FSU expects 'desperate' Cavs
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 12, 2005

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And Virginia’s football team desperately needs a win, reeling from a two-game losing streak.
Ending the skid will be easier said than done as the Cavaliers (3-2, 1-2 ACC) welcome Florida State (5-0, 3-0), the fourth-ranked team in the country, to town.
While many Cavalier supporters are wondering what to anticipate from the Cavs, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has an idea.
“You’re going to face a desperate team,” Bowden said. “[Virginia] should be in a bad frame of mind. I’m sure we’ll catch them at their best.”
Bowden’s team, however, will not catch Virginia at full strength.
Three starters will be sidelined for Saturday night’s game, including offensive tackle Brad Butler, as he serves a one-game suspension for an illegal hit on Boston College defensive star Mathias Kiwanuka during Saturday’s game. In addition to Butler, outside linebacker Jermaine Dias (foot) and cornerback Chris Cook (broken leg) will be out of action.
Concerns also linger about the playing status and the impact of four offensive linemen - D’Brickashaw Ferguson (knee), Brian Barthelmes (sprained ankle), Ian-Yates Cunningham (back) and Marshal Ausberry (unspecified).
Ferguson, a senior, has missed the last two games and if his knee keeps him from playing, true freshman Eugene Monroe will get his first starting assignment. He would open at left tackle.
Barthelmes, nursing a sprained ankle suffered three games ago against Duke, played about 30 plays last week at Boston College, but he logged time at guard, spelling Ausberry.
Virginia coach Al Groh said his preference would be to start Barthelmes at center, the position at which he opened the season.
“We’d like [Barthelmes] to be the center,” Groh said on Tuesday. “Hopefully we can get him back there this week. We’re best when he’s playing center for us.”
As Virginia continues to use a youthful, patchwork offensive line, comparisons have been made to Groh’s first team at Virginia, the 2002 squad. According to Groh, playing the underclassmen was “going to happen sometime.”
“If it’s not this year, it is next year,” Groh said. “There are a lot of these older players - Ferguson, Lundy, Butler, Parham, Brooks - they were all in there at the same age on a team that won nine games.
“What we really need from an overall personnel standpoint is we need our older players to play better and we need our younger players to step up.”
Virginia could receive a boost from the second return of linebacker Ahmad Brooks. After missing the first three games of the year, as he recovered from surgery to have a cyst removed from his knee, Brooks returned to the field at outside linebacker against Maryland.
During that game, which UVa lost 45-33, Brooks sprained his ankle, missing the fourth quarter. Brooks didn’t travel this weekend to Boston, but Groh said the Butkus Award candidate returned to practice Monday night.
“Ahmad took turns [Monday], so that’s more positive than it was last week,” Groh added.
If Brooks can play, Groh said it would be at inside linebacker next to Kai Parham. Mark Miller is scheduled to start a second straight game at outside linebacker.

MOVING ON: According to sources, Butler called Kiwanuka to make amends for his chop-block.
Groh did not go into detail about the matter, but admitted that he and Boston College coach Tom O’Brien talked about the situation and “left the matter in the hands of the two players.”
Butler was not one of the five players that Virginia made accessible for interviews on Tuesday.
In regard to the play, Groh said he had conversations with officials from the Atlantic Coast Conference about the replay policy used at venues. Butler’s clip was shown numerous times at Alumni Stadium, which unsurprisingly energized the crowd.
“It was clarified to me that league policy is that all replays be showed one time, be it good, bad or indifferent,” Groh said.

BATTLE ROYAL: Everyone from Boston to Charlottesville has been talking about Butler’s actions. But, what happened on the play before?
Virginia offensive lineman Eddie Pinigis said Kiwanuka “put me in a headlock and hip-tossed me.”
The game was “really intense out there and emotions were flaring up,” according to Pinigis. “It was a pretty dirty game, I would say.”
Groh said he would not send any plays to the league office for their review.
“I thought it was just an intense, competitive game,” Groh said. “You have similar type of kids on each team. I thought a lot of guys were pursuing the ball hard, a lot of guys were trying to block downfield. I think what I said was there were a few other plays of over-exuberance, which I don’t take any offense to. These things just happen in games and that’s why they call penalties.
“You let the officials do what their job is and you try to correct the player so he doesn’t do it. I don’t have any issue with the game itself.”

EXTRA POINTS: Florida State is converting 41.9 percent of its third-down conversions this season. That’s quite a turnaround after finishing last nationally in Division I-A in 2004 as they converted just 24 percent of the time. … The Seminoles lead the ACC in passing offense and total offense. On the flipside, FSU ranks 10th out of 12 teams in the league in rushing offense. … Virginia’s game at North Carolina on Oct. 22 will start at noon. … The Seminoles will be playing just their second road game of the year on Saturday. They finish the season with four of their last six games on the road.

 

Teammates support Butler
October 12, 2005

With fourth-ranked Florida State coming to town on Saturday, the 10th anniversary of Virginia’s major upset over the Seminoles, much of the media conversation was still focused on the hangover effects of last Saturday’s Brad Butler incident at Boston College.

In case you have been in a cave since UVa’s loss to BC, Butler has been suspended for this weekend’s game after making a controversial chop block against Boston College All-American defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, prompting personal foul penalties and ejections.

Some journalists who apparently don’t have a long association with the sport, have labeled the block as the “dirtiest play in college football history,” a gross exaggeration even though Butler is the first Cavalier suspended for such an act in memory.

Virginia coach Al Groh acknowledged Tuesday that he had called BC coach Tom O’Brien to talk about the issue and the two left the matter in the hands of the two players to hash out. Butler has contacted Kiwanuka, but the extent of the conversation has thus far remained private, at least on this end.

Still, Butler’s teammates will go into Saturday’s game without their veteran right offensive tackle against the nation’s 14th-ranked defense.

Backing Butler

On Monday, Ed Pinigis, who will replace Butler in the lineup in only his third career start, and center Jordy Lipsey, who will also make the third start of his career, talked about their impressions of the Butler ordeal.

Both linemen agreed they will miss Butler’s leadership and experience in the game and also said that cut blocks, or chop blocks, are part of practically every offensive player’s repertoire and frequently used by practically every team in the nation.

They also portrayed the BC game as one of the most physical and “dirtiest” contests they have participated in.

“I was upset when I heard that Brad was suspended because he had done such an awesome job of containing [Kiwanuka] the whole game,” Lipsey said. “I don’t think there was anything wrong with what Brad did. He was playing hard and he was hyped up because he was doing a good job against the best defensive end in the country.”

Wrong impression

Lipsey said that those who have described Butler as a thug or dirty player are wrong.

“If Brad had thought the whistle had blown, he wouldn’t have made that shot,” the UVa sophomore said. “Brad wouldn’t have done anything intentionally to hurt him. Brad’s not that type of player.”

Lipsey believes there isn’t enough time for a player to premeditate a deliberate hit that would do physical harm to an opponent.

“In that type of game your adrenaline is going full speed and [Butler’s] not thinking, ‘Oh, I want to hit him in this exact place and do this to [Kiwanuka],’” Lipsey said. “He’s just thinking about making a play and helping his

team win. Sometimes stuff like that happens, but it’s a split-second decision. You don’t have time to analyze it.”

While the public and national media are throwing darts at Butler, Lipsey also wonders why there’s no discussion about the swing that Kiwanuka took at the Virginia player, which led to his ejection. He believes the BC end and other Eagles players were frustrated because Virginia had success moving the ball against the No. 2 rushing defense in the country.

“I mean nobody’s talking about how [Kiwanuka] punched Brad and got kicked out of the game,” Lipsey said. “So, obviously that shows the frustration [BC] had for the things we were doing against them. Brad contained [Kiwanuka] and Eddie [Pinigis] contained [Kiwanuka].”

Clearly, Butler’s block was illegal because it came late and was not to the “sight side” of Kiwanuka’s leg. Butler said he had no intentions of attempting to hurt Kiwanuka.

If the game was as dirty as Virginia players claimed, then perhaps a lot of the problems could have been nipped in the bud early had officials stopped play and told the coaches to get their players under control. There was an exorbitant amount of wolfing, pushing and shoving by both teams from the outset.

“In that game, emotions were getting high and it was a pretty dirty game,” said Pinigis, who noted he had some personal experiences with Kiwanuka during the game.

“I think [Kiwanuka] was getting frustrated out there,” Pinigis said. “There was a point in the game, probably the last time I went up against him, he got kind of frustrated and kind of threw me to the ground. I got up and said, ‘Keep it coming, keep it coming.’”

The Virginia players hope that the issue is dead now that the two head coaches and the two players involved in the play have talked about the scenario and Butler is serving his suspension.

“It’s time for us to put all this other stuff behind us and just get ready for our biggest game of the season,” Lipsey said.

Florida State comes to town riding an unbeaten record and intentions of blowing through Charlottesville en route to an easy road to Jacksonville and perhaps even to Pasadena should someone in front of the Seminoles stumble.

Certainly that’s plenty to grab the attention of Virginia. The Cavaliers had better be focused or Saturday night could turn ugly in a hurry.

 

Don't be quick to judge Butler
Aaron
McFarling
The Roanoke Times

Three seconds. Apparently, that's all we need now. Just click it, watch it, label it and move on.

In his 22 years on this planet, Virginia offensive lineman Brad Butler had established a lifetime of good will. On Saturday, he had his three seconds of ignominy, a lunge at the back of a Boston College defender's legs. It's an act that has been replayed over and over again, dissected and criticized on a national level.

It threatens to become his legacy.

We shouldn't let it.

"The films say whatever they say," said Parker LeCorgne, a UVa alumnus in New Orleans. "And obviously they say some things to people that have led to all this hue and cry.

"But the notion that Brad Butler is a dirty player or engages in cheap-play tactics is just completely inconsistent with his character. And I can say that without fear of contradiction, coming from a guy who really spends a lot of time thinking about what sort of character he has, as you can imagine."

I can imagine. After all, Butler dates LeCorgne's daughter. If anybody would conduct a background check, it would be this man.

Nobody is asking you to condone Saturday's play. Even those who know Butler well have mixed views on that. But when it comes to his overall integrity, forged over a much longer period than three seconds, they are unanimous, and they are correct.

Butler deserves to be viewed in context.

"Look, I know his character," said Larry Sabato, director of the UVa Center for Politics. "I can't answer for exactly what happened. I wasn't there. I watched the game on TV. I leave that to the experts in that field.

"All I know is he's an outstanding young man and he's 22. I don't know about you, but I make a lot of mistakes, and I'm 53."

Butler, a government major, is an academic intern for Sabato. He takes this very seriously, just as he takes the rest of his academics. For months, Butler had helped Sabato prepare questions for Sunday's gubernatorial debate. And Sunday, just hours after the play, he spent the entire day in Richmond, helping organizers put on the televised event.

Despite the circumstances, Sabato wasn't surprised that Butler showed.

"He makes you a promise, he does it," Sabato said. "Where he gets the time, I don't know."

Where does he get the time? A lot of people wonder that. Like Jane Testerman of Staunton, who was diagnosed with breast cancer two months ago, then recently got a special delivery from Butler -- a football signed by the entire UVa team.

"She was incredibly touched by it," said her husband, Ross Testerman, whose son is friends with Butler at UVa. "You just don't see that kind of consideration out of young men these days. That verifies Brad better than anything."

David Basten Jr. has a similar story. He grew up right down the street from Butler in Lynchburg. In the past few years, Basten has watched his autistic brother-in-law, Kevin, become good friends with Butler.

With Butler's help, Kevin recently made his high school football team in Hickory, N.C., becoming one of few autistic children to do so.

"It's something that my wife's family has greatly appreciated," Basten said. "A Division I athlete doesn't have a lot of spare time, so the fact that he went out of his way to help Kevin, it's been a remarkable thing.

"That play was so uncharacteristic of Brad. It's a shame because there are so many good things he's done leading up to this that people just don't know about."

Because he is an offensive tackle, Butler probably will never get a chance to make a brilliant, game-changing play that gets national attention and shifts the public perception.

That's OK, his supporters say. All people have to do is meet him, and they'll see.

"You will never meet a more kind-hearted guy," said Brock Saunders, 21, who lives with Butler and other members of the St. Anthony Hall Fraternity at UVa. "He's the guy that when you're sick is calling you and making sure you're OK. He doesn't have a bad bone in his body."

This weekend, Butler will miss his first UVa game since his freshman year. He's made 31 consecutive starts, but because of those three seconds, he will have to sit.

Here's hoping he's not sitting on a branding iron.

Even BC's Alvin Washington, who was so furious with Butler on Saturday that he got himself ejected, seemed to be lobbying a bit for the UVa player to be forgiven.

