Butler suspended for FSU
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 11, 2005

It took longer than many would have liked, inside and outside of Charlottesville, but University of Virginia officials announced Monday night that an illegal block by offensive tackle Brad Butler was just that, illegal, and worthy of a one-game suspension.

Butler, a senior from Lynchburg, will serve a one-game suspension Saturday night when the Cavaliers (3-2, 1-2 ACC) host No. 4 Florida State at Scott Stadium.

During Virginia’s 28-17 loss at Boston College on Saturday, Butler dove helmet-first into the back of the right knee of BC’s defensive end, Mathias Kiwanuka, in the third quarter. The chop-block, which television replays showed came after the whistle, dropped the already hobbled Eagles’ star to the ground and prompted his teammate, Al Washington, to retaliate by jumping on top of Butler.

Washington was ejected. Butler was not.

Kiwanuka, angered by the actions of Butler, was thrown out later for throwing a punch under Butler’s chin.

National attention was given to the play. ESPN in-studio analyst Mark May called for UVa officials to suspend Butler for the season. Sports Illustrated columnist Stewart Mandel gave the play “The Inaugural ‘Dirtiest Play In Football History’ Award.”

After discussions between Virginia’s Athletic Director Craig Littlepage, football coach Al Groh and Butler, the school issued a press release at 5:57 p.m. on Monday.

“First and most importantly, I am focused on the safety of all college players - our own and those of our opponents,” Littlepage said in the release. “I am thankful no one was hurt as a result of this play and am sorry it occurred. I am also focused on how the University and Brad Butler, as well as all of college football, will be viewed in the aftermath of the Boston College game.

“In the past few days I have worked with Coach Groh in reviewing game tapes. I have also been in consultation with Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford and his staff. Finally, Brad Butler and I have had a chance to talk about what took place in the game. Based on everything being considered, I believe Brad’s suspension for this Saturday’s game with Florida State is appropriate.”

Groh used caution in making comments on the matter on Saturday and Sunday as he gathered information on the play, but said in the released statement that the game of “football is the most intense and physical of all games. Because it is so, all of us who have the privilege to participate should have the utmost respect for the game itself and for fellow players and coaches.”

Groh stressed on Sunday in a teleconference with reporters that he did not “condone” the actions of Butler.

“On Saturday, Brad crossed the line in adhering to that standard, and for that he must take accountability,” Groh said. “We have talked in detail and he has assured me that his actions on the play at issue were a result of over aggressiveness and over exuberance to block a challenging opponent and without malice. His intent was to take the player to the ground, not to inflict injury.”

Groh offered an apology to Kiwanuka, a senior who many NFL Draft experts consider a lock to be a first-round selection.

“We prize and promote sportsmanship, discipline and accountability and are all concerned that Brad did not handle himself in line with what we expect of a Virginia football player,” Groh said in a statement. “He accepts responsibility for what occurred. Accordingly, we have agreed that it is right for him not to participate in this week’s game against Florida State. At the same time, I must emphasize that Brad has been a model student-athlete his entire time at Virginia and has always conducted himself with the highest standards of behavior on and off the field.”

Butler, who has started 31 straight games and holds the distinction of being the only right tackle in school history to start in three bowl games, said he regretted his actions and has tried to move past the incident.

“I’ve never been one to play outside of the rules,” Butler said in a statement. “I was not trying to hurt Mathias Kiwanuka. I was engaged in blocking him because he is the type of player who makes plays all over the field.”

Boston College coach Tom O’Brien said on Sunday that he planned to send footage of the play to officials at the ACC office. That will not be necessary now.

Swofford issued a statement on the ACC’s Web site on Monday night supporting the decision made by UVa officials.

“The Atlantic Coast Conference fully supports the decision of the University of Virginia for issuing this one-game suspension,” Swofford said. “Football is a very physical sport and every player needs to be protected and players must respect each other’s safety.

“Craig Littlepage, Al Groh and the University of Virginia are to be commended for how they have addressed this issue. The league joins Virginia in taking a strong stand against this kind of inappropriate behavior and sending a clear and definitive message that the Conference and its member institutions will make every effort to exemplify the very best qualities of sportsmanship.”

