1993 Independence Bowl The 1993 Independence Bowl was a post - season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the 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 20 consecutive bowl appearances for Virginia Tech . 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 touchdown s — 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 . The game paid $ 700 , 000 to each team in exchange for their participation . The official attendance for the game was 33 , 819 . Maurice DeShazo of Virginia Tech was named the game ' s offensive most valuable player ( MVP ) , while Antonio Banks , also of Virginia Tech , was named the game ' s defensive MVP . Several Independence Bowl records were set during the game , some of which still stand . Indiana ' s Thomas Lewis returned eight punts in the game and earned 177 receiving yards , including the third - longest pass in Independence Bowl History — a 75 - yard reception from quarterback John Paci . Hokie Kicker Ryan Williams set the record for the most extra points in an Independence Bowl game with six , a mark that was tied during the 1995 Independence Bowl . Team selection . Indiana . 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 . In the fourth week of the season , however , Indiana suffered its first loss : a 27 – 15 conference defeat at the hands of No . 22 Wisconsin . The Hoosiers recovered from the setback , however , and won their next four games — all of which were against Big Ten opponents . The fourth of those victories came against the Michigan State Spartans , who had replaced Wisconsin at the No . 22 spot in the country . Indiana held the Spartans scoreless in a tough defensive battle , earning a 10 – 0 victory . With a 7 – 1 record , Indiana appeared to be in position to compete for the Big Ten championship , but consecutive losses to highly ranked Penn State and Ohio State put an end to any thoughts of a championship . The Hoosiers ended the season with a 24 – 17 win over traditional rival Purdue and accepted a bid to the Independence Bowl . Virginia Tech . The Virginia Tech Hokies football team ended the 1992 college football season with a record of 2 – 8 – 1 . Some Tech fans called for Tech head coach Frank Beamer ' s firing after the worst Tech football season since 1987 , but Tech athletic director Dave Braine refused to do so . After a shakeup that saw several assistant coaches replaced and new defensive and offensive formations implemented , Tech players and coaches promised a " complete turnaround " for the 1993 season . In the first two games of the season , Tech followed through on that promise , winning 33 – 16 and 63 – 21 against and Pittsburgh , respectively . A loss to No . 3 Miami followed , but a victory over Maryland in the game that followed gave Tech a 3 – 1 record , already better than its 1992 win total . After a close loss at No . 14 West Virginia that was determined by a missed last - second field goal by Tech placekicker Ryan Williams , the Hokies won five of their last six regular - season games . These wins included victories over Big East opponent and No . 23 , Tech ' s traditional rival . With an 8 – 3 regular - season record and ranked No . 22 in the country by the Associated Press , Tech was extended an invitation to the Independence Bowl , its first bowl bid since the 1986 Peach Bowl . Pregame buildup . The matchup of No . 21 Indiana and No . 22 Virginia Tech was the first matchup of ranked teams in Independence Bowl history . Despite that fact , the bowl had difficulty selling tickets for the game . Slightly more than 33 , 000 tickets were sold by the day of the game , far less than the stadium ' s 50 , 459 - seat capacity . In exchange for their participation in the game , each team received $ 700 , 000 , the minimum payout required by the NCAA at that time . Spread bettors favored Virginia Tech to win by three points . The matchup was Indiana ' s first time playing Virginia Tech , and was the first time Virginia Tech played any team from the Big Ten . 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 . Indiana offense . 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 back s and fullback s on the ground . Indiana quarterback John Paci was the cornerstone of Indiana ' s offense , and completed 133 of 258 passes for 1 , 796 yards and eight touchdowns during the regular season . During the team ' s regular - season game against Penn State , Paci completed the longest passing play in Indiana history , completing a 99 - yard pass to wide receiver Thomas Lewis for a touchdown . That play in part helped make Paci ' s performance against Penn State the fourth - highest single - game passing total for an Indiana quarterback in school history . Paci suffered a separated shoulder during the regular season , but despite the injury , he was predicted to start at quarterback against Virginia Tech and undergo surgery following the 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 . Virginia Tech offense . Virginia Tech ' s offense was ranked 11th nationally in scoring , averaging 36 . 4 points per game , and 10th in rushing offense , averaging 242 . 8 yards per game . The totals were the most recorded to that point by a Virginia Tech offense . That high - ranking rushing attack was led by Dwayne Thomas , who accumulated 1 , 130 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season . Thomas ' 11 touchdowns were the most for a Tech running back since 1969 . Thomas was ably assisted by a capable offensive line anchored by center Jim Pyne , who earned consensus All - America honors in recognition of his performance . By being named to every All - America team in the country , Pyne became the first consensus All - American in Virginia Tech history . 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 . Indiana defense . The Hoosiers ' defense was ranked seventh in scoring defense , allowing an average of just 13 . 8 points per game . In overall defense , Indiana was ranked 10th , allowing just 303 . 3 yards per game . In total , the Hoosiers allowed 3 , 654 yards ; 1 , 997 of these were passing yards , while the remaining 1 , 657 were rushing yards . One of the stars of that IU defense was defensive tackle Hurvin McCormack , who led the Hoosiers in sacks with seven . Another important defensive player was linebacker Alfonzo Thurman , whose 108 tackles during the regular season were the most of any Indiana player . Virginia Tech defense . 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 . Game summary . The 1993 Independence Bowl kicked off at 12 : 30 p . m . EST on December 31 , 1993 , at Independence Stadium in Shreveport , Louisiana . Official attendance estimates indicate a crowd of 33 , 819 , but many seats in the 50 , 459 - seat stadium were empty , indicating a smaller - than - official crowd . The game was broadcast on ESPN in the United States , and Joel Meyers , Rick Walker , and Mike Mayock were the broadcasters . Weather at kickoff was sunny and . First quarter . 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 rush ed 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 punt ed 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 . 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 . Virginia Tech returned Indiana ' s post - touchdown kickoff to its 27 - yard line , and Tech ' s offense returned to the field hoping to answer the Hoosiers ' score . Two rushes by Thomas gave Tech a first down near the 40 - yard line . Aided by a penalty against Indiana , Tech gained another first down in the Hoosiers ' side of the field with a pass by DeShazo . A 15 - yard late - hit penalty against Indiana gave Tech another first down and pushed the Hokies to the Indiana 31 - yard line . Tech continued to drive with runs from DeShazo , Thomas , and fullback Joe Swarm . Inside the Indiana 10 - yard line , Tech was stopped for losses on consecutive plays before DeShazo connected on a 14 - yard touchdown pass to Thomas . The extra point was good , and with nine seconds remaining in the first quarter , Virginia Tech tied the game at 7 – 7 . 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 . Second quarter . Indiana began the second quarter in possession of the ball and facing a second down at its 25 - yard line . After a rushing play was stopped for a loss and Paci was forced to throw the ball away to avoid a sack , Indiana punted for the first time in the second quarter . Tech resumed offense at its 41 - yard line . DeShazo completed a pass to the Indiana 47 - yard line , then a 25 - yard toss to Cornelius Wright , who carried it to the Indiana 22 . Swarm carried the ball for a first down inside the Indiana 10 - yard line , and two plays later , he carried it across the goal line for Virginia Tech ' s second touchdown of the game . Following the extra point , Tech took a 14 – 7 lead with 11 : 14 remaining in the first half . Indiana ' s Jermaine Chaney fielded the post - score kickoff and returned it 51 yards , setting up Indiana inside Tech territory . On the Hoosiers ' first play , Paci completed a 34 - yard pass to tight end Ross Hales for Indiana ' s second first down of the game . Just outside the Tech 10 - yard line , Indiana was stopped short and prevented from scoring a touchdown . Indiana ' s head coach sent in placekicker Bill Manolopolous , whose 26 - yard kick soared through the uprights and cut Virginia Tech ' s lead to 14 – 10 with 8 : 47 remaining before halftime . Tech returned Indiana ' s post - score kickoff to the 22 - yard line , where the Hokie offense returned to action . Tech picked up nine yards on a pass from DeShazo , but two plays later , DeShazo threw his first interception of the game as