"I'm sure the guy regrets it," Washington said after the game. "I don't think he wants to go down in history as that type of player."

With any luck, he won't.

"In the end, the truth matters," Sabato said. "And the truth about Brad Butler is he is a fine young person. As people get to know him better, and as other people get to know him, this will fade. I have full confidence in that.

"You know, people are fair when you get right down to it. Most people are very fair. And so with time, just about everything fades."

The clip's not hard to find. Click it, watch it, label it, criticize it, do whatever you want with it.

But remember this: Three seconds don't make the man.

 

Injury woes vex Groh
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- For all of the attention that has been devoted to Virginia's injuries, no UVa football players had undergone surgery this season until Monday, when doctors operated on Chris Cook's broken foot.

That's what has been most aggravating to Cavaliers coach Al Groh -- that it has been so hard to predict when injured players will return.

Of the Cavaliers six most experienced players going into the season, based on career starts, only defensive tackle Brennan Schmidt and offensive tackle Brad Butler have played in each of UVa's first five games.

Now, Butler goes to the sideline for one game after being suspended by the Cavaliers for a cut-block on Boston College star Mathias Kiwanuka.

UVa's most experienced players and their career starts going into the season were Schmidt (39), offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson (39), offensive lineman Brian Barthelmes (28), Butler (26), tailback Wali Lundy (25) and linebacker Ahmad Brooks (24).

Brooks has missed three games during rehabilitation from knee surgery and a fourth as the result of a sprained ankle. Ferguson has missed two games with a sprained knee. Barthelmes missed two starts and one full game with a foot injury, and Lundy missed one game with a sprained foot.

Barthelmes and Lundy played Saturday in a 28-17 loss to Boston College, and Brooks and Ferguson could play Saturday against fourth-ranked Florida State, but who knows?

"When you know the player is not going to be there, you make alternate plans and go on," said Groh, who indicated that safety Tony Franklin also would see practice time at cornerback in light of the injury to Cook, who started for the first time at corner last week.

"When you have to make a game plan based on 'will he or won't he,' or 'when will we know,' that's just another thing to add to your list of concerns. ... The list of things that concern me on an ongoing basis is getting quite long."

Groh said he hoped that Ferguson's status would be a game-time decision last Saturday, but it wasn't. Ferguson, a co-captain, accompanied the Cavaliers to Boston at least partly as a mentor to UVa's young offensive tackles.

Brooks did not make the trip but participated in practice two nights ago.

n Groh said that starting outside linebacker Jermaine Dias (sprained foot) will not play Saturday for the third week in a row. Brooks took his place against Maryland but, upon his return, will be at his familiar spot on the inside.

Replay happy

When Boston College showed repeated replays of the Butler-Kiwanuka play Saturday, the Eagles were in violation of ACC policy, as Groh confirmed in his discussion with conference officials.

"I must have been the only person in the stadium who wasn't watching the multiple replays," Groh said. "In one of the conversations I had [with the ACC] over the weekend, it was clarified for me that all replays be shown one time."

On the play after the confrontation involving Butler, Eagles linebacker Brian Toal was called for a personal foul but it was difficult to determine what happened. BC never showed that play while continuing to show Butler's cut-block.

"The rule is in there for a purpose and that's to avoid inciting the crowd," UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage said. "I don't know if it was done purposely or if it was just somebody who was not aware of the rules or did not apply them properly."

Fourth-quarter blues

Even when Virginia outscored its opponents by more than 150 points during the 2004 season, the Cavaliers were outscored 87-83 during the fourth quarter.

That trend has been even more pronounced this season, with opponents trailing UVa in each quarter but the last, when the Cavaliers have been outscored 45-24.

Is it a case of maturity or toughness or confidence?

"I think you're searching for too many answers right there," said Groh when that question was posed Saturday. "I think it's an execution thing."

Local update

Jon Copper, a redshirt freshman from Northside High School, was the staff's choice as UVa's top special teams player against BC and will join the captains for the coin toss Saturday night.

 

U.VA. NOTEBOOK
Richmond Times-Dispatch Oct 12, 2005

MIXED BAG: Virginia's football team will be missing at least three starters Saturday night against fourth-ranked Florida State: senior offensive tackle Brad Butler, who'll be serving a one-game suspension for his illegal block against Boston College's Mathias Kiwanuka; sophomore outside linebacker Jermaine Dias, who remains sidelined with a foot injury; and freshman cornerback Chris Cook, who had surgery Monday to repair the leg he broke Saturday at BC.

