Who won the 1993 Independence Bowl?
1993 Independence Bowl
The 1993 Independence Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Indiana Hoosiers at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 31, 1993. The 18th edition of the Independence Bowl was the final contest of the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 45–20 victory for Virginia Tech. The game was the first bowl victory for Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer and began a record streak of 23 consecutive bowl appearances for Virginia Tech.
1997 Independence Bowl
Notre Dame could only muster two field goals in the first half, but they led 6-3 at halftime in a game clouded by rain. However Wade Richey and Abram Booty got the Tigers into the lead (on a field goal and touchdown reception, respectively) in the 3rd quarter. Trailing 13-6, Notre Dame could only muster one more field goal to narrow the lead as LSU scored twice on Rondell Mealey touchdown runs. Mealey had 34 carries for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns.
1984 Independence Bowl
Virginia Tech's loss and Air Force's win brought both teams to final 1984 records of 8–4. The loss left Virginia Tech winless in five bowl appearances to that date. The win was Air Force's third bowl victory in as many years, and the Falcons became the first team to repeat as Independence Bowl champions. The Hokies won their next bowl appearance, the 1986 Peach Bowl. Air Force appeared in a bowl the following year, against Texas.
2002 Independence Bowl
The 2002 Independence Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Ole Miss Rebels on December 27, 2002, at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. Ole Miss won the game 27–23; Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, who passed for 313 yards and a touchdown, was the offensive player of the game. After the loss, Nebraska finished the season 7–7, ending a forty-year streak of winning seasons for the Cornhuskers.
1994 Orange Bowl
Florida State had finished the season number 1 in the nation to claim their first national championship, just ahead of the only team to beat them in 1993: Notre Dame. Notre Dame had lost on a last second field goal to #15 Boston College in their last home game of the season, just a week after they defeated the Seminoles. Boston College's triumph opened the door for Florida State to challenge undefeated Nebraska for the national crown. The win was Bowden's first championship, and left Nebraska coach Tom Osborne still searching for his first.
1993 Commonwealth of Independent States Cup
The 1993 Commonwealth of Independent States Cup was the first edition of the competition between the champions of former republics of Soviet Union. It was won by Spartak Moscow who defeated Belarusian side Belarus Minsk in the final.
1990 Independence Bowl
Maryland and Louisiana Tech played to the only tie in Independence Bowl history as the Terrapins used a 14-6 fourth-quarter scoring advantage to tie. Tech running back Michael Richardson rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns to earn offensive outstanding player honors. Louisiana Tech linebacker Lorenza Baker of Haughton earned outstanding defensive player honors.
1992 Liberty Bowl
Dou Innocent gave the Rebels a 7-0 lead with 2:42 left in the first quarter. He finished the day with 65 yards on 17 carries. Brian Lee kicked two field goals from 24 and 29 yards out to make the final score 13-0 as Air Force was held to 185 yards of total offense. Russ Shows went 9-of-19 for 163 yards. Cassius Ware had 10 tackles and 2 sacks, in an MVP effort.
1993 Blockbuster Bowl
In the second half, after an Eric Abrams field goal, Stenstrom added another touchdown completion with a short pass to Milburn, who ran 40 yards for the score, to end the day with 210 passing yards and two touchdowns. On defense, the Cardinal held the Nittany Lions scoreless after the first quarter, and limited them to just 82 offensive yards in the second half. Cornerback Darrien Gordon was named the game's MVP after breaking up six passes, making seven tackles, and holding receiver McDuffie in check.
1993 Blockbuster Bowl
The 1993 Blockbuster Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Stanford Cardinal and the Penn State Nittany Lions played on January 1, 1993, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It was the third edition of the bowl game.
1989 Independence Bowl
The 1989 Independence Bowl was the final Independence Bowl without sponsorship. It featured the Oregon Ducks and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
1993 Independence Bowl
Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo was also a major part of the record-breaking Tech offense. DeShazo threw 22 touchdown passes during the regular season, setting what was then a school record. He completed 129 of 230 passes for 2,080 yards and seven interceptions in addition to the touchdown record. DeShazo's favorite target passing the ball was wide receiver Antonio Freeman, who set a Tech record with nine touchdown receptions during the regular season. Freeman caught 32 passes for 644 yards in addition to the touchdown mark.
1988 Liberty Bowl
The 1988 Liberty Bowl, part of the 1988 bowl game season, took place on December 28, 1988, at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The competing teams were the South Carolina Gamecocks, who competed as a I-A independent, and the Indiana Hoosiers of the Big Ten Conference (Big 10). In what was the first ever meeting between the schools, Indiana was victorious in by a final score of 34–10.
1993 Independence Bowl
The Hoosiers' defense had some success stopping Tech behind the line of scrimmage, accumulating seven tackles for loss during the course of the game. Indiana cornerback Mose Richardson had nine tackles and one interception, leading the Hoosiers in tackles, and teammate Chris Dyer came in second for IU with seven.
1989 Independence Bowl
Brett Adams gave Tulsa the lead with a touchdown run early in the game, but Oregon responded back with two long drives that culminated with a Musgrave touchdown pass and a field goal to take a 10–7 lead. Tulsa tied the game with two minutes remaining in the second quarter to make it 10–10. But as Oregon went to punt late in the first half, Herbert Harvey blocked the punt and Derrick Williams recovered it and ran 21 yards for a touchdown that gave Tulsa a 17-10 lead heading into halftime. Adams added his second touchdown run in the third quarter to make it 24–10 Tulsa. But Oregon would score twice in six minutes on Musgrave passing and rushing touchdowns to tie the game at 24 early in the fourth quarter. With just over three minutes to play, a Tulsa fumble recovery was overturned by the officials, which kept Oregon's drive alive. That drive culminated in a field goal to give the Ducks a 27-24 lead. That field goal would prove to be the game-winner, giving Oregon their first bowl win since 1963.