Indiana ' s Mose Richardson jumped in front of a Tech pass . Following the turnover , Indiana ' s offense began work from the Virginia Tech 31 - yard line . The Hoosiers picked up a first down rushing the ball , but a holding call on first down pushed Indiana away from the end zone . Following the penalty , Virginia Tech ' s defense prevented the Hoosiers gaining another first down , and IU was forced to attempt another field goal . As before , Manopolous ' kick — this one a 40 - yard attempt — was good , and Indiana sliced Tech ' s lead to a single point , 14 – 13 , with 5 : 25 remaining in the first half . The Hokies returned the post - score kickoff to their 20 - yard line , and Tech ' s offense began work . Thomas gained a first down with three consecutive runs , then the Hokies fumbled when a backwards pass from DeShazo fell incomplete . Indiana recovered the ball , and the turnover allowed the Hoosiers ' offense to start work from the Tech 25 - yard line . On Indiana ' s first play , however , Virginia Tech cornerback Tyronne Drakeford intercepted Paci ' s pass . Following the turnover , Tech ' s offense started work at its 20 - yard line . The Hokies picked up a first down through the air , then DeShazo scrambled for another . A 10 - yard holding penalty pushed Tech backward , and the Hokies were forced to punt the ball away . Indiana ' s offense began play from the Hoosiers ' 34 - yard line following the kick . Paci scrambled for several yards , then completed a pass for a first down at the 50 - yard line . On the next play , however , Paci fumbled the ball , which bounced into the hands of Tech defensive end Lawrence Lewis , who returned it 20 yards for a touchdown . The score and extra point gave Tech a 21 – 13 lead with 23 seconds remaining before halftime . Virginia Tech ' s post - score kickoff was returned to the Tech 42 - yard line , potentially setting up an Indiana field goal try before halftime . Paci completed a pass to the 36 - yard line , and the few seconds remaining in the first half apparently ran off the clock before Indiana could use its final timeout to stop the clock . Virginia Tech players and coaches attempted to leave the field , only to be informed that Indiana called a timeout with one second remaining . Despite Tech head coach Frank Beamer ' s protests , Indiana ' s Manolopoulos was able to return to the field to attempt a 51 - yard goal . The kick was blocked and the ball recovered by Tech ' s Antonio Banks , who returned it 80 yards for a touchdown . The score , which came with no time remaining on the clock , gave Tech a 28 – 13 lead at halftime . Third quarter . 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 . 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 . 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 . Indiana earned a first down with two rushes , but as before , Tech ' s defense stiffened and refused to allow a second as Tech ' s Bernard Basham sacked Paci for a loss . Indiana ' s punt was fair caught at the Tech 30 - yard line as the quarter came to an end . With one quarter remaining in the game and neither team having scored in the third quarter , the score remained 28 – 13 . Fourth quarter . Virginia Tech began the fourth quarter in possession of the ball with a first down at its 30 - yard line . The Hokie drive fizzled , as had most of the offense in the third quarter , after DeShazo was sacked for a big loss on third down . Indiana returned the Tech punt to its 43 - yard line , and Indiana brought in its backup quarterback , Chris Dittoe , to lead the offense . After being sacked on his first play , Dittoe completed a pass to near midfield , making up the yardage that had been lost on the sack . Despite that gain , Indiana couldn ' t make up the yardage lost to the sack and appeared to be ready to punt the ball . Instead , the Hoosiers faked the punt and threw a pass to an undefended Indiana player who dropped the ball . Following the turnover , Virginia Tech ' s offense started work at the Indiana 49 - yard line . After being stopped short on two rushes , DeShazo completed a 42 - yard pass to Antonio Freeman , who raced down the field and into the end zone . The extra point was good , and with 9 : 37 remaining in the game , Tech took a 35 – 13 lead . Tech ' s post - touchdown kickoff was downed in the end zone for a touchback , and Indiana ' s offense started work at its 10 - yard line after a Hoosier penalty . On the first play of Indiana ' s drive , Dittoe was sacked and fumbled the ball , which rolled into the arms of a Virginia Tech defender . The Hokie offense quickly returned to the field and Tech ' s Tommy Edwards scored on the first play after being set up at the Indiana five - yard line after the turnover . The extra point gave Tech a 42 – 13 lead with 9 : 21 remaining . Indiana ' s offense