Reinforcements, however, could be on the way for U.Va. (1-2, 3-2), which has been beset by injury problems this season. Fifth-year coach Al Groh told reporters yesterday that inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks practiced Monday.

Brooks, who missed the first three games while recovering from offseason knee surgery, started at outside linebacker Oct. 1 against Maryland. The 6-4, 260-pound junior sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of that game, however, and didn't play against Boston College.

"Ahmad took turns yesterday, so that's more positive than it was last week," Groh said.

Brooks will return to his customary spot at inside linebacker when he plays again, Groh said, with senior Mark Miller remaining on the outside in Dias' absence.

Senior offensive linemen Brian Barthelmes, who began the season as Virginia's starting center, played about 30 snaps at guard against BC, and the ankle he hurt against Duke continues to improve. Assuming sophomore guard Marshal Ausberry, who's battling an undisclosed injury, is ready to play against FSU, Barthelmes is likely to return to center Saturday night.

The status of all-ACC offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson remains uncertain. Ferguson hasn't played since injuring a knee Sept. 24 against Duke. He was listed on the depth chart distributed yesterday, but that was the case last week, too. If Ferguson can't play, U.Va.'s starting left tackle probably will be true freshman Eugene Monroe. The starter at left guard, Branden Albert, is a true freshman, too.

LINES OF COMMUNICATION: Asked yesterday if Butler had apologized to Kiwanuka, Groh said he and BC coach Tom O'Brien "spoke about it, and we left the matter in the hands of the two players."

A BC spokesman confirmed yesterday that Butler had called Kiwanuka.

BREACH OF PROTOCOL: At Alumni Stadium, a clip of Butler's cut block on Kiwanuka was replayed several times on the video screen, stoking the emotions of BC's players and fans. The multiple replays violated ACC policy.

In the course of his conversations with conference officials, Groh said, it "was clarified for me that league policy is that all replays be shown one time, be they good, bad, indifferent."

HOOP IT UP: New men's basketball coach Dave Leitao has one scholarship left for 2006-07, and it could go to Johnnie Lett, a 6-8, 215-pound 12th-grader from Mobile, Ala. Lett, who'll visit Virginia this weekend, is raw offensively but a talented rebounder and shot-blocker.

Scheduled to take an unofficial visit to U.Va. this weekend is Derrick Rose, a junior guard from Chicago who's considered one of the top prospects in the nation's Class of 2007.

Leitao's veterans this season will include forward Donte Minter, who dislocated the patella in his right knee as a freshman and again last year. Minter, a 6-8, 240-pound junior, had surgery on that knee last month and is recovering well.

The Cavaliers open practice for 2005-06 on Saturday. Fans can check out the team Friday at an event dubbed "Hoos Hoops Madness," from 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. at University Hall.

Players from the men's and women's teams will be available for autographs. Also scheduled are contests for fans, short scrimmages by each team and 3-point shooting and dunk competitions among the players. The event is free and open to the public.

PLAY BALL: U.Va.'s baseball team will conclude fall practice with its third annual "Orange vs. Blue World Series" Oct. 19, 20 and 21 at Davenport Field.

Third-year coach Brian O'Connor will split his players into two teams for three seven-inning scrimmages. All are free and open the public. Batting practice will begin each day at 4 p.m., with the game to follow at 6. Players will be available for autographs after each scrimmage.

IN THE CREASE: In the second of its two fall scrimmages, the U.Va. men's lacrosse team defeated Division III Washington and Lee 21-6 on Friday night in Lexington. Cavaliers coach Dom Starsia held many of his upperclassmen out of the scrimmage. Standouts for Virginia included freshman midfielder Max Pomper, freshman attackmen Gavin Gill and Danny Glading and sophomore attackman Ryan Kelly. -- Jeff White

 

U.Va. seems unprepared for opponents
Virginia needs an upset on Saturday to avoid its worst first half of a season since 2001, Al Groh's first year.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
October 11, 2005

Al Groh coached a skeleton team in 2001, his first year at Virginia. A team unprepared to play in Groh's system and less prepared to win.

