Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 3, 1994 TAG: 9401030067
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SHREVEPORT, LA. LENGTH: Medium
In Bloomington, Ind., and other Hoosiers pockets, they'll replay an imaginary Tech-Indiana game without the Hokies' two first-half defensive touchdowns, and they'll probably swear the bowl would have ended differently.
Tech's 35-second blitz in the second quarter gave it a 28-13 halftime lead en route to a 45-20 victory.
By the second half Friday, Indiana's nationally 10th-ranked defense was playing that way. Tech's first second-half possession ended with a Maurice DeShazo interception and its next three gained 19 yards on 11 plays.
What if it had been a 14-13 game?
"In the second half, we started slacking off a little. They started shutting us down a little bit," Tech tailback Dwayne Thomas said. "We just started running out of gas."
At least one Hoosier, usually defensive end Bernard Whittington, was in Tech's backfield on most plays. Tech's defense, however, held Indiana to 46 yards and no points in the quarter. In one series, Tech defensive end Cornell Brown knocked down a pass and tackled tailback Jermaine Chaney for a 3-yard loss on a pass completion on first down in Tech territory.
Another Indiana drive ended with a failed fourth-down conversion, and another on a Bernard Basham sack.
"I thought our defense hung in there pretty well," Indiana coach Bill Mallory said. "We played well enough to have a chance to win the ballgame."
\ FREAK PLAYS: Tech's two defensive touchdowns confused even the Hokies. Linebacker DeWayne Knight's second hit on Indiana quarterback John Paci appeared to cause Paci's fumble that Lawrence Lewis returned for a touchdown. Asked if he caused the fumble, Knight said he thought George DelRicco did, then said of Paci, who was struggling not to be sacked, "What was he trying to do?"
Lewis said he was running downfield to block for J.C. Price, whom he thought would recover the fumble, and the ball "bounced right into my chest, and the next thing I know, it's a touchdown."
Free safety Antonio Banks then caught a blocked field-goal attempt and started running right - while a bunch of Hokies were on the left side of the field, waving frantically for him to run that way.
"When I went over there, I was glad to see them," Banks said.
\ RECORDS: Tech's 21 second-quarter points are an Independence Bowl record, surpassing Texas A&M's 17 in 1981. . . . Indiana's 11 first downs tied three other teams for the fewest in an Independence Bowl. . . . Tech's Maurice DeShazo is one of seven quarterbacks to have thrown for two touchdowns in the bowl. . . . Indiana's Thomas Lewis' two touchdown catches tie him with two others for most in the bowl, and Lewis' eight punt returns are the most ever in the game. . . . Lewis' 177 receiving yards broke the record set last year by Wake Forest's Todd Dixon (166).
\ SUPERLATIVES: The Hokies' seven sacks were their most this year. They had five against Miami. . . . Indiana's 11 first downs were the fewest Tech allowed this year. . . . Tech's 45 points were the most scored against Indiana since Notre Dame beat the Hoosiers 49-27 in the 1991 season-opener. . . . Indiana's 20 rushing yards against Tech were its fewest since Iowa held the Hoosiers to minus-13 in a 14-0 victory in 1992. . . . Indiana's 276 passing yards were its second-highest total this season. It had 379 against Penn State.
\ ETC: Tech graduate assistant Scott Whittier is searching for a full-time assistant coaching job and has looked into the chances of joining new VMI coach Bill Stewart's staff. . . . Most of Tech's team arrived in Blacksburg on Sunday afternoon. A crowd of close to three dozen greeted the team at the airport waving signs and pom-pons, cornerback Scott Jones said. . . . Indiana allowed 44 sacks last year but had cut that number in half this season before Tech got seven on Friday. "Our protection was probably as poor as I've seen it all year," Mallory said. . . . Antonio Banks and Torrian Gray led the Hokies with nine tackles each, and linebacker Ken Brown had eight. Banks' line included a recovered fumble, the 80-yard touchdown return of a blocked field goal, an interception and a pass breakup. . . . Indiana cornerback Mose Richardson had nine tackles and teammates Chris Dyer seven. The Hoosiers made seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage. . . . Frank Beamer won his 75th game at the collegiate level.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB