Posted at 10:37 a.m., Wednesday, November 14, 2007
CFB: WVA QB accuses player of spitting on him
Advertiser Staff
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia quarterback Pat White accused Louisville linebacker Preston Smith of spitting in his face, even after the coaches for both teams downplayed the incident.Louisville had recovered a fumble in the third quarter of West Virginia's 38-31 win Thursday night when White and Smith exchanged words. Afterward, White appeared to try to get the attention of a nearby official.
West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe had phoned him about the matter.
"Steve talked to the player in question and the player assured him that they were jawing at each other but he didn't intentionally spit on him. I appreciate him calling me and talking about it," Rodriguez said on the weekly Big East coaches' conference call Monday.
Kragthorpe offered to talk to White but Rodriguez declined and said he would discuss it with the player.
"As far as I'm concerned, the incident's over and I appreciate coach Kragthorpe at least giving me a call and talking to the young man in question," Rodriguez said.
"You couldn't really tell. You could tell they were in each other's face a little bit, but you couldn't see anything beyond that."
White didn't back down from his contention.
"He spit on me," White said last night. "I'm sure he doesn't want to admit that. It's a dirty thing to do. It's disrespectful."
Kragthorpe said the spitting didn't occur.
"Both (players) said some very derogatory things to each other," Kragthorpe said. "As our player said something to him, Pat may have thought that he spit in his face, but I talked to my player, I talked to Rich and that did not happen."