Yet those Cavaliers started the season 3-2 before heading to North Carolina on Oct. 13. They lost to the Tar Heels 30-24, dropped their next three games and finished 5-7, 3-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

This season's Cavs - Groh's fifth team - appeared more prepared to compete with the ACC's best teams. They had won at least eight games in the past three seasons. They had a senior quarterback, Marques Hagans, and a senior running back, Wali Lundy. And at least two future first-round NFL draft picks, inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks and left offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

Now, five games into their season, they have something else: a 3-2 record and a good chance of dropping to .500, just like the '01 team.

The Cavs play No. 4 Florida State on Saturday at Scott Stadium - a game they must win to avoid their worst six-game start since '01. U.Va. started 5-1 last year, 4-2 in 2003 and 4-2 in 2002.

The last time U.Va. played a team ranked as high as these Seminoles was 1999, when they lost to No. 1 FSU 35-10.

The Cavs haven't beaten a top-10 team since No. 7 Georgia Tech in 1999 - the week after the FSU loss. They're 0-5 against top-10 teams since. They last beat a top-5 team in 1995, when they handed No. 2 FSU its first ACC loss. They're 0-5 against top-5 teams since. They're 1-12 overall against FSU and have lost by fewer than 21 points just twice since the '95 game.

SO WE KNOW U.VA. STRUGGLES AGAINST FLORIDA STATE. WHY ARE THE CAVS STRUGGLING SO MUCH THIS SEASON?

The problems seemingly started in April, when U.Va. lost seven players to the NFL draft. They continued early this season when five starters missed time because of injuries: center Brian Barthelmes, outside linebacker Jermaine Dias, Ferguson, Brooks and Lundy.

Dias missed the past two games with a sprained foot. Brooks missed the first three while recovering from offseason right-knee surgery. Then he played just half the game two weeks ago at Maryland before spraining his left ankle, which kept him out last Saturday at Boston College.

Meanwhile, the Cavs' patchwork defense has allowed 143.8 rushing yards per game. U.Va. has the league's second worst defense (378.2 yards per game).

With Lundy slowed by a sprained left foot, U.Va.'s running backs have struggled. They're rushing for 134.4 yards per game, compared to 210 per game for last year's U.Va. running backs.

WITH OFFENSIVE TACKLE BRAD BUTLER SUSPENDED FOR SATURDAY'S GAME BECAUSE OF A CHOP BLOCK, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE U.VA.'S LINE?

Somewhere between troubled and doomed.

Especially against a defense that's tied for fourth in the nation with 21 sacks.

Starting left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson missed his second consecutive game on Saturday with a sprained left knee. So Butler played left and right tackle, his regular spot. A sprained left ankle sidelined senior center Brian Barthelmes two weeks ago at Maryland. But he returned against BC and played about 30 of 74 plays at right guard, spelling sophomore Marshal Ausberry.

U.Va. can use either Barthelmes or his backup, sophomore Jordy Lipsey, at center. On the right side, sophomore Eddie Pinigis will probably play tackle. Ausberry or Barthelmes may play guard.

On the left - quarterback Marques Hagans' blind side - true freshman Branden Albert will stay at left guard. True freshman Eugene Monroe appears a likely candidate to play left tackle. Monroe played left tackle in high school. And though he's listed at right guard, he has played left tackle some this season. But Barthelmes, a versatile senior, started his U.Va. career as a backup left tackle.

If Ferguson can't play - and even if Barthelmes does - U.Va. could have two sophomores and two true freshmen on its five-man offensive line.

HOW DID CORNERBACK CHRIS COOK BREAK HIS RIGHT LEG ON SATURDAY?

Groh said a BC player who tried to take down punt returner Michael Johnson missed the tackle and rolled onto the back of Cook's leg. The injury will require surgery, Groh said.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE FROM FSU QB DREW WEATHERFORD?

Passing. Lots of it.

Weatherford, a redshirt freshman, ranks second in the ACC with 156 pass attempts in five games. He has a 57.7 completion percentage, a league-best 10 TDs and four INTs.

WILL U.VA. BREAK ITS NINE-GAME LOSING STREAK AGAINST FSU?

Unlikely. U.Va. has some serious pass-defense issues, ranking 10th of 12 ACC teams with 234.4 yards allowed per game. FSU has the league's best passing game, with 316.2 yards per game.