 

A mistake doesn't make the man
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 11, 2005

The worst thing that came out of the Brad Butler episode that started in the rain in Chestnut Hills on Saturday and carried over to assorted administrative offices in Charlottesville on Monday was that the Virginia senior tackle has been portrayed as some kind of malicious, blood-thirsty monster.

Nothing could be further from the truth. If you knew Butler, you’d be proud to call him your friend.

Did the Cavalier lineman make a mistake last Saturday when he chop blocked Boston College All-American defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka? Yes.

Was the one-game suspension handed down by UVa to Butler on Monday appropriate? Yes.

But those who have attempted to paint Butler as a thug or a dirty player have in some cases branded him for life and that’s simply wrong.

A poor depiction

Sports Illustrated’s Web site, SI.com, described Butler’s block as the “dirtiest play in college football history.” Not long afterward, a writer from Rivals.com followed suit.

Yeah, it gave every appearance as a cheap shot. But the dirtiest play in college football history? Give me a break.

Ask any coach who has been part of the ACC for the past 15 years or so about one certain team that has had a penchant for taking out opposing quarterbacks and see what kind of reaction you get about dirty play. That makes Butler’s block pale in comparison.

No, two wrongs don’t make a right. What Butler did was wrong and he’s paying the price. In fact, sitting out Saturday’s Florida State game will hurt him in the worst way because he will not be able to help his teammates in the biggest game of the season.

Not a dirty player

But don’t label this kid as a dirty football player because he made one mistake in the heat of the moment. If he were the thug that some critics have made him out to be, those types of character flaws would have surfaced long before the fifth game of his senior season.

“If I were to sit here and run down [Butler’s] profile I think most people would say, ‘Wow,’ about the things he does on Grounds here, things he’s involved with, what his ambitions are. Most people would say I’m really glad that we have a person like that on our football team,” Groh said. “It’s important to me that while there’s now an incident in his playing career, that it does not depict how he’s gone about his career or cast dispersions on him as a person and what he has accomplished here at the University.”

While most of those who saw the play in person or mostly on ABC’s replays were quick to judge Butler’s block as a vicious intent to personally harm Kiwanuka, Butler said his only intent was to bring the physical defensive end to the ground, not to hurt him.

Groh said that Butler had made a similar block two plays before against the BC player in full view of the referee and was not flagged for the hit. So, the coach said the second hit was not something Butler decided to do on the spur of the moment. He had used the same technique legally throughout the game.

While the Virginia coach didn’t defend Butler’s second hit, he did hint that there was a lot of extra curricular stuff going on between Kiwanuka and Butler all game long.

“What people saw on television is not what you see on the coaching tape,” Groh said. “[On TV] you see only the end of the play. It was a play in which the two players were very intensely engaged throughout the course of the play.

“The ball was thrown, Mathias turns and starts heading toward the ball as does Brad. Brad’s helmet is to the ball, so he could not see that the ball was thrown. He didn’t hear the whistle, which is not an excuse because you’re supposed to hear the whistle,” Groh said.

Meanwhile, Groh was ripped by UVa fans and critics around the country for not pulling Butler out of the game immediately or issuing a suspension on Sunday rather than waiting until Monday.

Certainly he could have done so and avoided the criticism. But Groh said he learned a valuable lesson a long time ago from a Hall of Fame coach that he never met, Bud Grant of the Minnesota Vikings.

One of the codes Grant lived by was to never make a major decision faster than you have to. You can always make a decision, but you can’t unmake it.

First of all, Groh wanted to study game tape to see exactly what transpired before he made a decision. There were also other fingers in the pie from the president’s office to the athletic director’s office to the ACC commissioner’s office in Greensboro.

“It would have been presumptuous on my part to say or do something before everybody was included in it,” Groh said.

Since when has it become unfashionable to wait and gather all the facts before making a decision? He crossed the line.

He made a bad decision, but he’s not a bad kid.

 

Leitao, Virginia pick up recruit
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
October 11, 2005

A new characteristic is showing in Dave Leitao’s basketball recruits: versatility.

On Monday night, Leitao and staff received a verbal commitment from Solomon Tat, a swingman from Community Christian High in Stockbridge, Ga.

Tat, a 6-foot-5, 219-pounder, is capable of playing point guard, shooting guard and small forward. Tat is a burly player known for his strength and athleticism.

The Cavaliers beat out the University of Georgia for Tat’s services. Tat, who also considered Texas, Connecticut, Georgia Tech and North Carolina, received a 4-out-of-5 rating by Rivals.com.

Tat is Leitao’s second recruit for the 2006 class. Jamil Tucker, a 6-foot-9 player whose high school coach claims is capable of playing all five positions, committed to the Cavs last week.

Leitao has also received a commitment from Sam Zeglinski, a 6-foot junior point guard from Pennsylvania, for the 2007 class.

 

Cavs bench Butler 1 game
Senior tackle's cut-block on BC's Mathias Kiwanuka seen as dirty.
Doug Doughty
The Roanoke Times

The hit that Virginia offensive tackle Brad Butler leveled on Boston College defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka has resulted in another hit -- to the Cavaliers' injury-riddled offensive line.

UVa announced Monday that it has suspended Butler, who has made 31 consecutive starts, for the Cavaliers' home game Saturday with fourth-ranked Florida State.

Athletic director Craig Littlepage said he was in touch with ACC commissioner John Swofford and Boston College AD Gene DeFilippo within hours of the BC-UVa game, won by the Eagles 28-17 in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Littlepage then conferred with UVa coach Al Groh on Sunday and Monday before making a decision.

"I told him the direction that I saw this going," Littlepage said in a phone interview Monday night, "and I let him know what I thought was in the best interest of the university and the athletics department.

"His reaction was to make sure this was consistent with precedent if it fitting, given the context with the play Saturday and with football in general -- not that he was saying it wasn't. I think it had weighed on his mind as well."

So, Littlepage didn't force the suspension on Groh?

"Absolutely not," Littlepage said.

Nor did Swofford force the suspension on Littlepage.

"Oh, no, no," Littlepage said.

Both Littlepage and Groh went out of their way to note that Butler has had no history of dirty play and that it was not his intent to injure Kiwanuka, the preseason ACC player of the year.

So, why suspend him?

"What bothers me the most is the view that this might be indicative of how we play football, which, I think clearly is not the case," Littlepage said. "Also it bothers me that this incident might take away from Boston College's win."

Butler, a senior from E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, was penalized for a personal foul during the game, but it was two BC players, Kiwanuka and Alvin Washington, who were ejected.

Washington was the first to go after jumping on Butler's back after Butler had cut-block Kiwanuka at the end of a play that had resulted in an incomplete pass. On UVa's next offensive series, Kiwanuka was ejected for taking a swipe at Butler and knocking off his helmet.

If Butler had been ejected at some point, Virginia "probably" would not have felt compelled to suspend him, Littlepage said.

On Sunday, BC coach Tom O'Brien said Kiwanuka and Washington would be allowed to play in Saturday's game against Wake Forest despite being ejected.

As televised replays persisted, the court of public opinion was not kind to the Cavaliers.

Past Groh critic Stewart Mandel, writing for sportsillustrated.com, referred to it as "the dirtiest play in football history."

Groh, in his radio call-in show Monday night, said it hurt him to use the word "suspension."

"You have to respect the game and you have to respect your opponent," Groh said. "When those lines are crossed, there have to be consequences, whether those lines are crossed deliberately or not. Brad and I have discussed it and we have agreed that it would not be appropriate to play in the game [Saturday], but 'suspension' is not my word. I think I understand where he was coming from."

UVa distributed a prepared statement that included quotes from Littlepage, Groh and Butler, who spoke to the media after the game but steered clear of the play in question.

"I've never been one to play outside the rules," Butler said in the statement. "I was not trying to hurt Mathias Kiwanuka."

Butler's suspension comes at a time when UVa's two other senior offensive lineman, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Brian Barthelmes, have been battling injuries. In fact, Butler, normally the starting right tackle, has been playing left tackle in Ferguson's place.

"I couldn't factor any of that into the decision," Littlepage said. "In the end, you just try to do what's right."

 

UVa's Butler suspended one game
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 11, 2005

An already thin Cavaliers offensive line will be even more depleted against Florida State this week after Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage announced Monday that offensive tackle Brad Butler will receive a one-game suspension for a late, blind-side chop block against Boston College last Saturday.

Butler, an E.C. Glass graduate, chop blocked ACC preseason player of the year Mathias Kiwanuka on his injured right ankle from behind and after the whistle on a third quarter play of a 28-17 Cavaliers loss. Butler’s action drew a personal foul penalty, which was offset by a Boston College personal foul.

Butler was not ejected, but the play drew immediate ire from fans, broadcasters and BC players.

“I’ve never been one to play outside of the rules,” Butler said in a release. “I was not trying to hurt Mathias Kiwanuka. I was engaged in blocking him because he is the type of player who makes plays all over the field.

“I regret this event occurred and have put the incident behind me.”

Butler will miss his first start in 31 games.

His suspension means Virginia could be without its top two tackles. Left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson missed the last two games with a left knee injury and his return Saturday is uncertain.

Virginia head coach Al Groh did not see the play happen live and only got a first glimpse of it when he was watching tape on Sunday, the same day Boston College head coach Tom O’Brien asked the ACC to review the hit.

“Football is the most intense and physical of all games,” Groh said in a release Monday. “Because it is so, all of us who have the privilege to participate should have the utmost respect for the game itself and for fellow players and coaches. On Saturday, Brad crossed the line in adhering to that standard, and for that he must take accountability.

“We have talked in detail and he has assured me that his actions on the play at issue were a result of over aggressiveness and over exuberance to block a challenging opponent and without malice. His intent was to take the player to the ground, not to inflict injury.

“In any case, we regret that the incident occurred and apologize to Mathias. We prize and promote sportsmanship, discipline and accountability and are all concerned that Brad did not handle himself in line with what we expect of a Virginia football player.”

Littlepage jumped into action Sunday as well, reviewing the game tapes with Groh, speaking with Butler and consulting ACC commissioner John Swofford before deciding on the one-game suspension.

“Brad is a hard-working and aggressive lineman who has no pattern of unsportsmanlike play; his history is one of playing by the rules on and off the field,” Littlepage said.

“He stated it was not his intention to hurt anyone during Saturday’s game and our hope is that the entire Boston College team will understand this.”
 

Groh misses the boat on Butler's play
JOHN MARKON
POINT OF VIEW Oct 11, 2005

For someone who seems to obsess over issues of image and perception, University of Virginia football coach Al Groh may not understand them too well.

In the middle of the third quarter of last weekend's game at Boston College, Groh had a lump of plutonium dropped in his lap when a Cavalier player, senior offensive tackle Brad Butler, took a flagrant and very well-documented after-the-whistle dive at the legs of Mathias Kiwanuka, BC's best defensive player.

Don't listen to anyone telling you that cheap shots like Butler's are "just part of the game." If they were part of every game, games couldn't be finished without mayhem and fatalities. Players who'll take a blind-side dive at an opponent's knees or ankles are one of the lowest forms of gridiron life.

Butler has not yet seen fit to express contrition. He didn't after the game and didn't yesterday, when U.Va. released a one-paragraph statement attributed to Butler, who insisted that he wasn't attempting to injure Kiwanuka.

"I regret this event occurred," said the Butler statement, "and have put the incident behind me."

If that's the case, he's the only one. As callous as Butler's remarks seem in this context, try to imagine how they'd read if Kiwanuka were in a hospital awaiting surgery. If I'm an ACC player, I'm not turning my back on Brad Butler.

At age 22, Butler probably shouldn't be expected to handle his own spin-doctoring. That's a job Groh reserves for himself. He's the only member of the U.Va. coaching staff who's permitted to speak for the program.

Groh said some of the right things yesterday, talking about sportsmanship, respect and accountability as the core elements of Virginia football. This came after he'd said many of the wrong things on Sunday.

On a coaches' conference call, Groh implied that Butler may have been retaliating for unspecified misdeeds by BC players earlier in the game. Memo to Coach Groh from the PR staff: If you're going to do this, you'd better have evidence on tape. Otherwise, you appear to be defending an indefensible act.

Groh also said that many plays were marked by "overexuberance" on both sides, a cute choice of words that indicated Groh put the whole incident in some kind of "boys will be boys" category, making you wonder if the one-game suspension was Groh's idea or something forced upon him.

Groh's largest error, however, was letting Butler out of his office without apologies to Kiwanuka and Boston College. Whatever Butler's intent, his actions were eight miles beyond the rules and placed another player in needless, extreme danger. If I'm the Virginia coach, Butler doesn't see the field again until this is recognized.

Having the perp say "I have put the incident behind me," just doesn't cut it.

By allowing Butler to retain his attitude of defiance, Groh casts his player as an outlaw and lets himself look like a coach with a high tolerance for renegade behavior. The college game has enough of those coaches already.

We've heard a lot from Groh about what kind of band should perform at U.Va. games and what kind of attire fans should wear. These seeming trifles were issues of perception, and thus deemed important by Groh, who may not have realized how he handled Butler's discipline would be far more revealing and far more important.

As proud as Groh may be of Virginia's new band, the Marching Cavaliers don't reflect much more than image. A conflict between the fundamental values of your program and loyalty to a veteran player, however, can be disturbingly real.

 

U.Va. will sit Butler
Lineman won't play against Florida State, punishment for block in game with BC
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 11, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - More than 48 hours after an illegal block by Brad Butler that prompted outrage from University of Virginia alumni, college football fans and media across the nation, U.Va. announced last night that the offensive tackle from Lynchburg has been suspended for one game.

Virginia meets ACC rival Florida State on Saturday night at Scott Stadium. Butler, a 6-8, 292-pound senior, has started 31 consecutive games for the Cavaliers.

In U.Va.'s 28-17 loss at Boston College two days ago - an ACC game shown regionally on ABC - Butler delivered a low block from behind, on BC's star defensive end, Mathias Kiwanuka, after the whistle had blown to end a third-quarter play. Kiwanuka, who'd sprained his ankle earlier in the game, wasn't seriously injured by Butler's cut block, but the play enraged the Eagles' players and fans.

BC defensive tackle Alvin Washington was ejected for diving on Butler immediately after the illegal block. Kiwanuka was thrown out later that quarter for punching Butler in the head.

By Saturday night, ESPN's Mark May, among others, was calling for U.Va. to suspend Butler for the rest of the season. Virginia officials conferred Sunday but postponed any decision.

The news release that the school issued at 5:57 p.m. yesterday included statements from Butler, Athletic Director Craig Littlepage and fifth-year coach Al Groh.

"First and most importantly, I am focused on the safety of all college players - our own and those of our opponents," Littlepage said. "I am thankful no one was hurt as a result of this play and am sorry it occurred."

Littlepage said he'd reviewed game tapes with Groh, consulted ACC officials, including Commissioner John Swofford, and discussed the incident with Butler.

"Brad is a hard-working and aggressive lineman who has no pattern of unsportsmanlike play," Littlepage said. "His history is one of playing by the rules on and off the field. He stated it was not his intention to hurt anyone during Saturday's game, and our hope is that the entire Boston College team will understand this."

Butler said: "I've never been one to play outside of the rules. I was not trying to hurt Mathias Kiwanuka. I was engaged in blocking him because he is the type of player who makes plays all over the field. I regret this event occurred and have put the incident behind me."

Groh, who on his Sunday night teleconference with reporters stopped short of criticizing Butler or apologizing to BC, adopted a different tone in his statement last night.

Everyone involved in football "should have the utmost respect for the game itself and for fellow players and coaches," Groh said. "On Saturday, Brad crossed the line in adhering to that standard, and for that he must take accountability. We have talked in detail, and he has assured me that his actions on the play at issue were a result of over-aggressiveness and over-exuberance to block a challenging opponent and without malice. His intent was to take the player to the ground, not to inflict injury.

"In any case, we regret that the incident occurred and apologize to Mathias. We prize and promote sportsmanship, discipline and accountability and are all concerned that Brad did not handle himself in line with what we expect of a Virginia football player. He accepts responsibility for what occurred. Accordingly, we have agreed that it is right for him not to participate in this week's game against Florida State. At the same time, I must emphasize that Brad has been a model student-athlete his entire time at Virginia and has always conducted himself with the highest standards of behavior on and off the field."