1993 Independence Bowl
Because Virginia Tech kicked off to Indiana to begin the game, Indiana kicked off to Virginia Tech to begin the second half. In response to the celebration following the 80-yard touchdown prior to halftime, Virginia Tech was assessed two 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Indiana kicked off from the Tech 40-yard line, and the ball was downed at the Virginia Tech 11-yard line. A false-start penalty against the Hokies didn't prevent them from gaining a first down on a pass from DeShazo to Swarm. Swarm picked up another first down on his own, advancing the ball to the Tech 38-yard line with a rush up the middle. Tech continued to advance the ball with Thomas, Swarm and DeShazo rushing the ball and picking up first downs. Now on the Indiana side of the field, DeShazo attempted a deep pass, but the ball was intercepted by Indiana cornerback Jason Orton.
Independence Bowl
The bowl has intermittently hosted ranked teams; the first (and to date, only) matchup between ranked opponents (per the AP Poll) was the 1993 edition between No. 22 Virginia Tech and No. 21 Indiana. The highest ranked team to appear was No. 15 LSU in the 1997 edition.
1984 Independence Bowl
Nine years after appearing in the 1984 Independence Bowl, Tech invited to participate in the 1993 game against Indiana. By that time, memories of the legal troubles that had surrounded the game were gone. Independence Bowl president Cecil Lloyd said of the controversy in 1993, "It was the best thing that ever could have happened to the Independence Bowl. ... It got us international publicity. It put us on the map."
Wide Right II
Miami once again used a hard-fought win over its rival as a springboard for a national championship run, winning its final seven regular season games and earning a berth in the 1993 Sugar Bowl as the nation's number one team in both the AP and Coaches' Polls. This time, however, the Hurricanes could not complete the perfect season, losing to the second-ranked and eventual national champion Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl 34-13, and finishing 11-1 and ranked third in the country.
1993 Pro Bowl
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1993 Las Vegas Bowl
The Aggies of the Big West Conference had won five straight games after starting the season 1–5 to win a share of the conference title with Southwestern Louisiana. This was their first bowl appearance since 1961. Ball State, of the Mid-American Conference ran the table and won their second conference title in four years, while riding into this bowl game with a four game winning streak.Quarterback Anthony Calvillo and running back Profail Grier led Utah State University to a 42–33 victory over Ball State University. Calvillo, a senior who finished the 1993 NCAA season ranked ninth nationally in total offense, completed 25 of 39 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Grier, a sophomore, rushed for 143 yards on 32 carries and ran for two touchdowns. The Aggies' offensive line played a pivotal role in the game by not allowing a quarterback sack, as the Utah State gained 429 total offensive yards in securing the victory.
Independence Bowl
Source:
Chris Thurmond
Moving to the college ranks, from 1983 to 1991, Thurmond coached cornerbacks and defensive backs at Tulsa. During this period, Tulsa had four different head coaches: John Cooper (1983–1984), Don Morton (1985–1986), George Henshaw (1987), and David Rader (1988–1991). Tulsa appeared in the 1989 Independence Bowl and won the 1991 Freedom Bowl. Thurmond then became the defensive backs coach at East Carolina from 1992 to 1993, Tulsa in 1994, TCU in 1995, Oklahoma from 1996 to 1997, and again at TCU from 1998 to 2000. In Thurmond's second stint at TCU, TCU won the 1998 Sun Bowl and 1999 Mobile Alabama Bowl and lost the 2000 Mobile Alabama Bowl.
1993 Independence Bowl
Indiana fielded Virginia Tech's post-touchdown kickoff and returned it to their 25-yard line. The Hoosiers attempted a long pass, but the throw fell incomplete and the quarter came to an end with the score still tied at 7–7.
List of Virginia Tech Hokies bowl games
The No. 22 Virginia Tech Hokies came into the 1993 Independence Bowl with an 8–3 regular-season record that included wins over Pittsburgh and Virginia. The bowl appearance was the first for head coach Frank Beamer, who had turned the team around after a 2–8–1 season the previous year. Facing the Hokies were the No. 21 Indiana Hoosiers, who were playing in their first bowl game since the 1991 Copper Bowl.
Caleb Miller
Miller was the Defensive MVP of the 2003 Independence Bowl after registering 16 tackles in the game. Arkansas finished the year at 9-4, and Miller was a 2nd team Southeastern Conference selection.
1993 Liberty Bowl
The 1993 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee on December 28, 1993 as part of the 1993–94 bowl season. The Louisville Cardinals accepted their invitation after their victory over the Navy Midshipmen. The Michigan State Spartans of the Big Ten Conference also accepted their invitation. The Louisville Cardinals defeated the Michigan State Spartans by a score of 18–7.
1996 Independence Bowl
The 1996 Independence Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana between the Army Cadets and the Auburn Tigers on December 31, 1996. The game was the final contest of the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 32–29 victory for Auburn, after Jay Parker's 27-yard field goal went wide right. 
"First Quarter"
1993 NAIA Division I football season
East Central defeated Glenville State in the Champion Bowl, 49–35, to win their first NAIA national title.
1995 Liberty Bowl
Although East Carolina did not reach the end zone on offense—they scored on four Chad Holcomb field goals and a Daren Hart interception return—that effort, combined with strong defense, was enough to defeat Stanford 19–13. The Cardinal scored the game's only offensive touchdown, and Kwame Ellis's return of a blocked punt for a second score contributed to his being named the game's MVP in a losing effort.
1994 Freedom Bowl
Utah finished second in the WAC after two losses to New Mexico and Air Force cost them the WAC title and knocked them from #12 to #21. Arizona used their "Desert Swarm" defense to win their first four games and were ranked #6 before a loss to eventual WAC champ Colorado State. They went 4–2 from that point, with losses to Oregon and USC costing them the Pacific-10 Conference title and a shot at the Rose Bowl. Both teams were in their third straight bowl game.
1991 Independence Bowl
The 1991 Independence Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia defeated Arkansas, 24–15.
1993 Blockbuster Bowl
The legendary status of both head coaches was the pregame focus—Penn State's Joe Paterno was attempting to get his 15th bowl game win, and Stanford's Bill Walsh had won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers—but the game itself was dominated by Stanford, which scored on its first possession and led the entire game, winning 24–3.
1993 Independence Bowl
Virginia Tech's turnaround from a 2–8–1 season in 1992 was the largest single-season turnaround in school history and was the second-best in the country that year. Tech hoped to improve upon a 1–4 all-time record in bowl games, while Indiana hoped to do likewise for its 3–4 historical bowl-game record. In the week prior to the game, bad weather in Virginia caused travel delays that prevented many fans and the Virginia Tech marching band from arriving at the game early. Two days prior to the Independence Bowl, Tech was shocked by the death of Dr. Richard Bullock, who served as the team's physician from 1971 to 1988. Bullock designed a special football neck protector worn by players during the 1980s and 1990s before being phased out in favor of more advanced padding.
Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1993 season. The Cowboys defeated the Bills by the score of 30–13, winning their fourth Super Bowl in team history, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers for most Super Bowl wins. The game was played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. Since the 1993 regular season was conducted over 18 weeks (two byes per team), the traditional bye week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl was not employed; the last time this happened was before Super Bowl XXV.
1984 Independence Bowl
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, 1984. The game was the final contest of the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 23–7 victory for the Air Force Academy.
1995 Independence Bowl
Muhsin Muhammad gave the Spartans the lead after catching a touchdown pass from Tony Banks in the first quarter. LSU tied the game on a touchdown run before the quarter ended. Michigan State took the lead again on a Greene touchdown run. A kickoff return for a touchdown by the Spartans along with a field goal by Gardner made it 24-7. Eddie Kennison, however, would give the Tigers life. A 92-yard kickoff return narrowed the lead to 10, and Kevin Faulk's 51 yard touchdown run made the halftime deficit 24-21. The second half was all LSU as Faulk ran for a second touchdown, Gabe Northern recovered a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown, and Kennison caught a touchdown pass from Herb Tyler to give LSU a 42-24 lead by the time the fourth quarter started. The final period had only a LSU field goal and a Spartan safety as the Spartans' six turnovers and limited success with rushing doomed them as LSU won their first Independence Bowl. MVP Kevin Faulk had 234 yards on 25 carries for an average of 9.5 yards. Both the yards and yards per carry are Independence Bowl records.
History of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
The Irish would enjoy another successful season in 1993, finishing the season at 11–1. After scoring 27 points in wins over Northwestern and #2 Michigan to start the season, the Irish defeated Michigan State, Purdue, Pittsburgh, BYU, USC, Navy and #1 Florida State. However, a loss to #12 Boston College on a game-winning field goal as time expired by a score of 41–39 ended the Irish's national championship aspirations. The Irish would face a rematch with #6 Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl to finish the season, a game the Irish won by a score of 24–21.
1993 Independence Bowl
Indiana was coached by Bill Mallory, who would go on to accumulate the winningest record in IU football history. The Indiana Hoosiers football team ended the 1992 college football season with a record of 5–6, and prior to the 1993 season was picked to finish no better than eighth in the 11-team Big Ten conference during the regular season. From the start, however, Indiana set out to upset those expectations. Indiana raced out to a 3–0 record in the first three games of the season, with the third win coming against Southeastern Conference opponent Kentucky.
1992 Independence Bowl
The 1992 Independence Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Oregon Ducks.
1993 Independence Bowl
Virginia Tech's defense allowed a Big East-worst 2,761 passing yards and permitted an average of 388 total yards per game, fifth-worst in the conference. Linebacker Ken Brown had the most tackles of any Tech defender, accumulating 113 during the course of the regular season. Two Tech players tied for the most interceptions on the team. Torrian Gray and Antonio Banks each had three interceptions during the regular season.
1993 Pro Bowl
Nick Lowery's 33-yard field goal 4:09 into the extra period gave the AFC a 23–20 victory in the annual pro football all star game. The AFC won despite being dominated by the NFC in first downs 30–9, and in total yards gained 471–114. The AFC was able to capitalize on 6 forced turnovers, two blocked field goals (one of which was returned for a touchdown), and an interception that was taken back for six points. Special teams ace Steve Tasker of the AFC Champion Buffalo Bills was named the player of the game for making four tackles, forcing a fumble and blocking a field goal. His block came at a crucial point with just 8 minutes left and the game tied at 13. Los Angeles Raiders Terry McDaniel scooped up the ball and raced 28 yards to give the AFC a 20–13 lead. The NFC however rallied behind San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young, whose fourth down 23-yard touchdown pass to New York Giants running back Rodney Hampton tied the game with just 10 seconds left. Steve Young was 18 of 32 passes for 196 yards but was also sacked 3 times and lost a fumble in overtime. Howie Long of the Raiders fell on the ball setting up the game-winning field goal.
1992 Independence Bowl
Dooley retired after the bowl win, and the Demon Deacons would not return to a bowl game until 1999. As for Oregon, they returned to a bowl game three years later, in the Rose Bowl. Neither team has returned to the Independence Bowl since this game.
1990 Liberty Bowl
The 1990 Liberty Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on December 27, 1990 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The game matched the Air Force Falcons against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Air Force won the game by a score of 23–11.