Mines returns to form, lineup
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 12, 2005
FSU AT U.VA.
SATURDAY: 7:45 p.m. at Scott Stadium (sold out) ON THE AIR: TV ESPN. Radio -- WRVA (1140), 7 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Let's say Fontel Mines doesn't break his collarbone against Temple in Virginia's 2004 football opener. Maybe then the former Hermitage High star is preparing this week to make his 18th start at wideout for the Cavaliers, instead of his fourth.

"You can't live on the what-ifs," Mines, a 6-4, 217-pound junior, said yesterday. "Injuries are part of the game. They happen, and I just have to learn from it and go out and try to do the best I can to help my team."

After appearing in 11 games as a true freshman in 2003, when he caught six passes for 66 yards and one touchdown, Mines came out of training camp as a starter in 2004. Alas, after hauling in two passes for 29 yards, Mines got hurt in the first half against Temple. He returned seven weeks later but was almost an afterthought the rest of the year in an offense built around the ACC's best running game. Mines finished the season with seven catches for 70 yards and no TDs.

"It took me a little bit to get back into the flow," he said. "I think I'm really feeling good now, and my quarterback trusts and has confidence in me to throw me the ball."

Junior Deyon Williams and senior Ottowa Anderson were Virginia's starting wideouts through the first four games, the last of which was a 45-33 loss at Maryland. Mines had two catches for a career-high 77 yards against the Terrapins, and he replaced Anderson in the starting lineup Saturday at Boston College.

His two receptions against BC included one in which he leaped in the back of the end zone to snare a 9-yard pass from senior quarterback Marques Hagans. Officials reviewed the play to make sure Mines had possession when he landed on the turf, but they finally ruled it as touchdown.

U.Va. coach Al Groh said yesterday that Mines, who has six catches for 121 yards this season, will start Saturday night against fourth-ranked Florida State.

"I'm really glad that the coaches are recognizing the things that I'm doing and giving me a chance to expand on my role for this team," Mines said.

 

UVa linemen back teammate
Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 12, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Much has been made of E.C. Glass graduate Brad Butler's late chop block of Boston College defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka last Saturday. Sports Illustrated writer Stewart Mandel dedicated a "Dirtiest Play in Football History" Award for Butler in his Internet column this week.
"I think that's over-exaggeration. Extreme over-exaggeration," center Jordy Lipsey said. "Obviously, the dirtiest hit next week will be the dirtiest hit ever."

On Tuesday, Virginia linemen had mixed emotions over Butler's one-game suspension. Some said the late hit wasn't in Butler's character.

"If Brad thought the whistle had blown, he wouldn't have made the shot," Lipsey said. "Brad's not that type of player to do something like that."

Others said that sort of play isn't too out of the ordinary, especially in emotionally charged games like the one Saturday, which had several plays that featured some extra-curricular scuffling.

"I guess it's just that they caught it on tape," sophomore tackle Eddie Pinigis said.

"You kind of create in your mind what's right and what's wrong," Lipsey said. "I don't think that there was anything wrong with what Brad did. He was just playing the game and he was playing hard. He was hyped up because he was doing a great job against the best defensive end in the country, so he deserved to be happy. It's just unfortunate that it happened."

Kiwanuka matched up mostly against Butler and Pinigis and did not register a tackle in Saturday's game. He was ejected in the third quarter after punching Butler in the jaw when the two were tangled up after a play.

Pinigis (Jefferson Forest) will start at right tackle in Butler's place on UVa's shuffled offensive line this week against Florida State. If left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson (left knee) is unable to go, freshman Eugene Monroe would play.

Cook has surgery

Freshman cornerback Chris Cook (Heritage) had surgery Sunday after breaking his right leg against Boston College on Saturday. Cook was injured while blocking on the punt return team. A Boston College player missed when diving to make a tackle on Michael Johnson and fell on the back of Cook's leg.

Groh said Cook wouldn't be back for the regular season but couldn't rule out the possibility that Cook could return if Virginia plays in a bowl game.

Cook had worked his way into the starting lineup prior to the injury.

"He has been one of the more advanced kids of his class as far as performance," Groh said.

His loss depletes an already thin UVa group at cornerback. Groh said Tony Franklin, who moved from corner to safety during training camp, will work some at cornerback this week. Sophomore Chris Gorham is listed as the starting cornerback opposite Marcus Hamilton. Freshman Mike Brown is the backup listed at both cornerback spots. Those are the only players on UVa's roster who have seen any time at cornerback this season.

