OK, I'll admit it. When I first heard about it, I was scared. Heck, you might even say I was petrified. With the new taunting rule in college football that not only has the potential to cost a team 15 yards, but also to take points off the board, I figured it was only a matter of time until one of the Cavaliers' scores was wiped out. And with how few and far between those have been during the past few years, I had every right to be a little nervous. But then came Saturday night - and my fears were assuaged.
For those of you who may not have heard: The college football powers-that-be decided that, in an effort to clean up the game, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty now has the potential to wipe out a score. That means some of the most notable highlights in recent memory - Deion Sanders' struts into the end zone or Justin Blackmon's run along the goal line - would be nothing but famous bloopers if they happened this year. Furthermore, the new penalty not only has the potential to eliminate a score, it can also serve as a major momentum shifter. The way the new rules are written, once a referee deems taunting has occurred and throws his yellow flag, the penalty becomes assessed from the spot of the foul. So, hypothetically, a quarterback throws a pass from midfield, and, as his receiver streaks untouched towards pay dirt, the signal-caller decides to talk some trash as he runs down to congratulate his teammate. Not only would his team lose points, but the ball would come all the way back to his own 35-yard line - 15 yards from the spot of the foul.
When I first read about the rule last spring, I was outraged. How could the NCAA institute a rule like that after that debacle at the end of the Pinstripe Bowl last season - in which Kansas State was forced to attempt a potential game-tying, two-point conversion from the 18-yard line because some referee deemed that a simple salute warranted a 15-yard penalty? I was shocked to hear that the league was giving even more powers to the zebras. I couldn't help but envision a time this year when a Cavalier touchdown was wiped out because some overzealous freshman went a little too far as he neared the end zone. This weekend though, I realized why my qualms were misplaced. I had forgotten the golden rule of Virginia football - trust in Mike London.
Because while I was busy all summer worrying, coach London was getting to work.
"[The] team found out about [the rule change] during camp," senior wide receiver Kris Burd said. "Coach London brought in the head official of the ACC to talk to us all about it."
London knew he had to walk a fine line between getting the team to respect the rule and avoid costly, potentially game-changing penalties and robbing them of the emotion which has characterized the team since London took charge last season. The rule had to be ingrained into the players' heads without having them worrying about it to the extent that they would change their style. Most coaches would probably have handled the situation in one of two ways: either a) yelled at his players until it was drilled into their brains like teachers with preschoolers who can't learn to keep their hands to themselves, or b) made his players run gassers until they were too tired to walk to their car let alone strut into the end zone. But not London. Instead, London empowered his players to take charge. He brought in refs early to teach the players about the new rule and then stepped back from the spotlight. When players get out of hand, it's often the teammates, not the coaches, who are there to ensure it doesn't happen again.
"In practice, if you're hot-spirited, we point it out as a family," Burd said. "You know, like, 'This is gonna be a flag.' We police ourselves."
By making sure the players hold each other responsible, London's figured out how to navigate that fine line successfully. If adherence to the new rule was left to the coaches alone to enforce, then it would be easy for the players to tighten up and play scared. As any young adult will tell you, being yelled and screamed at by any authority figure makes you stiffen up and proceed tentatively. But when peers correct peers, you don't get the same negative feedback.
Saturday night was the cherry on top of the sundae. The team played with controlled abandon. The players were emotional but sportsmanlike, celebratory but never showboated. Whenever a Cavalier crossed the plane, he was sure to celebrate with his teammates and never directed his reactions toward the William & Mary defenders - exactly how the NCAA must have imagined its players behaving when it drew up the rule last spring.
As Burd said, "We're a very emotional team; we fuel ourselves on being emotional. We're definitely gonna celebrate once we score touchdowns, we just need to be more conscious. Somebody across the country is gonna get caught, but it definitely won't be us."
So breathe easy Cavalier fans, and fear no 15-yard penalties. Coach London's on the job, and as long as the Cavaliers know how to score, they will survive.
Read More
No. 4 field hockey set for primetime ACC showdown at undefeated No. 2 North Carolina
By Eleanor Lynch | 1 hours agoWith a win, the Cavaliers would take control of first place in the ACC.
Virginia volleyball defeats Syracuse in a thrilling five-set match
By Victoria Blankenship | 9 hours agoThe Cavaliers continue their best ACC run since 2006.
TILOCK AND ISTVAN: We should temper post-Bennett expectations for Virginia men’s basketball
By Xander Tilock and Ben Istvan | 11 hours agoBennett buoyed Virginia in a way that legendary coaches of other programs did not.