1990 Liberty Bowl
Despite outweighing their defense, Ohio State could not get the run going, as Robert Smith only had 62 rushing yards and one touchdown. Ohio State quarterback Greg Frey went 10 for 27 for 110 yards, but also threw an interception before being replaced by Kent Graham late. Ohio State had a 5-0 lead in the first due to recovering a muffed punt in the end zone for a safety and later converting a field goal. But Perez gave the Falcons the lead with 3:42 in the half on a touchdown sneak, entering halftime with a 6-5 lead. Perez added in another touchdown run to make it 13-5 in the third quarter. Ohio State narrowed the lead to 13-11 as they went for two to tie. But Graham's pass was too high to his receiver, keeping the deficit at 2. The Falcons added a field goal after a bad punt to make it 16-11. While driving to try to take the lead, Frey's pass was intercepted and returned 40 yards by Carlton McDonald (his second of the day), clinching the win for Air Force, their first bowl win since the 1985 Bluebonnet Bowl. Rob Perez only threw 1 for 3 passes (a Liberty Bowl record for least amount of pass completions) for 11 yards and an interception, but he also rushed for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns for Air Force.
1988 Independence Bowl
The 1988 Independence Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the UTEP Miners.
1993 Louisville Cardinals football team
The 1993 Louisville Cardinals football team represented the University of Louisville in the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team played their home games in Cardinal Stadium and were Liberty Bowl champions.
2013 Liberty Bowl
The 2013 Liberty Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 31, 2013 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The 55th edition of the Liberty Bowl, it featured the Mississippi State Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference and the Rice Owls, the champions of Conference USA. It began at 3:00 p.m. CST and aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. Sponsored by automobile parts and accessories store AutoZone, it was officially known as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Mississippi State defeated Rice by a score of 44–7.
1983 Independence Bowl
In a rain drenched game, the Falcons led 6-0 on two field goals by Sean Pavlich from 44 and 39 yards out. Ole Miss halved the lead on 39 yarder from Neil Teevan in the 3rd, but Pavlich's 27 yarder in the same quarter proved to be the last score of the game. Marty Louthan went 6-of-7 for 71 yards, and Buford McGee rushed 22 times for 111 yards for the Falcons. In a losing effort, Mike Brown ran for 91 yards on 12 carries. Kelly Powell threw 11-of-27 for 138 yards, with 2 interceptions.
1993 Cleveland Indians season
All-Star Game
1986 Peach Bowl
Virginia Tech's win brought it to a final 1986 record of 9–2–1, later modified to 10–1–1 two years later after a Temple forfeit, while NC State's loss took it to a final record of 8–3–1. The victory was Virginia Tech's first bowl win in school history and was the team's only such win until 1993, when Tech defeated Indiana University in the 1993 Independence Bowl.
1994 Liberty Bowl
The 1994 Liberty Bowl was held on December 31, 1994, in Memphis, Tennessee at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The game featured the Illinois Fighting Illini, of the Big Ten Conference, and the East Carolina Pirates, an independent team. Illinois won the game 30–0.
1993 Memorial Cup
Tie-breaker
1993 Independence Bowl
The block of Bill Manolopolous' 51-yard field goal attempt by Tech defensive lineman Jeff Holland prior to halftime was the 36th blocked kick in Frank Beamer's seven years as Tech head coach. The 80-yard touchdown return of the blocked kick by Antonio Banks was the first such touchdown in Virginia Tech history.
1994 Independence Bowl
The 1994 Independence Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Virginia Cavaliers.
Louisville Cardinals football
Schnellenberger also took Louisville to the Liberty Bowl in 1993, where it defeated Michigan State. 1993 would become a reflection of what the coach was trying to build by scheduling Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Arizona St., Pittsburgh and West Virginia. With Louisville announcing that it would give up independent status and join Conference USA, a weak football conference, Schnellenberger left for Oklahoma after the 1994 season. While he never won a national title at Louisville, he did succeed in reviving a program that had been on life support when he arrived. For that reason, even though he had a losing overall record of 54–56–2 in 10 seasons (largely because his first three teams only won eight games total), he remains very much in the good graces of Cardinal fans.
1987 Liberty Bowl
The two teams met once more, in the 1991 Independence Bowl, before the Razorbacks joined the SEC in 1992.
1993 Independence Bowl
Following the turnover, Indiana's offense began work at its 32-yard line. Despite the opportunity presented by the interception, the Hoosiers were unable to gain a first down and punted back to Virginia Tech. Tech's Steve Sanders returned the kick to the Tech 27-yard line, and Tech's offense returned to the field. The Hokie offense was no more successful than Indiana's had been, and Tech punted after going three and out. Following the kick and a short return, the Hoosiers began work at their 41-yard line. After being stopped for no gain on two consecutive plays, Paci completed a long pass to Tech's 40-yard line for the Hoosiers' first first down of the second half. Indiana continued advancing the ball via short passes, but came up one yard short of a first down. Instead of punting on fourth down, Indiana attempted to gain the first down via a rush up the middle. Tech's defense held fast, and Indiana turned the ball over after failing to gain the needed yard.
Virginia Tech–West Virginia football rivalry
West Virginia handed the Hokies payback for the '91 contest in 1993, when they again ended the season undefeated. The Mountaineers pulled out a 14–13 win, despite five turnovers and a late Virginia Tech field goal attempt (which sailed wide right). Head coach Frank Beamer, on the hot seat, saved his job by leading the Hokies to the Independence Bowl. The 1994 game was the first to be televised by ESPN. The game was a 34–6 win for the No. 14-ranked Hokies and began a winning span of three years by a combined score of 92–20.
