Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 1, 1994 TAG: 9401030281
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SHREVEPORT, LA. LENGTH: Long
Hokies touchdown tokens spattered Indiana in a rain of big plays, freak plays and cathartic plays as 22nd-ranked Tech collected its first bowl victory in seven years and the second in school history, 45-20 over No. 21 Indiana before 33,819 spectators at Independence Stadium and an ESPN national TV audience.
Tech's charmed year ended with a boiling mass of barely restrained humanity surging at the Hokies' sideline as the seconds wound down on the third nine-victory season in school history.
The Hokies' number came up late in the first half, when, on back-to-back possessions with Tech ahead 14-13, defensive end Lawrence Lewis ran 20 yards with a recovered fumble for a touchdown and free safety Antonio Banks returned a blocked field goal 80 yards for a touchdown with no time remaining in the half.
"That blew their minds, right there," Tech tailback Dwayne Thomas said.
Indiana coach Bill Mallory said the second-quarter Tech flurry "cut our throats."
The Hokies had been sawing for a while, though. Tech gained 318 yards against IU's defense, ranked 10th nationally, and Tech sacked Hoosier quarterbacks seven times and held Indiana's unspectacular offense to 20 yards rushing.
Quarterback Maurice DeShazo, the game's offensive most valuable player, threw two touchdown passes, and Tech scored twice more on the ground.
Indiana committed four turnovers - one a second-quarter Tyronne Drakeford interception in the end zone when Tech led 14-13 and had just lost a fumble to IU at the Hokie 25.
Good vibes followed Tech the whole game. Television replays showed Antonio Freeman stepping out of bounds on his third-quarter, 42-yard touchdown catch from DeShazo, but the Hokies got six and led 35-13.
"Things just worked well for us," Tech coach Frank Beamer said, who won in his first bowl game as a head coach.
Not so Indiana, which finished 8-4, a victory short of its first nine-win season since its Rose Bowl year of 1967.
"I've been doing this a long time," said Mallory, who's taken Indiana to six bowls in eight years. "I don't know why. The game just got away from us."
The Hoosiers made the first grab on John Paci's 75-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Lewis with 5:36 left in the first quarter. But Tech followed with a 73-yard drive that lasted more than five minutes and ended on DeShazo's 13-yard touchdown toss to Thomas.
Tech next went 59 yards on six plays, scoring on Joe Swarm's 6-yard cutback run to lead 14-7 with 11:14 to go. IU pulled to 14-13 on two Bill Manolopoulos field goals and threatened again when DeShazo's backward lateral was too high for Thomas, who apparently didn't realize the ball was live.
Indiana recovered on the 25. Drakeford, who had missed four games after breaking an ankle, had played three series before trotting out to cover IU star receiver Thomas Lewis.
Paci lobbed to Lewis on a fade in the right end zone, but Drakeford made a leaping interception.
"We got eager on that," Mallory said. "We should've taken that ball and drove it in there."
Tech punted on its possession, and Indiana had first-and-10 on the Tech 49 with 35 seconds left in the half when Paci fumbled in a Knight-George DelRicco sandwich.
"I was getting ready to throw," Paci said. "I felt my arm was coming forward and the ball just left my arm. I didn't feel that guy at all."
Lewis' touchdown hurt, though, and Tech led 21-13. Then, IU's Kenyetta Williams returned Tech's kick to the Hokie 42, and one play later, Indiana tried a 50-yard field goal that was blocked by Tech's Jeff Holland and returned 80 yards by Banks.
"We're supposed to get away from the ball when it goes over the line like that," said Banks, the game's defensive MVP. "But I seen it so high, you know, looking so good, I just tried to get it and make a big play before the half."
Indiana needed a quick second-half start but gained nothing on its first possession, then failed on a fourth-and-one on the Tech 31.
One series later, Mallory inserted redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Dittoe, who moved the team 15 yards before a front-end collision with Tech's Bernard Basham dropped him for a 7-yard loss.
Indiana's last lunge for momentum came on its next series when, on fourth-and-four at its 49, punter Jim Diguilio threw to wide-open Jon Pilch.
He dropped it.
When the Hokies took over at the IU 49, DeShazo knew Tech's offense hadn't overwhelmed IU, despite it using the shotgun and a no-huddle at times.
"[The coaches said] keep your composure. It'll happen. You can't rush it," DeShazo said.
It happened on the drive's third play, when DeShazo rolled left, pumped, motioned Freeman long and threw over second-team All-Big Ten cornerback Mose Richardson for a 35-13 Tech lead.
"That's two great players making a great play," Beamer said.
Two other players - Waverly Jackson and J.C. Price - drilled Dittoe on the first play of Indiana's next series. Dittoe fumbled, Banks recovered and Tommy Edwards scored from 5 yards out on the next play as Tech reveled in its second victory over a ranked team this year.
"I think we were more focused than Indiana," Tech defensive tackle Bernard Basham said. "We had a job to get done, and we did it."
\ INDEPENDENCE BOWL\ TEAM RECORDS SET\ \ TECH: Record 21 points in second quarter (previous record 17 by Texas A&M in 1981). Tied record for points in any quarter.\ \ TECH, INDIANA: Two touchdowns passing (ties record held by 10 other schools).\ \ TECH: Most points, 45 (previous record 39 by Wake Forest in 1992).\ \ TECH: Fewest first downs allowed, 11 (ties record set by Tulsa vs. McNeese State in 1976, Louisiana Tech vs. Louisville in 1977, Air Force vs. Mississippi in 1983.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB