The Wahoos (3-2, 1-2 ACC) dropped their second straight conference road game and their eighth straight road game vs. a ranked opponent. BC (5-1, 2-1 ACC) scored three touchdowns after Butler dove into the injured right knee of star defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka early in the third quarter. That play fired up the Eagles after a lackluster first half that included 10 penalties on Virginia and three missed field goals by Boston College.
“It re-energized our team and re-energized our stadium,” BC coach Tom O’Brien said of Butler’s indisputably dirty play. “We needed a kickstart and they provided it. … That got our football team going and we took over the football game.”
The score was 7-7 when Butler, playing left tackle in place of D’Brickashaw Ferguson, chop-blocked Kiwanuka after an incomplete pass. Defensive tackle Alvin Washington jumped on Butler and was ejected from the game. Kiwanuka later retaliated by slugging Butler and also got tossed. But the Eagles clearly played with more emotion and better execution from that point.
Two plays after that incident, Virginia scored on a 23-yard catch by Deyon Williams to take a 14-7 lead. But BC stormed back with a 72-yard touchdown drive capped off by Quinton Porter’s 19-yard pass to Tony Gonzalez. Freshman safety Paul Anderson then blocked Chris Gould ‘s punt and the Eagles seized the lead on Brian Toal ‘s 1-yard plunge up the middle.
Kiwanuka was ejected during UVa’s subsequent drive that ended in a 37-yard Connor Hughes field goal, but Boston College – despite a fumble deep in UVa territory – wouldn’t be denied. DeJuan Tribble returned a short Gould punt 21 yards to the UVa 43. A 32-yard strike to Kevin Challenger set up Toal’s second 1-yard scoring run, making it 28-17 with 8:17 remaining.
Virginia drove to the BC 2, thanks largely to two Eagles penalties, but two passes to Deyon Williams fell incomplete.
“We had anticipated coming up here it would be a fourth-quarter game. That’s what it was,” said UVa coach Al Groh, whose team returns home to face #4 Florida State next Saturday. “In the last 12 minutes of the fourth quarter, we had the opportunity to make some plays. Boston College had the opportunity to make some plays. The game really hinged on their ability to make those plays and we didn’t make them.”
One week after giving up 570 yards to Maryland in a 45-33 loss, the Cavalier defense yielded 497 yards. Starting linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Jermaine Dias did not make the trip because of injuries, and cornerback Chris Cook suffered a broken leg in the first quarter. Porter completed 25 of 37 passes for 301 yards, while tailbacks Andre Callendar and L.V. Whitworth combined for 192 rushing yards behind BC’s enormous offensive line.
Offensively, the ‘Hoos played without Ferguson (sprained knee) for the second straight game. Brian Barthelmes (ankle) did not start but saw action at center. Marques Hagans went 21 of 35 for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Williams caught six passes for 78 yards but dropped several passes in the fourth quarter. Each team finished with 11 penalties and two turnovers.
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