1993 Boston College Eagles football team
After opening the year with two consecutive losses, Boston College went on an eight-game win streak, the last of which was a monumental upset over rival Notre Dame. Notre Dame had been the favorites to win the national title after beating Florida State the week prior, but their title hopes were dashed by Boston College when Eagles kicker David Gordon hit a 41-yard field goal as time expired to win 41–39. After losing to eventual Big East champions West Virginia in the final game of the regular season, they were invited to the 1994 Carquest Bowl, where they defeated Virginia, 31–13.
1987 Independence Bowl
In their thirteenth season under head coach Don James, the Huskies tied for third in the Pac-10. This was their tenth bowl game under James and ninth consecutive. Brown left after this game for North Carolina; Tulane's next bowl appearance was in 1998 the Liberty Bowl, where they capped off a perfect season with a win over BYU. In 1989, Washington beat Florida 34–7 in the Freedom Bowl, limiting Emmitt Smith to just 17 yards rushing.
1991 Freedom Bowl
The Hurricane went into a slump from that point on, going 26–57–1 under Rader in the eight years after the game before being fired, in contrast to his 26–26 record before this game. The Freedom Bowl would play three more games before disbanding after 1994.
Danny O'Neil
O'Neil was named first team all-conference as a senior, leading the Ducks to three pivotal come-from-behind victories; defeating #9 Washington, #11 Arizona, and archrival Oregon State in order to win the Pac-10 Conference championship. He passed for 8,301 yards and 62 touchdowns in his career at Oregon and also led the Ducks to the 1992 Independence Bowl.
1995 Independence Bowl
The 1995 Independence Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the LSU Tigers and the Michigan State Spartans.
1993 Independence Bowl
The 1993 Independence Bowl kicked off at 12:30 p.m. EST on December 31 amid sunny skies and temperatures. Indiana took an early 7–0 lead, but Virginia Tech responded, taking a 14–7 lead with two touchdowns—one late in the first quarter, and the other early in the second. Indiana closed the gap to 14–13 with two field goals in the second. In the final 23 seconds of the first half, however, Virginia Tech scored an additional 14 points. Tech's defense recovered and returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown, then blocked a 51-yard field goal attempt and returned the ball 80 yards for the first blocked-kick touchdown in Virginia Tech history. After a scoreless third quarter, Virginia Tech scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to secure an insurmountable lead. Indiana scored one more touchdown and brought the game's final score to 45–20.
1980 Independence Bowl
Winston Walker gave the Golden Eagles a 3-0 lead on his 36-yard field goal. Cleom Terrell made it 10-0 on his 14-yard run for a touchdown. The Cowboys responded in the next two quarters with a Buford Jordan touchdown run and a Stephan Starring touchdown run to give them a 14-10 lead going into the final quarter. Mike Woodard gave Southern Miss the go-ahead lead on his one-yard touchdown plunge as the Golden Eagles held on to win. Despite outgaining Southern Miss on yards, the Cowboys' four turnovers (compared to Southern Miss' two) doomed the team. In a MVP (but losing) effort, Stephen Starring threw 6-of-12 for 129 yards and ran for 82 yards on 23 carries for McNeese State.
Antonio Banks (American football)
Banks played college football at Virginia Tech where he was a letterman for all four years between 1993-1997 and was MVP of the 1993 Independence Bowl. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft 113th overall by the Minnesota Vikings where he played for four seasons. Banks also had several stints with multiple teams in NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League in his professional career.
1993 Pro Bowl
The 1993 Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 1992 season. The game was played on February 7, 1993, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC — 23, NFC — 20. Steve Tasker of the Buffalo Bills was the game's MVP. This was the first Pro Bowl to go into overtime. All four starting linebackers of the New Orleans Saints, who were collectively nicknamed the Dome Patrol, were part of the NFC squad. The Dome Patrol consisted of Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Vaughan Johnson, and Pat Swilling. The game's referee was Howard Roe.
1993 Independence Bowl
Following a touchback, Indiana's offense started from its 20-yard line. The Hoosiers picked up a first down with two short rushes, then Dittoe completed a first-down pass to Lewis and advanced the ball into Tech territory. On his second play in Tech territory, Dittoe completed a long pass to Lewis for Indiana's first touchdown of the second half. The score cut Virginia Tech's lead to 45–20, but with only 4:26 remaining in the game, the odds were long against Indiana challenging Tech's lead in a serious fashion. The Hoosier kickoff went out of bounds, and the Hokie offense began a drive from its 35-yard line. Virginia Tech began running out the clock, executing rushing plays and staying in bounds to maximize the amount of time run off the game clock. Tech was unable to get a first down, and the Hokie punt was returned to the Indiana 29-yard line. Indiana was stopped on three consecutive plays and appeared to be punting the ball. As they had earlier in the game, however, the Hoosiers executed a trick play, snapping the ball to linebacker Alfonzo Thurman instead of the punter. Thurman ran forward for 37 yards—the Hoosiers' longest run of the game—and a first down. Despite the gain and a 15-yard pass interference penalty against Tech, Indiana was unable to score. Time ran out in the fourth quarter, and Virginia Tech earned the 45–20 victory.
1993 Fiesta Bowl
The 1993 IBM OS/2 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 1993, was the 22nd edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the Colorado Buffaloes and the Syracuse Orangemen.
1993 Independence Bowl
Indiana's first play on the new drive was stopped for a loss, and the Hoosiers were forced to punt after a short gain was nullified by a Paci sack on third down. The kick was a short one, and Tech began its second drive from IU's 49-yard line. The first play was stopped for no gain, DeShazo threw two incomplete passes, and Virginia Tech punted after going three and out. Indiana recovered the ball at its 23-yard line, where their offense began work. A five-yard false start penalty against the Hoosiers pushed them back, and Indiana was stopped for little gain on the first two plays of its drive. On the third play, however, Paci connected on a 75-yard pass to Thomas Lewis, who ran into the end zone for a touchdown and the game's first points. Following the extra point kick, Indiana had a 7–0 lead with 5:36 remaining in the first quarter.
Independence Bowl
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1990 Freedom Bowl
Despite outgaining the Rams by nearly 100 yards, Oregon fell short, with their three fumbles and limited rushing attack not helping their cause. Mike Gimenez ran in for a touchdown midway through the first quarter to give the Rams a 7–0 lead. Anthony Jones caught a touchdown pass from Bill Musgrave to tie the game back up as the first quarter ended soon after. Gregg McCallum gave Oregon a lead on his 23-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but Tony Alford responded nearly four minutes later on a touchdown run. With :23 remaining in the half, Sean Burwell caught a touchdown pass from Musgrave to give Oregon a 17–14 halftime lead. The third quarter proved crucial as the Rams scored five points despite only gaining five yards and no first downs the whole quarter. It started on a muffed punt attempt that was recovered by Oregon in the end zone, resulting in a safety. Mike Brown kicked a field goal late in the third quarter to give the Rams a 19–17 lead as the fourth quarter began not long after. Michael McClellan caught a touchdown pass from Musgrave early in the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion succeeded after Burwell's catch to make it 25–19. Greg Primus caught a 49-yard touchdown pass from Gimenez to give the Rams the lead again. Todd Yert added on to the margin on his 52-yard touchdown run with 4:59 remaining. But Brown's extra point kick was blocked, keeping the score 32–25. The Ducks went on a 79-yard drive with the help of third-down completions of 31 and 21 yards to Joe Reitzug. With 61 seconds remaining, Sean Burwell ran in for a touchdown to narrow the score to 32–31. They decided to go for the win on the two point conversion attempt. Musgrave threw to McClellan, but he fell short of the endzone, as the Rams held on to win the game. Musgrave went 29 for 47 on 392 yards with three touchdowns. McClellan caught 9 of those passes for 148 yards. Yert rushed for 94 yards on 12 carries for the Rams. This was the first ever bowl victory for the Rams.
1979 Independence Bowl
Gary Anderson gave the Orangemen a 3-0 lead on his 40-yard kick in the second quarter that proved to be the halftime lead. Ken Mandeville made it 10-0 on his 1-yard run. McNeese State retaliated with a Chad Millet touchdown run to make it 10-7 going into the fourth quarter. A 15 play, 73 yard drive culminated with a Art Monk touchdown catch from Bill Hurley. Hurley added in a touchdown run to make it 24-7. Tom Matichak made it 31-7 on a touchdown run of his own to seal off the scoring and give the Orangement the win. Joe Morris ran for 155 yards on 33 carries for Syracuse in their first bowl win since 1961.
1993 Holiday Bowl
In the third quarter, Raymont Harris scored his third rushing touchdown of the game, a 1 yarder, to give Ohio State a 28–21 lead. In the fourth quarter, John Walsh threw a 52-yard pass to Eric Drage, giving BYU the ball at the Ohio State 6-yard line with 32 seconds left. On 1st and 2nd down, Walsh threw two incomplete passes, making it 3rd down. Walsh then found a wide open Tim Nowatzke, but he dropped it. He was wide open again on 4th down, but Walsh underthrew him, giving Ohio State the win.
1993 Independence Bowl
Indiana's offense outgained the Hokies through the air and finished with 276 passing yards, its second-highest total that season. Starting quarterback John Paci completed 10 of 22 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, while backup quarterback completed 7 of 14 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Both players' favorite target was Thomas Lewis, who finished the game leading all receivers with six catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the Hoosiers were led by linebacker Alfonzo Thurman, who, although a defensive player, ran for 37 yards on a fake punt.
1993 Independence Bowl
Paci's favorite passing target was wide receiver Thomas Lewis, who completed the regular season having caught 55 passes for 1,058 yards and seven touchdowns. Lewis' 1,058 receiving yards were the second most ever accumulated by an Indiana player, and his 285 receiving yards in the Hoosiers' game against Penn State were the most in a single game by an Indiana player in school history. On the ground, Indiana's offense was led by running back Jermaine Chaney, who finished the regular season with 186 carries for 716 yards and six touchdowns.
1992 Freedom Bowl
The 1992 Freedom Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the USC Trojans of the Pacific-10 Conference and the Fresno State Bulldogs of the Western Athletic Conference. It is widely considered the biggest win in Fresno State football history. Fresno State, led by future Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer fell to an early deficit with a USC touchdown. The Bulldogs quickly responded with a Lorenzo Neal touchdown and a Derek Mahoney field goal in the second quarter. in the second half, two more bulldog touchdowns sealed a victory for Fresno State. The Bulldogs had 241 rushing yards, 164 passing yards, 24 first downs, and over 15 minutes of possession time more than USC. The Trojans had 88 rushing yards, 95 passing yards, and only 14 first downs.
1993 Independence Bowl
Indiana's defense also held fast on the next possession, and Tech was unable to gain a first down following the turnover. Tech's punt was returned to the Indiana 38-yard line, where the Hoosier offense returned to the field. At first, the Hoosiers were successful moving the ball as they picked up a first down in Tech territory via a pass from Paci. The success was short-lived, however, as the Hoosiers were unable to gain a first down once on the Tech side of the field and had to punt. Sanders returned the kick to the Tech 21-yard line, where Tech began its third possession of the second half. Tech picked up a first down via two DeShazo passes, but couldn't gain another. Tech's punt was downed at the Indiana 20-yard line, and Indiana's offense began work with 3:02 remaining in the quarter.
2001 Independence Bowl
The 2001 MainStay Independence Bowl, part of the 2001–02 bowl game season, took place on December 27, 2001, at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and the Iowa State Cyclones of the Big 12 Conference (Big 12). Alabama won the game, 14–13 in what was the first all-time game between the programs. It was also the first bowl game for Dennis Franchione at Alabama and the second bowl game for Dan McCarney at Iowa State.