On his radio show last night, Groh said, "The word 'suspension' isn't my word. It's just appropriate that he not play in this game."

In a teleconference with reporters Sunday afternoon, BC coach Tom O'Brien, a former U.Va. assistant, said he was embarrassed by his players' reaction to Butler's block. Shortly after Washington's ejection, BC linebacker Brian Toal was called for a personal foul on Butler.

"I think we did a very poor job," O'Brien said, "and it reflects upon me and everybody on this football team that once the incident was over we almost tried to escalate it, which we shouldn't have done."

In a statement released last night, Swofford said the ACC "fully supports the decision of the University of Virginia for issuing this one-game suspension. Football is a very physical sport and every player needs to be protected and players must respect each other's safety."

 

How do you like Tat? Cavaliers find muscle
Rugged forward from Nigeria averaged 24 points as a prep junior
Richmond Times-Dispatch Oct 11, 2005

With the early signing period less than a month away, University of Virginia men's basketball coach Dave Leitao has received his second commitment for 2006-07.

Solomon Tat, who like U.Va. sophomore center Tunji Soroye is a native of Nigeria, picked Virginia over Georgia. Tat, a powerfully built 6-5, 220-pound swingman, announced his decision last night.

"Solomon is a strong, athletic player. I think he'll be physically ready to come into a high-major league and play," said Dave Telep, national basketball recruiting director for Scout.com.

"He'll just need to steady his jumper and get it to a point where he can be a consistent threat. I think he's a confident player off the drive right now."

A senior at Community Christian in Stockbridge, Ga., Tat averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists last season playing out of position at point guard. He recently took an official visit to U.Va., where he saw his friend Soroye, with whom Tat had played on a Nigerian national team.

Rivals.com ranks Tat No. 96 in the nation's Class of 2006.

"I call him the Ronnie Lott of basketball, because he can really, really punish people," Community Christian coach Linzy Davis said last night. "He's not going to be a freshman who comes in and you say, 'We have to put him on the weights and develop him.' . . . He's 220 pounds of pure steel."

U.Va.'s first commitment for 2006-07 came from Jamil Tucker, a 6-9, 215-pound forward from Gary, Ind. Another Virginia target, 6-7 forward Jon Mitchell, committed to Florida on Sunday. -- Jeff White

 

BC hopes to leave hit in its wake
By Michael Vega, Globe Staff | October 10, 2005

After scoring a 28-17 triumph over Virginia Saturday, Boston College coach Tom O'Brien yesterday stressed to his players it was time to move on.

With another Atlantic Coast Conference home game looming this weekend against Wake Forest, a team that has had BC's number in the last two meetings, O'Brien did not want his players to dwell on Virginia left tackle Brad Butler's blindside chop block of defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka early in the third quarter.

O'Brien said Kiwanuka was still ''sore" from the incident. Asked if the soreness stemmed from the sprained ankle Kiwanuka suffered in the second quarter or if it was from Butler's low blow, O'Brien said, ''The second one." Asked about Kiwanuka's status for Saturday's game against Wake Forest, which suffered a 41-24 loss at fourth-ranked Florida State Saturday, O'Brien said, ''I won't know that for a couple of days."

While it proved to be the flash point of BC's fifth victory of the season, Butler's act led to the immediate ejection of defensive tackle Al Washington for his retaliatory spear on Butler. Kiwanuka, too, was ejected with 5:38 left in the game when he was caught landing a right cross to Butler's chin as they tangled on a pass play. Butler, though, remained in the game and was spotted celebrating the BC captain's dismissal.

O'Brien said he planned to submit Butler's hit to the ACC for review by the league's supervisor of officials, Tommy Hunt.

''I just think it's a situation they need to look into and decide if that's the way we're going to play football in the conference," said O'Brien.

O'Brien indicated that neither Kiwanuka nor Washington faced any repercussions for their ejections.

BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo explained yesterday that BC's players would have faced suspensions if they had been tossed for fighting. Washington and Kiwanuka were both ejected after being hit with personal fouls. ''There's a rule that states you'd have to sit the next game if you're ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct, for fighting," DeFilippo said.

