Silva, Kiwi awarded defensive honors

Sidelined from last weekend's come from behind win against Wake Forest, Mathias Kiwanuka still has been an anchor for the Eagles' fifth ranked rushing defense and a leader on the team. He's logged 23 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass break ups, and a forced fumble. His efforts are definitely getting noticed.

The senior defensive end's accomplishments led him to recently be named one of 12 semifinalists for the 36th Rotary Lombardi Award, presented by Wachovia Bank.

The award is given annually to offensive or defensive linemen who show outstanding performance and ability and exemplify the discipline of Vince Lombardi. A pack of eight defensive players and four offensive linemen, three of which are from the ACC, fill out the rest of the 12 nominees.

Proceeds from the award are donated to the American Cancer Society to go toward research on the very disease that killed Lombardi in 1970.

In Kiwanuka's absence this past week, the whole defense stepped up to reverse the Eagles' fortunes against Wake.

Free safety Jamie Silva was one of the players that made a big impact and was honored for his performance in being named ACC Player of the Week. The sophomore led the team with 11 tackles, nine of which were solos. With 14 tackles the previous week against Virginia, it was the second week in a row Silva led the team in that statistic.