1993 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
Alabama entered the season as the defending national champion, following their victory in the 1993 Sugar Bowl, and ranked #2 in the AP Poll, behind Florida State.
1993 Cotton Bowl Classic
In the second half, Texas A&M recovered a fumble by Brooks at their own 4-yard line. Two plays later, Texas A&M quarterback Corey Pullig fumbled the ball and Notre Dame recovered. The Aggies scored their only points on a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Fighting Irish won the game by a score of 28–3.
2003 Independence Bowl
The Tigers opened the game with a 7–3 lead after the first quarter, but Arkansas rallied back, scoring 18 unanswered points to take a 21–7 lead into halftime. Mizzou cut the Hogs lead to 21–14 with a third quarter touchdown. But Arkansas answered with two field goals, one in the third and one in the fourth, to seal the victory for the Razorbacks. The Hogs outdueled the Tigers in every facet of the game, to include a blocked punt against Missouri in the second half. 
Arkansas running back Cedric Cobbs was named the game's Offensive MVP, rushing for 141 yards and a touchdown. The game's Defensive MVP was Razorback linebacker Caleb Miller, who finished the game with 14 tackles and an interception.
1994 Independence Bowl
TCU were co-champions of the Southwest Conference with four other teams, due to Texas A&M being ineligible for the conference title due to sanctions. This was TCU's first conference championship in 35 years. This was also TCU's first bowl appearance in 10 years. Virginia was third in the Atlantic Coast Conference and in a bowl game for the second time in the calendar year of 1994. After a loss to #4 Florida State in their first game, they won six straight games, jumping up to #13 before losing to Duke. They went 2-1 after that, with a loss to NC State making them fall from #13 to #18.
1993 Kansas City Chiefs season
The season marked the first for new quarterback Joe Montana, who was acquired through a trade with the San Francisco 49ers and running back Marcus Allen from the Los Angeles Raiders, both winners of five Super Bowl championships combined. This would be the last time until 2018 that the Chiefs would appear in the AFC Championship game or win a home playoff game.
1980 Independence Bowl
McNeese State did not win another conference title until 1991, but by this point the conference had dropped below Division 1-A (now FBS). This remains their final bowl game. Southern Miss returned to the Independence Bowl in 1988.
1993 Independence Bowl
Indiana received the Virginia Tech kickoff in the end zone for a touchback and began the first drive of the game at their 20-yard line. On the first play of the game, Indiana rushed up the middle for a six-yard gain. After Paci threw an incomplete pass, he attempted to scramble for the first down but was tackled one yard short. Indiana punted the ball, and after a block-in-the-back penalty against Virginia Tech, the Hokies began their first possession at their 15-yard line. After a five-yard false start penalty on Tech's first play, Hokie running back Dwayne Thomas rushed the ball for a 10-yard gain, making up twice the yardage lost to the penalty. Tech's second play was another rush by Thomas, who ran to the Tech 27-yard line for the game's first first down. Once there, DeShazo completed two consecutive passes, pushing Tech to their 45-yard line. Tech was able to continue the advance across midfield and into Indiana territory, but the Hoosiers' defense stiffened and denied Tech another first down. After a Hokie punt, Indiana began its second offensive drive at its 15-yard line.
1991 Independence Bowl
Arkansas and Georgia met in the 1969 Sugar Bowl, with Arkansas taking a 16–2 decision, and the 1976 Cotton Bowl Classic, which Arkansas won 31–10. Georgia's head coach Ray Goff played quarterback in the 1976 Cotton Bowl loss to Arkansas.
1999 Independence Bowl
Ole Miss took a 21-3 halftime lad on two touchdown passes from Romaro Miller (who went 12-of-17 for 158 yards in the first half, a contrast to his 6-of-11 in the second half) and a Deuce McAllister touchdown run of 80 yards. Oklahoma cut the lead in the third quarter on two touchdown passes from Josh Heupel to make it 21-18 going into the final quarter. Binkley made it 24-18 on a field goal with 11 minutes remaining. Oklahoma however scored on a Heupel touchdown pass to Quenton Griffin to make it 25-24 with 2:17 remaining. But the Rebels had one last drive in them, and Les Binkley's 39 yard field goal won the game for the Rebels as the clock expired, giving Ole Miss their fourth straight bowl win. Oklahoma set the record for most passing yards in an Independence Bowl with 390 yards, as Heupel was named co-MVP, along with Tim Strickland, who had an interception for Ole Miss. McAllister went for 121 yards on 17 carries and 55 yards on 3 catches. In losing efforts, Quenton Griffin rushed for 86 yards on 12 carries and had 8 catches for 65 yards while Brandon Daniels caught six passes for 109 yards.
1997 Independence Bowl
The Tigers and Fighting Irish have met in three subsequent bowls; LSU won the 2007 Sugar Bowl and Notre Dame the 2014 Music City Bowl and 2018 Citrus Bowl.
1993 Peach Bowl (January)
The 1993 Peach Bowl, part of the 1992 bowl game season, featured the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. It was the first Peach Bowl played at the Georgia Dome after 20 years at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium.
1993 Sugar Bowl
Though Miami were favorites to claim the victory, Alabama's defense held the Hurricanes to just 13 points, while intercepting Torretta three times, en route to a 34–13 victory to claim their 12th National Championship. Alabama rushed for 267 yards—67 more yards than the Hurricanes had allowed all season. At one point, the Tide lined up all eleven players up to the line of scrimmage, confusing Torretta, which led to an interception returned for a touchdown.
