Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 28, 1993 TAG: 9309280083
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
George Welsh and his eight fellow Atlantic Coast Conference football coaches took part in a conference call Tuesday morning with commissioner Gene Corrigan, who reportedly was not amused by brawls involving five ACC teams Saturday.
"There was talk of suspending people for future games," said Welsh, whose Virginia team was involved in a fight to start the fourth quarter Saturday against Duke. "The commissioner mentioned swinging helmets and kicking [and] if a team leaves the bench, I don't know what's going to happen. That's bad."
Welsh said it was his impression that none of the participants in Saturday's altercations would be disciplined by the conference, although North Carolina suspended assistant coach Donnie Thompson for one game and N.C. State did likewise with aide Ted Cain, participants in a fistfight at the end of Saturday's game in Raleigh, N.C.
A third brawl took place in Blacksburg between Maryland and Virginia Tech.
"Everybody starts with a clean slate," ACC spokesman Brian Morrison said. "These cases, on an individual basis, were not enough to warrant suspensions. But after today's warning, they may be dealt with differently in the future."
The fight at the Virginia game followed a sideline tackle by UVa quarterback Symmion Willis, who was penalized for taunting Duke defensive back Sean Thomas after an interception. However, films showed Thomas was on his way back to the Duke bench when Blue Devils defensive lineman James Kirkland barreled into a group of UVa players.
"Any taunting, whether it's obvious, like what Willis did . . . I've got to get that stopped," Welsh said. "But that didn't incite the riot. I think the officials have got to help, too. There were late hits in that game [and] flags weren't being thrown."
Welsh said he still wasn't sure why UVa's Joe Williams or Kevin Brooks were ejected, "[but] I don't think Brooks was entirely innocent," he added. Films showed Cavaliers defensive tackle Mark Krichbaum landing a succession of right uppercuts.
"To me it's not just the threat of being kicked out of a game," Welsh said. "It's the threat of [having] to sit out the next week. I've got to convince our players that's not worth it. Then, it costs you games."
UVa linebacker Randy Neal said he realizes that the ACC is serious about cracking down on fighting, but that didn't prevent Neal and his roommate, Willis, from taping Welsh's TV show Sunday and watching it frame by frame.
"Some of those guys were amazing," Neal said. "It looked like Krichbaum and Curtis Hicks and Stanley Leigh could have taken on the whole Duke team."
\ OUT OF EARSHOT: Assistant coach Tom O'Brien called plays from the press box Saturday for the first time in his three seasons as Virginia's offensive coordinator.
"[He did it] so we wouldn't argue so much," said Welsh, known to go into rages on the sidelines. "He wanted to get away from me.
"`He felt it was better to go upstairs and get away from the emotion of the game and be more analytical. We talked about it in preseason, but he'd never been up there before, so, since this was such a meaningless game, we thought we'd try it out."
At least that part of Welsh's answer appeared to be in jest.
\ CLASSIC MISMATCH: No Division I-A program in the country has a worse record over the past five seasons than Ohio University, which visits 21st-ranked UVa (4-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Bobcats have lost 12 consecutive games, including four this season, and are 5-40-3 since 1989.
"I can put myself in [Tom] Lichtenberg's shoes," said Welsh, referring to the Bobcats' third-year coach. "I've been there at Navy. They'll practice hard and they won't be afraid to make a mistake."
\ INJURIES: Tight end Aaron Mundy did not practice Monday, although X-rays of his bruised ribs found no fracture. After Mundy was injured in the first half Saturday, UVa played the rest of the game with its Nos. 3 and 4 tight ends, redshirt freshmen Dave Gathman and Erich Wiltsee.
Back-up tight end Bobby Neely, held out of Saturday's game with a pulled hamstring, resumed workouts Monday. Defensive end Matt Mikeska and offensive tackle John Slocum, who played sparingly as the result of injuries, are expected back this week, as is linebacker P.J. Killian, who has missed three of four games with knee problems.
One area of concern for Welsh is the condition of sophomore safety Percy Ellsowrth. Ellsworth, who required surgery last year after his left shoulder was dislocated for the ninth time, has experienced the same problem with his left shoulder in consecutive games.
\ EXTRA POINTS: Virginia tied a school record by intercepting five passes Saturday and has as many interceptions after four games, 12, as it did in the first 10 games of the 1992 season. . . . Redshirt freshman Will Brice has four punts of 55 yards or longer, including kicks of 62 and 55 yards Saturday. . . . Saturday's game was the 1000th in school history and marked the 500th victory for the Cavaliers, who have a 500-452-48 mark in 104 seasons. . . . Former Virginia coach Dick Bestwick reports that former Cavaliers lineman Bob Olderman, who was near death 2 1/2 weeks ago from a lymph-related disorder, has made dramatic progress and is convalescing at the home of his parents in Atlanta. . . . Former Virginia cornerback Tony Covington has been placed on injured-reserve by Tampa Bay, meaning he will miss virtually the entire season for the second straight year.
by CNB