While there was an off-setting personal foul on Virginia on the play that resulted in Washington's ejection, it was not readily known if the foul was on Butler or one of his teammates who confronted Washington.

DeFilippo said he had contacted Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage and ACC commissioner John Swofford on the matter.

O'Brien said he did not discuss the incident with Virginia coach Al Groh when they met at midfield after the game.

''I'm over it. I'm finished with it. It's gone now," O'Brien said. ''If Virginia feels they should do something, or if the conference feels they should do something, then that's fine. As far as Boston College is concerned, I was embarrassed with how we reacted.

''I think we did a very poor job and it reflects upon me and everybody on this football team that once the incident was over, we almost tried to escalate it, which we shouldn't have done. We lost our poise a little bit, which could have cost us the football game."

After Washington was ejected, BC linebacker Brian Toal was hit with a 15-yard personal foul for taking a shot at Butler, giving Virginia possession at the BC 23. On the next play, Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans hit Deyon Williams with a TD pass to break a 7-7 halftime stalemate.

Quinton Porter (25 of 37, 301 yards, 1 INT, 1 TD), who shook off some early rust after sitting out the last two games nursing a sprained right ankle, then led BC (5-1, 2-1 ACC) on a nine-play, 72-yard march that was capped with his 19-yard toss to Tony Gonzalez.

Freshman Paul Anderson then blocked a punt and BC gained possession at the Virginia 2 after punter Chris Gould was called for illegally kicking the ball out of the end zone. Two plays later, Toal crashed in from the 1 for a 21-14 lead.

After Connor Hughes converted a 37-yard field goal to pull Virginia within 21-17, Porter fired a 28-yard strike to Kevin Challenger that set up Toal's second 1-yard TD run.

There will be plenty for BC to address this week, including Ryan Ohliger's shaky kicking and Wake Forest's recent domination of the Eagles, who climbed four spots in the Associated Press Top 25 from No. 18 to No. 14, their highest ranking since they climbed to No. 13 in the AP poll (No. 12 in the USA Today coaches' poll) following a 31-13 romp over Virginia in the 1994 Carquest Bowl.

Ohliger missed three first-half field goals wide right -- from 42, 36, and 30 yards -- and was benched in the second half.
 

Fourth quarter causes headaches for Cavs
After giving up 21 points in the final quarter to Maryland last weekend, Virginia once again flounders at game's end
Ernie Washington, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

An increasing trend in football is for players to hold up four fingers before the fourth quarter to symbolize that it is crunch time and time to get to work. The Virginia football team might want to take that symbolism to heart the next time one of its players holds up four fingers.

Due to a lack of production offensively and defensively, the Cavaliers performed below expectations in the fourth quarter of their 28-17 loss to No. 14 Boston College. Simply, many felt the Cavaliers failed to execute down the stretch.

"It just comes down to the fourth quarter," Virginia offensive lineman Brad Butler said. "They executed better than us, and that's simply it."

Offensively, the game came down to missed opportunities. Virginia's Deyon Williams had three dropped passes that either cost Virginia downs or a crucial touchdown to bring the game within one score. Also, Virginia's inability to convert on three third-downs in the fourth quarter cost the Cavaliers possible points.

"If we can make the play [on one of those third downs], we are going to change the game," Groh said.

Defensively, Cavalier fans had even more reason to be depressed. After allowing 21 points against Maryland Oct. 1 in the fourth quarter, Virginia failed to remember the old phrase, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

After allowing a 35-yard touchdown run to Maryland running back Lance Ware in the fourth quarter last week, Virginia allowed another 35-yard touchdown run to Boston College running back Andre Callender in the beginning of the second quarter.

"Different play, same result," Groh said. "There was a gap that wasn't defended, and the result was upsetting."

Groh, however, said he feels that the defense improved over last week's performance.

"We did better," Groh said. "But I think there's a lot of phases today that had we done even better than that, the outcome might have been different."

Hopefully for Cavalier fans, one of the phases Groh thinks could have affected the outcome more positively is on third down. Three times in the fourth quarter the Cavaliers had a chance to take Boston College off of the field, but Virginia could not take advantage.

