The 1984 Independence Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Air Force Falcons at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, on December 15. The game was the final contest of the 1984 season for both teams, and ended in a 23–7 victory for Air Force.
The Virginia Tech Hokies earned a bid to the Independence Bowl following an 8–3 record during the regular season. Tech was the No. 3 team in the country in terms of overall defense and No. 2 in terms of rushing defense, due to the efforts of Tech defender Bruce Smith, an All-American and Outland Trophy winner who would later go on to be the first-overall selection in the 1985 NFL draft. Smith became the centerpiece of an eligibility debate during the weeks prior to the game, as he was at first prohibited from participating in the game by the NCAA, which had placed him under probation for accepting illegal gifts. Smith contested this probation in Virginia and Louisiana courts, and was allowed to play in the game by virtue of two court actions.
Facing the Hokies were the Falcons of the United States Air Force Academy, who had gone 7–4 during the regular season, including a 4–3 record in the Western Athletic Conference. The Falcons were led by first-year head coach Fisher DeBerry and had the No. 1 ranked rushing offense in the country, using their wishbone offense to great effect.
The game kicked off under comfortable temperatures and moderate wind. An estimated 41,100 people came out to watch the Falcons take on the Hokies. Air Force scored first with a 35-yard field goal, but the Hokies struck back with a touchdown off a 10-play, 72-yard drive, putting Virginia Tech ahead 7–3. That score would remain until halfway through the second quarter, when Virginia Tech fumbled the ball at its own three-yard line. Air Force recovered the ball and scored a touchdown on the next play, regaining a 10–7 lead. After halftime, Virginia Tech's defense began to break down under Air Force's rushing offense. The Hokies and Air Force battled defensively throughout the third quarter, but in the fourth quarter, Air Force's offense broke free for 13 unanswered points, clinching the victory. Air Force quarterback Bart Weiss was named the game's most valuable player on offense, while Virginia Tech linebacker Vince Daniels was named the game's most valuable player on defense.
Team selection
Air Force
The United States Air Force Academy Falcons began the 1984 college football season with a new head coach, Fisher DeBerry, who replaced the successful Ken Hatfield. Hatfield and the Falcons had gone 10–2 during 1983, including a win in the 1983 Independence Bowl. Following that win, Hatfield accepted the head-coaching position at the University of Arkansas and DeBerry was hired to replace him, being promoted from the offensive coordinator position.Air Force Academy Athletics Communications. "Year-by-Year history: 1984", 2008 Air Force football Media Guide . (PDF p. 33) Colorado Springs, Colo. Page 161.
In the first two games of his Air Force career, DeBerry's Falcons jumped to an excellent start. In the team's 1984 opener, the Falcons defeated San Diego State, 34–17. The following week, the Falcons blew out , 75–7. But after those two victories, things became more difficult for the Falcons. Air Force lost its next two games (at Utah and Wyoming) before defeating Colorado State, Navy, and traditional football powerhouse Notre Dame.
The Falcons' final four games were split evenly—two wins, two losses—and Air Force finished the regular season with a record of 7–4 and a Western Athletic Conference record of 4–3. In late November, in exchange for their regular-season success, the Falcons were invited to participate in the Independence Bowl, becoming the second team in the nine-year history of the game to be invited in two consecutive years.The Independence Bowl. Independence Bowl Year-by-Year results IndependenceBowl.org. Accessed August 21, 2008.
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech began the 1984 season under head coach Bill Dooley, who at the time was the winningest coach in Tech history. In 1983, the Hokies had gone 9–2, with one of the two losses coming at the hands of No. 9 West Virginia in a nationally televised game.Virginia Tech Football Past Schedules: 1983-1984 Virginia Tech Athletic Communications Department. Hokiesports.com. Accessed August 23, 2008. Tech began the 1984 season with a win against Wake Forest, but followed that by a loss against West Virginia in one of the most contentious college football rivalries in the country at that time. In the two weeks that followed, Tech continued to alternate wins and losses, reaching an overall record of 2–2 by the end of the fourth week of the season. Tech's fortunes took a turn for the better during the latter portion of the season, however, as the Hokies proceeded to win six of their final seven games before earning a bid to the 1984 Independence Bowl.Virginia Tech Football Past Schedules: 1984-1985 Virginia Tech Athletic Communications Department. Hokiesports.com. Accessed August 23, 2008.
