went down. Cook, a true freshman making his first start, broke his right leg.

"The battle of attrition keeps going on, especially on defense," Groh said.


 

VIRGINIA NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Oct 9, 2005

DEPLETED: A year after Virginia lost its best defensive player, Chris Canty, to a torn ACL in its fourth game, injuries are again taking a major toll on coach Al Groh's team. which has lost two straight.

Groh doesn't like to publicly discuss injuries, but they're contributing mightily to the Cavaliers' struggles. U.Va. played without three defensive starters for most of the game yesterday against 18th-ranked Boston College. Neither inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (ankle) nor outside linebacker Jermaine Dias (foot) made the trip to Boston, and late in the first quarter cornerback Chris Cook broke his right leg.

Cook, a true freshman, had started for sophomore Chris Gorham, who struggled in last weekend's loss at Maryland and got beat again yesterday. For much of the second half, another true freshman, Mike Brown, played cornerback for the Cavaliers.

Asked after the game if he was optimistic that some of his injured players would return for next weekend's game against Florida State, Groh said, "I'm hopeful. I don't really have any reason to know whether I'm optimistic or pessimistic. We have between now and when we start practice on Monday 48 more hours of treatment and rehab."

Groh said he's not likely to know until late in the week who'll be available.

"But sure, that'll be a big issue for us," he said. "We'll be anxious to find that out. Because that's some high-priced inventory on the shelf."

NEW COMBINATION: Bryan White, who started five games at outside linebacker as a sophomore in 2002, was on the first-team defense yesterday for the first time since then. A fifth-year senior who redshirted because of a back injury in 2004, White started at inside linebacker yesterday, with senior Mark Miller moving to the outside. Miller, a former walk-on, had started Virginia's first four games at inside linebacker.

True freshman Antonio Appleby played much of the second half in White's place and finished with three tackles. Appleby, an imposing player at 6-4, 244 pounds, is likely to start next season if Brooks leaves early for the NFL.

"Antonio's come along very nicely," Groh said. "He's what we're looking for, that type of guy in there . . . It seemed like Antonio's time is here. He had a good week of practice, and we're committed to play these young players, and the only way they're going to improve is to play them in the game."

SOLID EFFORT: Boston College, which entered ranked No. 2 nationally in rushing defense, limited the Cavaliers' elusive quarterback, Marques Hagans, to 37 yards on 11 carries. Hagans completed 21 of 35 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, one to each of his starting wideouts, Deyon Williams and Fontel Mines. Hagans also threw an interception.

"He is such an explosive player," Eagles coach Tom O'Brien said of Hagans. "He beats teams by himself. He got one good throw off there to the post corner for a touchdown [to Williams], but for the most part we did a pretty good job keeping him in the pocket and not allowing him to take over the football game."

INAUSPICOUS START: On the game's opening drive, Virginia's first play was a 16-yard completion from Hagans to Williams, to BC's 36. Then the Cavaliers proceeded to self-destruct. U.Va. was penalized four times - thrice for false starts - before the drive ended with a Chris Gould punt from his 21.

Virginia finished with a season-high 11 penalties for 88 yards.

"We can't afford to make penalties and expect to win," Mines said.

GAME TO REMEMBER: In his first start since the 2004 opener, in which he broke his collarbone, Mines had two catches for 19 yards. The first went for a first down; the second for a 9-yard touchdown after Mines leaped to catch the ball in the back of the end zone. Officials reviewed the play before ruling that the former Hermitage High star indeed had possession of the ball when he hit the turf. The TD was the second of Mines' college career.

ANTI-CLIMACTIC: Scouts from 18 NFL teams requested credentials for yesterday's game. Most came hoping to see a duel between two All-America candidates - U.Va. offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and BC defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka. Alas, Ferguson didn't play, and Kiwanuka was ejected with 5:38 left in the third period for punching U.Va. offensive tackle Brad Butler.

UP NEXT: Back home for the first time since Sept. 24, U.Va. (1-2, 3-2) will entertain ACC foe Florida State (3-0, 5-0) next Saturday night at Scott Stadium. The fourth-ranked Seminoles, who lead the Atlantic Division, whipped visiting Wake Forest 41-24 yesterday. - Jeff White

 

Butler's blocks spark 2 BC ejections, crowd
BY BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 9, 2005

CHESTNUT HILL, N.C. - Brad Butler majors in government at Virginia. Yesterday, he minored in stonewalling.

Butler plays offensive tackle for the Cavaliers, but he was at the center of third-quarter controversy that cost Boston College two of its players but may have given the Eagles an emotional surge toward their 28-17 victory.

During a U.Va. drive that ended with a touchdown for a 14-7 lead, Butler chop-blocked BC star defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka from behind - leveling him below the knees - after the play appeared to be over. No flag was thrown.

Eagles defensive tackle Alvin Washington responded by diving on Butler and immediately was ejected. Two U.Va. possessions later, Kiwanuka also was ejected for taking a swing at Butler and knocking his helmet back.

Afterward, Butler deflected questions on the incident.

"I have no comment on the subject," he said. "I was not called for a personal foul by the referees. As far as the past, I play hard and play to the whistle."

Washington begged to differ.

"I felt it was uncalled for," he said. "The play was dead. I'm sure their guy regrets it, too. I'm not sure that guy wants to go down as that type of player. Nobody does."

Kiwanuka had been injured earlier in the game and left briefly to have an ankle taped. He said he didn't believe he'd punched Butler ("I was trying to separate myself from him - the play was over, and he was still holding on to my jersey") and that Butler's earlier block fit an unwelcome pattern.

"You play against players who feel like they're not matched up against you too well, they're going to take some shots," Kiwanuka said. "I don't like that . . . but it's part of the game."

Whatever the case, following Washington's removal and U.Va.'s touchdown, the Alumni Stadium crowd roared to life, and BC scored 14 points in a 2½-minute burst to take the lead for good.

BC coach Tom O'Brien called the ejections "not the way we want to play and act on the football field, but I think it rejuvenated the stadium and got our football team going. They met the challenge from that point on and took over the football game."

 

Scott Stadium withstands Stones
Richmond Times-Dispatch Oct 9, 2005

The Rolling Stones have left the building, and they didn't leave much damage in their wake.

The field at Scott Stadium should be in good shape for Virginia's football game Saturday night against fourth-ranked Florida State. That was the word last night from Jason Bauman, U.Va.'s associate athletic director for facilities and operations.

The Stones played to a sellout crowd at Scott Stadium on Thursday night, including nearly 7,000 fans seated on the field. The band began breaking down its stage and equipment immediately after the concert and finished yesterday evening. Most of that work was done in heavy rain.

"We look really good," Bauman said, "considering what was on the field [last week]."

None of the field will have to be re-sodded, Bauman said, which wasn't the case at Fenway Park in Boston Park or PNC Park in Pittsburgh after the Stones played at those stadiums. At Fenway, 40,000 square feet of sod were needed to repair the field in late August. At PNC Park, 10,000 square feet of turf were damaged last month.

Dye may be needed in some areas of Scott Stadium, especially at the north end where the Stones' massive stage sat. Nonetheless, not having to re-sod is "a huge deal," Bauman said. "We were prepared to do it." -- Jeff White


 

Grudge match goes to Eagles
Virginia beaten in chippy affair
By Michael Vega, Globe Staff | October 9, 2005

Where did all this bad blood come from? Was it the 31-13 whipping Boston College put on Virginia in the 1994 Carquest Bowl? Or were the Cavaliers still stewing over some bad chowder they had in their last visit to Boston 42 years ago?

There had to be some reason Virginia seemed to arrive at Chestnut Hill spoiling for a fight in yesterday's Atlantic Coast Conference game against 18th-ranked Boston College.

''I guess we're the new team in the ACC and I think we got a bull's-eye on our back," said BC senior linebacker Ray Henderson. ''Everybody wants to smack us around and welcome us to the ACC -- in a negative way -- but I think so far we've proved that we belong in this conference and we can play with any team in the country."

Well, if a fight is what the Cavaliers wanted, that's what they got.