"Any time that someone goes down, it's not going to help," Brown said. "This week, especially with how deep their receiving corps is, we're going to need all the help we can get."

Leitao lands recruits

Virginia received commitments in the last week from two basketball players ranked in the top 100 by rivals.com.

Solomon Tat, a 6-foot-5, 219-pound swingman from Community Christian High in Stockbridge, Ga., committed Sunday. Tat, who played with UVa sophomore Tunji Soroye on the Nigerian junior team, is the 96th ranked player nationally by rivals.com.

Tat joined 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward Jamil Tucker of West Side High in Gary, Ind., the 63rd ranked player by rivals.com, who confirmed his commitment to UVa last week.

Extra points

Linebacker Jermaine Dias (ankle), who has missed the last two games, will not play this week, Groh said. Senior Mark Miller is listed in his place on the depth chart. ? If Brian Barthelmes is healthy enough to play, Groh expects him to be at center. "We're best when he's playing center for us," Groh said. Barthelmes, who has been limited by a leg injury, played right guard for a few series Saturday for Marshal Ausberry, who is dealing with unspecified health concerns. ? Fontel Mines, who had a touchdown reception Saturday, is listed ahead of Ottowa Anderson at one of the starting wide receiver spots.

 

Chop-blocks: legal if not late
After controversial late cut-block, left tackle will be benched during game against Florida State
Bayless Parsley, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor

In a reaction to the maelstrom of national media attention currently surrounding the Virginia football program, Cavalier left tackle Brad Butler has been suspended for the upcoming game against Florida State. Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage released a statement Monday announcing the one-game suspension for the 6-foot-8, 296-pound starter.

Butler, a senior who has started 31 straight games for the Cavaliers, was involved in a third-quarter scuffle with Boston College defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka during last Saturday's game. After a play appeared to be over, Butler placed a hard cut-block into the side of Kiwanuka's injured leg. The shot on the ACC preseason Player of the Year enraged BC players, coaches and fans alike, sparking the Eagles to 21 second-half points in a 28-17 victory.

"I've never been one to play outside of the rules," Butler said in his prepared 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. I regret this event occurred and have put the incident behind me."

While it is unclear whether or not the whistle had been blown, the play had clearly passed Butler by when he delivered the shot to Kiwanuka's legs. Butler was not penalized for the hit -- it occurred out of sight of the referees, who had congregated on the sidelines in pursuit of the football.

ABC broadcaster Brent Musburger, who was covering the game live in Chestnut Hill, called for Butler to be benched after viewing the replay several times on the air. By that evening, nearly every media outlet in the country had put in its two cents as well.

ESPN commentator Mark May recommended that Butler be suspended for the remainder of the season. SI.com labeled his chop-block the "Dirtiest Play in Football History." Everywhere you turned, Butler was being vilified in the press as a dirty player.

But cut-blocking, in its purest form, is as much a part of the game of football as the forward pass. On both sides of the ball, attempting to take a player off his feet by attacking below the knees is a tactic no football player can condemn off-handedly.

"There's nothing wrong with what Brad did -- he was playing the game, and he was playing hard," Virginia center Jordy Lipsey said. "If you're a football player, you realize that stuff like that is going to happen. It's the game of football -- you hit each other. Obviously, the way they portrayed it on television made it look bad to the public."

A cut-block, also known as a chop-block, is often the last line of defense a smaller or less talented player can resort to. In order to fulfill a blocking assignment, it's perfectly legal to cut an opponent's legs out from under him.

"The big issue with running plays are offside linemen cut-blocks," head coach Al Groh said. "Cut-blocks, if done within the context of the move, are legal."

When done from behind, a cut-block becomes a clip.

"The guy has to be able to see you," right tackle Eddie Pinigis said. "That's the way we're taught to cut-block here."

Butler's suspension did not come because he went low on Kiwanuka when the BC defensive end wasn't looking -- it came because it appeared that he did it long after the play had been blown dead.

That is when a cut-block, legal by definition, ceases to be a part of the game.

"I think if they didn't call anything on the field, then that's the way it should be," Lipsey said.

Unfortunately, if a tree falls in the woods and the referees doesn't see it, it sure makes a sound when instant replay is involved.