| 1984 Independence Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 15, 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Independence Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Shreveport, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Bart Weiss (QB, Air Force) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Virginia Tech by 3 points[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Joe Hicks (SEC) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 41,100 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Payout | US$800,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Howard David, Paul Maguire, Steve Grad | ||||||||||||||||||
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.[2]
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.