Alex Molden
Molden played college football at the University of Oregon and was on the team that reached the 1995 Rose Bowl. He was redshirted in 1991. In 1992 he had 55 tackles, four interceptions, and 19 passes broken up. He suffered a devastating knee injury in the Independence Bowl, and tore his anterior cruciate, medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments. He came back after a nine-month rehabilitation to start nine games in 1993. He was selected as an All-Pacific 10 cornerback in 1994, and was an All-Pacific 10/Football Coaches Association All-American and Associated Press second-team All-American in 1995.
1993 Independence Bowl
Indiana's offense averaged 21.6 points and 320 total yards per game during the regular season, good enough for ninth in the Big Ten. As a whole, the Hoosiers accumulated 3,818 yards of offense before the Independence Bowl. 2,156 yards of this total were passing yards and came through the air, while the remaining 1,662 yards were gained by Indiana's running backs and fullbacks on the ground.
1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
Ara Parseghian's second national title team was led by its relentless rushing attack. Fullback Wayne Bullock (750 yards), halfback Art Best (700 yards), halfback Eric Penick (586 yards) and quarterback Tom Clements (360 yards) comprised one of the fastest Irish backfields, with Peneck and Best clocking in under 10 seconds in the 100-yard dash. The Irish started the season strong, amassing large margins of victory over Northwestern, Rice and Army to set up a highly anticipated contest with No. 6 and unbeaten USC. USC came into the contest riding a 23 game unbeaten streak, and USC's star tailback Anthony Davis ran over the Irish the previous year for 6 touchdowns in a 45-23 Trojan victory. Moreover, Parseghian had not outright beaten USC since 1966. The Irish defense responded to the challenge, limiting Davis to 55 yards on 19 carries. The star tailback of the day was Notre Dame's Penick, who ran for 118 yards, 50 more than the entire Trojan team. The Irish won the contest 23-14 and won its remaining games. After Notre Dame accepted the Sugar Bowl bid, the stage was set to determine the national championship. Alabama was awarded the UPI title before the bowl season, but it was Notre Dame that won it on the field, winning 24-23 in a thriller that had six lead changes. Notre Dame jumped to a 6-0 lead, but Alabama answered with a Randy Billingsley 6-yard touchdown run. Al Hunter then scored on a 93-yard kickoff return, and Clements completed a two-point conversion pass to Pete Demmerle to give the Irish a 14-7 (which would turn out to be the widest margin in the game). Alabama scored a field goal to close the halftime deficit to 14-10, and then went on a 93-yard touchdown march in the third quarter to regain the lead. Notre Dame answered with a 12-yard touchdown run by Eric Penick to go back in front, 21-17. In the fourth quarter, three turnovers occurred in 90 seconds, with Alabama coming out on top and capitalizing on a halfback pass from Mike Stock to quarterback Richard Todd for a 25-yard touchdown to take a slim 23-21 lead, but the Tide missed the crucial extra point. Notre Dame responded, with Tom Clements driving the Irish 79 yards in 11 plays and setting up a potential field goal on a clutch 15-yard pass to tight end Dave Casper. Irish kicker Bob Thomas kicked a field goal to give the Irish a slim 24-23 victory and the AP national title.
1993 Holiday Bowl
The 1993 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 30, 1993, in San Diego, California. It was part of the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the tenth ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, and the unranked BYU Cougars. It was famous for coach John Cooper's famous bowl win guarantee, which he came through on.Ohio State got on the board first after defender Tim Patillo recovered a blocked punt, and ran it in four yards for a touchdown, putting Ohio State up 7–0. BYU quarterback John Walsh threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to running back Jamal Willis tying the game at 7. Ohio State running back senior Raymont Harris scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to cap the first quarter scoring, and give Ohio State a 14–7 lead. He would finish with a Holiday Bowl record 235 yards rushing on 39 carries.
1993 Pro Bowl
Steve Young – SF 
Troy Aikman – DAL 
Brett Favre – GB
RB 
Rodney Hampton – NYG
Barry Sanders – DET
Emmitt Smith – DAL
Ricky Watters – SF
WR 
Fred Barnett – PHI
Michael Irvin – DAL
Jerry Rice – SF
Andre Rison – ATL
Sterling Sharpe – GB
TE 
Brent Jones – SF
Jay Novacek – DAL
OL
1996 Independence Bowl
"Third Quarter"
Independence Bowl
One of the most memorable games in Independence Bowl history was the 2000 edition, the "snow bowl" game between Texas A&M and Mississippi State. The game was originally publicized as a reunion game, since Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill had served as A&M's coach for seven seasons in the 1980s and led them to three conference titles. However, the weather quickly dominated the storyline as a rare and significant snowstorm hit Shreveport. In the midst of the snow, Mississippi State rallied to an overtime win over A&M.
History of Alabama Crimson Tide football
In just his third season as head coach, Alabama was unbeaten in the regular season, and recorded three shutout victories en route to the inaugural SEC Championship Game. Alabama avoided an upset with a late interception by Antonio Langham, who returned it for a touchdown to secure a 28–21 victory over the Florida Gators. With the victory and SEC Championship, Alabama was invited to the 1993 Sugar Bowl to face the unbeaten Miami Hurricanes, who entered with a 29-game winning streak and that year's Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Gino Torretta. Despite Miami being favored by 8 points, Crimson Tide routed the Hurricanes 34–13 and finished a perfect 13–0. The victory earned Alabama its 12th national championship—the first since the Bryant era.
2005 Independence Bowl
The 2005 Independence Bowl, the 30th in the history of the College Football bowl game, saw the Missouri Tigers of the Big 12 overcome a 21-0 deficit late in the first quarter to defeat the SEC's South Carolina Gamecocks, 38-31 in the 30th edition of the bowl game. Quarterback Brad Smith and cornerback Marcus King, both of Missouri, were named the offensive and defensive players of the game.