Outraged by Virginia tackle Brad Butler's blindside chop block on BC senior defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka with 12:30 left in the third quarter, the Eagles channeled their anger. BC rallied from a 14-7 deficit to outscore Virginia, 21-3, in the final 27 minutes and take a 28-17 victory before a rain-soaked Alumni Stadium crowd of 35,286.

''You want to play teams who are feisty and want to give you a good game and play that kind of football," Kiwanuka said. ''The only thing you don't want is for somebody to play dirty or do something that's outside the field of play."

The Eagles improved to 5-1 overall, 2-1 in the ACC. They won despite playing without three defensive starters and committing 11 penalties for 111 yards -- three of which sustained Virginia drives.

''This team is very excited about the victory today," said BC coach Tom O'Brien. ''I was a little distressed because we lost our poise there. That's something where we embarrassed ourselves a little bit and that's not the way we want to play football."

After taking a 7-0 lead on Andre Callender's 35-yard TD run with 13:05 left in the second quarter, the Eagles found themselves in a 7-7 halftime stalemate when Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans capped a 15-play, 80-yard drive with a 9-yard scoring toss to Fontel Mines at the back of the end zone with 1:20 to go before intermission.

Virginia played with a chip on its shoulder early on, with running back Wali Lundy chirping at BC's defense. But, as BC sophomore linebacker Brian Toal said, ''Once it got below the belt, that's when it got serious."

After injuring his right ankle with 9:26 left in the second quarter, Kiwanuka returned to the game in the second half and found himself at the center of an incendiary moment.

After Hagans's third-and-5 pass from the BC 49 fell incomplete, Butler was hit with a personal foul when he chopped Kiwanuka from behind. BC defensive tackle Al Washington then speared Butler from behind. Washington was ejected; Butler was not.

''I felt it was uncalled for," said Washington. ''The play was dead. Prior to that, I'm not sure if it was his ankle or knee, but I knew [Kiwanuka] was having his problems. So I felt there was no need for that."

To add insult to injury, the Eagles were hit with a 5-yard offside penalty on the play. On the next play, Toal tried to get some payback when he took a shot at Butler and was called for a 15-yard personal foul, resulting in Hagans's 23-yard TD pass to Deyon Williams for a 14-7 lead.

''Maybe it was because of the weather, the crowd and everything else, but there didn't seem to be any electricity or anything in this stadium," O'Brien said. ''All of a sudden, that sparked everything. That was like lighting the fire."

BC's offense took over and exacted its revenge when fifth-year senior quarterback Quinton Porter, back in the lineup after missing two games with an injured right ankle, capped a nine-play, 72-yard march with a 19-yard TD toss to Tony Gonzalez that tied it, 14-14, with 8:16 to go.

''Yeah, it got us angry," said Porter, who completed 25 of 37 passes for 301 yards. ''Our next drive, you could see our O-linemen -- bam! bam! bam! -- right down the field. It's the last time anybody takes a cheap shot on us.

''I looked at Gosder [Cherilus, 6-foot-7-inch, 320-pound right tackle] and I looked at [Jeremy] Trueblood [6-9, 321-pound left tackle], right before they went on the field and they kind of shot me an eye," Kiwanuka said. ''I've seen them in practice when they get angry.

''You get Trueblood or any of those guys, like truly angry in practice and you're in for a long day."

The pounding didn't end there. On the Cavaliers' next possession, Paul Anderson blocked a punt, giving BC possession at the Virginia 2, and Toal then scored on a 1-yard plunge. Kiwanuka was ejected on Virginia's next series after smacking Butler in the helmet, placing BC's defense in a precarious situation when the Cavaliers drove to the 20 but were forced to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Connor Hughes.

After Toal gave BC a 28-14 lead, the defense got its payback with a goal-line stand.

Given the limited history between BC had Virginia -- the Eagles are 3-0 in the all-time series -- maybe the ACC is witnessing the birth of a rivalry.

''I don't think so, because we don't play them again for a couple of years," said O'Brien, who was an assistant (1982-96) under former Virginia coach George Welsh. ''You can't have a rivalry unless you play every year and it's got to go over a long period of time.

''It's not unlike when I was at Virginia and they beat us up in the Carquest Bowl. We did it to them today, and I was on the right side."