Pregame buildup In the weeks leading up to the Independence Bowl, the game received as much or more coverage than the incipient national championship game due to the controversial status of Tech star Bruce Smith, who was embroiled in a legal battle with the NCAA about his participation in the game.Moss, Irv. "San Francisco Bowl notes AFA handled '84 Hokies," The Denver Post. December 29, 2002. Page C8. Spread bettors favored Air Force to win the game by four points.Graswich, R.E. "College football's finest perform in 18 festivals," The Sacramento Bee. December 14, 1984. Page G1. Ticket sales were slow in the weeks leading up to the bowl, and Virginia Tech was faulted for failing to sell its entire allotment of 12,000 tickets. Tech representatives said they might have to return as many as 8,000 tickets due to the difficulty of selling tickets for a game more than 20 hours away by car.The Associated Press. "Ticket sales going slowly for Independence Bowl," The Lexington Herald-Leader. December 12, 1984. Page C5.
Offensive matchups During the 1984 season, Virginia Tech's rushing offense was led by running back Maurice Williams, who had 149 carries for 574 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season.Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. "Year-by-Year rushing leaders," 2008 Virginia Tech football Media Guide. (PDF p. 4) Hokiesports.com. Accessed August 23, 2008. Page 158. At quarterback, the Hokies featured Mark Cox, who completed 86 passes for 983 yards, five touchdowns, and eight interceptions during the season.Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. "Year-by-Year passing leaders," 2008 Virginia Tech football Media Guide. (PDF p. 6) Hokiesports.com. Accessed August 23, 2008. Page 160. Cox's favorite target was tight end Joe Jones, who caught 39 passes for 452 yards and one touchdown during the season.Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. "Year-by-Year receiving leaders," 2008 Virginia Tech football Media Guide. (PDF p. 7) Hokiesports.com. Accessed August 23, 2008. Page 161.
On the other side of the field, Air Force had the No. 2 rushing offense in the country during the 1984 regular season.Center, Bill. "Lesser bowls don't paint rosy picture," The San Diego Union. November 30, 1984. Page F1. Air Force fullback Pat Evans led the team with 159 carries for 1,015 rushing yards.Air Force Academy Athletic Communications Office. Statistics by Decade: The 1980s (PDF p. 11) Accessed August 21, 2008. Air Force quarterback Bart Weiss also was known more for his running than his passing. Weiss finished the regular season with just 41 completions for 668 yards and three touchdowns. He carried the ball 126 times for 540 yards and 10 touchdowns. Wide receiver Ken Carpenter benefited the most from the few passes that were thrown. He had 15 catches for 258 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season.
Defensive matchups On defense, the Falcons were led by Terry Maki, who had a total of 137 tackles, including assists. Dwan Wilson had five interceptions for the Falcons, and safety Scott Thomas had four. Altogether, the Falcons allowed an average of 148 rushing yards and 167 passing yards per game. In scoring defense, the Falcons allowed an average of just 21 points per game while averaging 44 points per game themselves.
Virginia Tech's defense, meanwhile, was No. 2 nationally in rushing defense and No. 3 in total defense.The Associated Press. "Air Force tops Va. Tech, 23–7," The New York Times. December 15, 1984. Page S8. During the 11 games of the regular season, Tech allowed an average of just 3.34 yards per play, the second-lowest total allowed in Tech football history.Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. "Team Defense: Total Defense: Yards per play," 2008 Virginia Tech football Media Guide. (PDF p. 13) Hokiesports.com. Accessed August 23, 2008. Page 167. The most important player on that defense was Tech lineman Bruce Smith, who accumulated 52 tackles and 16 sacks during the regular season.News Services. "Virginia Tech Tackle Smith Wins Outland Trophy for Linemen," The Washington Post. December 7, 1984. Page B3. On December 6, Smith received the Outland Trophy, an award given to the top interior defensive lineman as voted by American sportswriters.The Associated Press. "College Linemen Honored," The New York Times. December 7, 1984. Page D27. Among defensive backs, the Hokies were led by Ashley Lee, who caught seven interceptions during the season.Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. "Year-by-Year interception leaders," 2008 Virginia Tech football Media Guide. (PDF p. 9) Hokiesports.com. Accessed August 23, 2008. Page 163.
Bruce Smith controversy In the spring of 1983, Virginia Tech was placed on probation by the NCAA for violations stemming from illegal benefits given to players and potential recruits. The probation's main effect was to ban the players who received the benefits from participating in any postseason game following the 1984 season. Seven of the eight players involved in the scandal either left Virginia Tech or had the probation lifted as a result of appeals to the NCAA. The eighth, Bruce Smith, did not.Packett, John. "Tech's last bowl venture featured legal skirmishes," The Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 28, 1986. Page D9.
Because the names of the eight players had been kept secret, the general public was not informed that Bruce Smith, who had developed into one of the best defensive players in the country, would not be able to participate in the 1984 Independence Bowl. Only when Smith filed suit to force Virginia Tech and the NCAA to allow him to play in the game was the situation revealed. Dr. Cecil Lloyd, chairman of the Independence Bowl, announced at the time of the lawsuit that had he known about the restrictions on Smith, he likely would not have invited Tech to play in the game.