Big first impression for Kiwanuka, Eagles

HOT SPRINGS, Va. -- A day after making a favorable first impression on the media assembled for the Atlantic Coast Conference's 2005 Football Kickoff, Boston College senior defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka yesterday was selected the ACC's Preseason Player of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. - College Football -
Kiwanuka, a 6-foot-7-inch, 261-pounder from Indianapolis who departed the Big East as its 2004 Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 25 1/2 tackles for loss and 11 1/2 sacks, was one of two ACC players recognized on 39 of 40 ballots. Florida State running back Leon Washington was the other. - College Football -
Kiwanuka, who impressed media members Sunday with his well-spoken and poised manner, was the only BC player to make the preseason All-ACC team.
''That's unbelievable," BC coach Tom O'Brien said. ''He's deserving of all the attention that he's gotten. I'm as excited as anybody to watch him play this year." - College Football -
The Eagles, too, earned some surprising recognition from the ACC media by being selected to finish second to Florida State (which earned 65 of a possible 92 first-place votes) in the ACC's Atlantic Division. Virginia Tech, which won the ACC title last year in its first season in the conference, garnered 62 first-place votes and was selected to finish ahead of Miami (29 first-place votes) in the Coastal Division. - College Football -
But O'Brien downplayed BC's preseason ranking.
''I think we were picked second because we're the school du jour and because of what we did in the bowl game," said O'Brien, referring to BC's 34-27 victory over North Carolina in the Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte last Dec. 30. ''If we came in last year with Miami and Virginia Tech, we'd have probably been picked last."
Apprised by one ACC writer that the Eagles had garnered 24 first-place votes, O'Brien responded by saying, ''As I told our two esteemed writers from Boston, I believe more in the tooth fairy than I do in any preseason polls." - College Football -
Bowden's rulesBobby Bowden, entering his 30th season coaching Florida State, feigned surprise over his team's selection to win the Atlantic Division. ''I'm kind of surprised," Bowden said. ''It looks like you haven't been reading the papers. It looks like you don't know that we've lost some guys." The Seminoles, who travel to Boston to play the Eagles Sept. 17, have had to deal with some offseason adversity to five projected starters, two of whom were lost for the season because of illness and injury -- junior quarterback Wyatt Sexton (Lyme disease) and junior cornerback Antonio Cromartie (torn ACL). - College Football -
Also, nose guard Clifton Dickson was declared academically ineligible in June, while linebackers Ernie Sims and A.J. Nicholson are awaiting to resolve trouble with the law. Sims was arrested for fighting with his girlfriend and Nicholson was arrested for a misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol charge. Bowden was confident both players would be back this season. When they do return, Bowden promised, there would be a price to pay. ''There's more ways to discipline a player than a suspension," Bowden drawled. ''You've heard of physical pain, haven't you? Well, I'm going to handle our business. - College Football -
There's more than one way to skin a cat." . . . Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, hearing his players had decided not to wear their ACC championship rings this year, decided to follow their example. ''I took my ring off, too," Beamer said. ''We're awful proud of what we did last year -- it gave us a lot of good memories -- but now it's time to try and get another one." . . . BC's Bill McGovern and Jim Bridge showed their prowess on the links in Sunday's assistant coaches' golf outing at The Cascades. McGovern won longest drive honors while Bridge was a member of the four-man team that tied for first place with a team anchored by BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo. ''I'm glad we've made a good impression," O'Brien said. ''Now we just have to go and do it on the field." - College Football -

Michael Vega, Globe Newspaper