"BC made more third down plays in the fourth quarter than we did," Groh said.

In the special teams department, the biggest swing in momentum come off a blocked kick that allowed Boston College to have the ball at the Virginia one yard line.

Groh said he believes it was a lack of communication that caused the blocked punt to occur.

"For whatever reason, someone changed the protection call from what it had been on all the previous and all the ensuing plays," Groh said. "It was an unfortunate mental lapse, and I'm sure we'd like to have it back again."

Virginia punter Chris Gould took some responsibility for the team's mistake.

"Everything felt normal," Gould said. "But when it came down to it, the punting didn't get it done today."

Virginia did not have much success throughout the game, but especially in the fourth quarter. Butler pointed out that the lack of execution in the fourth quarter is not usual for the Cavaliers.

"My freshman year we were known for being a team that would come back in the fourth quarter, even if we were down by 14 or 21 points," he said. "It's disappointing this has happened two games in a row."

If Virginia hopes to turn around its two-game losing skid, it might want to start by putting some investment in those four fingers.

 

Cure for a losing skid
Chad Gallagher, Columnist

Luckily, I have previous experience with huge letdowns. If we go back in time approximately one year ago, there was a momentous disaster in the form of a presidential election. I do not wish to get into a political discussion, but let's just say I was not pleased with the outcome of Election '04. So I did what was the only conceivable option: ignore it. Since that dreadful day in November, I have refused to acknowledge politics exist. Yes, ignorance truly is bliss.

I use this sad story as a reference to the current Virginia football scene. The football team's current state is reminiscent of the Southern army after Picket's Charge. The team, like the Southern troops, is left in shambles after devastating events the last few weeks. Just remember these all important words: Ignorance is bliss.

The best remedy for the depression of a devastating football campaign is to ignore college football altogether. As friends from the evil empires of College Park or the black hole of Southwest Virginia call to rub in the tough season, convince yourself that you do not follow college football. This begs the question, with no Virginia college football in the sports diet, where does the attention go?

Option 1 -- Jump on the (White) Sox Bandwagon

This year you are blessed with an incredible opportunity to cheer for a city that has not won a baseball championship since 1917 (despite two baseball franchises). Forget the curse of Boston, that bandwagon is full and it's old news. Now is your opportunity to be the first cool kid in your dorm with a Chicago White Sox hat. Repeat over and over that this is your team and you have always been a die-hard fan. This is your team's year; you deserve this title for all those hard-fought years.

Knowledge of the White Sox team is not a prerequisite. Just be sure to have a convincing connection to the city and a new article of Sox paraphernalia. If you do not have one, just wear some high sox. When other students pass by with White Sox attire, look them in the eye and repeat that this is our year. Remember, your city needs this championship.

Option 2 -- Rekindle past Virginia glory through the play of Matt Schaub.

In case you missed it, second-year NFL quarterback and Virginia graduate Schuab played in place of injured Michael Vick for the Atlanta Falcons. While Schuab did not clinch a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame, his tenacious play this week kept the Falcons in the game until the final minutes of the game. He even managed to scramble out of the pocket and dive for a key first down late in the game (even though the referee incorrectly called him out of bounds on the play).

The Falcons are also a pretty juicy pick for those of you that miss the days of Bill Musgrave as the offensive coordinator at Virginia. If you are relatively new to the Wahoo sports scene, Musgrave was the offensive coordinator for two years who helped Schuab reach ACC Player of the Year honors and set a school record for touchdowns thrown in a season. Musgrave, who current coordinators could learn from, had the Virginia offense clicking and was known for at least one trick play a game, which often kept the Wahoos in games against overmatched opponents.

Option 3 -- Pick a random NFL team and claim them as "your" team.

My favorite pick here would be the Washington Redskins. This has got to be the Skins' year, just ask any Redskins fan. Ignore the people who point out that every year the Skins fans insist this is their year. When the doubters call quarterback Mark Brunell old, respond with words such as "experienced" and "seasoned-veteran" to describe his abilities.

No matter where you go to tackle your sports hunger, refrain from agonizing over the current football situation. By the way, who is our president again?