Mathias Kiwanuka did not have a good experience playing Virginia this month. He hopes to have a better one against another team from the commonwealth tonight.

In a play that received national attention, Boston College's standout defensive end was the victim of a cut block by Virginia's Brad Butler in an Oct. 8 victory over the Cavaliers. The hit either caused or aggravated a sprained knee ligament that kept him out the Eagles' next game with Wake Forest.

Kiwanuka will return to the field when the No. 13 Eagles visit third-ranked Virginia Tech tonight.

"There's a lot of built-up frustration just from watching my team ... playing without me against Wake Forest," Kiwanuka said Monday. "There's obviously a lot of anger and frustration I have ready to be taken out" on Tech.

Kiwanuka practiced Monday and Tuesday and has been cleared to play tonight. How much he will play remains to be seen.

"There's a little more pain than I thought there would be at this point," Kiwanuka said.

Kiwanuka, a third-team All-American last season, said Butler has never called him to apologize for the block. Butler was suspended by Virginia for one game because of the play.

Will previous experience make Kiwanuka extra wary about dirty play by offensive linemen?

"The only thing that's going to change about me is making sure that I run to the end of every play," he said. "Just because the whistle blows, I'm not going to assume that the play's over.

"Other than that, it's not going to change who I am. I've been in situations similar to that before where I just haven't been hurt. I understand that people are going to do whatever they can to try to take me out of my game or try to limit me."

Kiwanuka helped BC win at Lane Stadium two years ago, when the Hokies and Eagles were Big East rivals. He is looking forward to his return.

"One of the biggest things about playing Virginia Tech is playing ... in Blacksburg and how fun of a situation that is, when those fans start screaming at you and you legitimately can't hear the person next to you," he said.

Kiwanuka was the 2004 Big East defensive player of the year, but he isn't the most accomplished member of his family. That would be his late grandfather, Benedicto Kiwanuka, who was the first prime minister of Uganda.

When England granted its colony of Uganda self-government in 1961. Benedicto Kiwanuka's party gained a majority of seats in the first election for the National Assembly, and he became the chief minister in July of that year. He became prime minister in March 1962. But new elections for the National Assembly were held the following month, and Milton Obote, the leader of the new majority coalition, became prime minister. Uganda gained its independence later that year.

Benedicto Kiwanuka later became Uganda's first chief justice, but in that job he became an enemy of dictator Idi Amin during Amin's reign of terror in Uganda. He was assassinated by Amin or Amin's henchmen in 1972.

"As a child, when someone tells you that your grandfather had this kind of an impact or he did this for the country, it's something you're obviously immediately proud of, but you don't understand the depth of the situation," Kiwanuka said. "As you grow up, you get a better understanding."

Kiwanuka's parents were born in Uganda and met in America. Kiwanuka, an Indianapolis native, has the Ugandan flag on the wall of his dorm room and has a tattoo of the Ugandan presidential symbol on his back. Kiwanuka has an uncle who is a member of Uganda's parliament.

"A big part of my heritage, a big part of my family, is being Ugandan and keeping the ... traditions and customs alive," he said.

Kiwanuka visited Uganda when he was in the third grade. He wants to help the country, which has been hit hard by AIDS and war, when he becomes a rich NFL player.

"I definitely plan on returning," he said. "The first thing I would do is go back and just try to determine where I could be useful the most."

Kiwanuka's parents divorced when he was in elementary school. He was raised by his mother, who worked multiple jobs to put her three children through Catholic school. The former nurse started a small cleaning service when Kiwanuka was in high school.

A BC coach noticed Kiwanuka while at Cathedral High School to recruit Kiwanuka's teammate Jeremy Trueblood. When the 6-foot-7 Kiwanuka joined the Eagles, said BC quarterback Quinton Porter, teammates noticed his height, broad shoulders, huge hands and running ability and considered him a physical "freak."

That freak recorded 67 tackles and two interceptions last year, when he led the Big East in sacks (11¹₂) and tackles for loss (25¹₂). He was skinny as a freshman but now weighs 261 pounds.

"A lot of people don't think he's very strong because ... he doesn't weigh 295 or anything like that, but he's real strong," linebacker Brian Toal said. "Once he gets a hold of you, he's pretty effective."

Kiwanuka has 23 tackles, two pass breakups and 3¹₂ sacks in six games this year for the Eagles (6-1, 3-1). BC coach Tom O'Brien said teams spend so much time worrying about Kiwanuka that it helps the rest of the defense.

Kiwanuka is one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award.

"Countless times ... he's jumped up and batted my ball down" in practice, Porter said. "He can take away throwing lanes. He's also got good speed and can get to the quarterback on the rush. He's a handful for any tackle that's trying to block him and for any quarterback that's trying to throw over him."