started at its 20 - yard line after a touchback on the kickoff . Dittoe threw two incomplete passes , was sacked , and the Hoosiers punted after going three and out . The Indiana punt was a poor one , flying out of bounds at the Indiana 28 - yard line and giving Tech excellent field position . With a large lead secured , Virginia Tech backup quarterback Jim Druckenmiller came into the game for the Hokies , who were unable to gain a first down . Despite failing to advance the ball 10 yards , the excellent starting field position allowed Tech kicker Ryan Williams to attempt a 42 - yard field goal , his longest kick of the season . The kick sailed through the uprights , and Tech extended its lead to 45 – 13 with exactly six minutes remaining in the game . 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 . Statistical summary . In recognition of his performance during the game , Virginia Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo was named the game ' s offensive most valuable player . DeShazo completed 19 of his 33 pass attempts for two touchdowns , 193 yards , and two interceptions . DeShazo ' s favorite passing target , wide receiver Antonio Freeman , finished the game with five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown . Running back Dwayne Thomas , Tech ' s second - leading receiver , had four catches for 27 yards and a touchdown . He also led Tech ' s offense on the ground , carrying the ball 24 times for 65 yards . Fullback Joe Swarm was the second - leading rusher for the Hokies , accumulating 40 yards on nine carries . 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 . Virginia Tech ' s defense performed well overall against the Hoosiers . The 20 rushing yards allowed by the Tech defense were the fewest permitted all season . In addition , the Hokie defense accumulated seven sacks and four tackles for loss . The seven sacks were the most for Tech that season , and Indiana ' s 11 first downs also were the fewest Tech allowed that season . The Hokie defense also performed well on an individual level . Antonio Banks and Torrian Gray each had nine tackles , tying for the most of any player in the game . Banks also had a fumble recovery for a touchdown , an interception , and a pass breakup . For these accomplishments , he was named the game ' s defensive MVP . Tech linebacker Ken Brown finished with eight tackles . 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 . 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 . Virginia Tech set several then - records during the game . Its 21 second - quarter points were the most ever scored in that quarter , and tied the record for most points in any quarter . It set the Independence Bowl record for most points scored , and tied the record for fewest first downs allowed . Some records set during the game still stand . Indiana ' s Thomas Lewis returned a record eight punts in the game and earned 177 receiving yards , including the third - longest pass in Independence Bowl History — a 75 - yard reception from quarterback John Paci . Hokie Kicker Ryan Williams set the record for the most extra points in an Independence Bowl game with six , a mark that was tied during the 1995 Independence Bowl . Postgame effects . Virginia Tech ' s victory was just its second bowl win in school history and brought the Hokies to a final 1993 record of 9 – 3 . Indiana ' s loss took it to 8 – 4 , one win short of tying a nine - win season in 1967 that featured an appearance in the Rose Bowl . Tech ' s win was also its first televised victory since 1990 . Despite those accolades , the victory failed to move the Hokies up in the AP poll , which kept Tech at No . 22 in the final ranking of the season . At the time , Tech officials viewed the victory as a turning point for the program . Virginia Tech president Paul Torgersen said , " Incredible . . . . A very fine job . We ' ve turned it around . No question , we ' ve turned it around . " Later observers also concurred , pointing to the game as the start of Virginia Tech ' s 15 - season bowl appearance streak , which included a trip to the national championship game . Indiana , which had appeared in bowl games six times in the eight years prior to the Independence Bowl , suffered after the loss . Indiana went 6 – 5 in the 1994 season , and head coach Bill Mallory was fired after two consecutive losing seasons in 1995 and 1996 . The Hoosiers would not appear in a bowl again until the 2007 season , when they played in the 2007 Insight Bowl . Several players from each team later went on to play in the National Football League . Tech center Jim Pyne played for nine years in the NFL before becoming an assistant coach in the league . He subsequently had his number retired by Virginia Tech , becoming just the fourth player in Tech history to be honored in that fashion .