Football

Eric Dungey on sideline scuffle: ‘Some guy’s standing over me talking smack and I just try to get him off me’

Jessica Sheldon | Photo Editor

After throwing an interception on Syracuse's first possession, Eric Dungey threw William Harris to the ground, causing a sideline scuffle.

By Jon MettusSenior Staff Writer

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Eric Dungey dragged Boston College’s William Harris out of bounds to prevent a touchdown on an interception return on SU’s first drive of the game, but then proceeded to spin and throw Harris head first into the ground well beyond the boundary line.

Eagles linebacker Matt Milano stood over Dungey on the sideline before Dungey shoved him into Harris and to the ground. Harris got up and Dungey charged forward with an SU staff member beside him, both combining to knock Harris over a table and to the ground again.

“It wasn’t frustration,” Dungey said after Syracuse’s (4-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) 28-20 win over Boston College (3-4, 0-4) on the road. “I was trying to finish the tackle. I get tackled all the time so when I get a chance to tackle, I’m just trying to tackle him. Some guy’s standing over me talking smack and I just try to get him off me and one thing led to another.”

Parts of the BC bench emptied. Players had to be restrained. At the end of it all, there were no ejections and only fouls on Dungey for the late hit and both benches for leaving the sideline.

“His job is to get the guy down, not to hit him like a middle linebacker,” Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said he told Dungey immediately afterward, “because he needs to preserve himself. It was a great job of him stopping the touchdown. That’s what he was supposed to do. And then after that he needs to protect himself. You get into scuffles like that (and) somebody steps on your hand or something.”

Babers didn’t further discuss the play on the sideline because he said he would be fined.

MORE COVERAGE:

In the loss to Wake Forest two weeks ago, Wake Forest linebacker Demetrius Kemp stood over Dungey after driving him to the ground on a fumble return. SU wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for shoving Kemp off Dungey.

“Everybody is going to take a shot at him if they get a chance,” Orange linebacker Parris Bennett said before also complimenting Dungey’s tackle. “It was pretty good. He got him down. He beat a block and everything. … He definitely stopped a touchdown.”

Boston College head coach Steve Addazio said he saw “some stuff went down over there” that needs to be addressed, referring to officials reviewing the film and dealing out fines or suspensions.

“Someone else gets thrown to the ground, someone else gets punched,” he elaborated later.





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