Solich-led East squad wins Hula Bowl
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BY JAYMES SONG / The Associated Press
WAILUKU, Hawaii — With NFL scouts watching closely, Ronald Stanley upstaged the big names at the Hula Bowl.
The Michigan State linebacker scored two defensive touchdowns Saturday to rally the East to a 20-13 victory over West in the Hula Bowl.
"I've always been an underrated guy," Stanley said. "It was my time to show what I can do."
Down 6-0, the East scored 20 straight points in the third quarter, including Stanley's 38-yard fumble return and a 50-yard interception return.
Stanley's TDs gave the East a 13-6 lead and the momentum. It also earned him the East's MVP award.
His first TD was a heads-up play.
The ball was knocked out of Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang's hand and most players stood around believing the play was dead. But Stanley picked the ball off the grass and ran for a touchdown to put the East up 7-6.
"I saw it rolling and rolling," Stanley said. "I broke out, picked it up and was able to get into the end zone."
Four plays later, Stanley intercepted an errant pass from Texas Tech's Sonny Cumbie at midfield, streaked down the right sideline and dove into the end zone.
"It was a great day. I enjoyed myself," Stanley said.
The Hula Bowl featured 92 of college football's best seniors and was played on a balmy, cloudless day on the island of Maui — a stark contrast to the wet and windy conditions during practices.
East coach Frank Solich, former of Nebraska and now head coach at Ohio, said Stanley's big plays woke up his team.
"After the turnovers, we had confidence and we were able to complete passes and run the ball," he said.
The East expanded its lead to 20-6 on a 2-yard dive by North Carolina's Madison Hedgecock. The TD was setup by a 31-yard run by Troy's DeWhitt Betterson who finished with 77 yards rushing on 10 carries.
"We anticipated a strong passing game, but the running game was working great and we were able to eat up the clock," Solich said.
The West's biggest star was Derrick Wimbush from tiny Fort Valley State.
Wimbush ran four times for 74 yards, including a spectacular Hula Bowl record 59-yard touchdown run. The West MVP took a pitch to the left side and quickly ran into traffic. He broke a couple of tackles, reversed his field at the East's 40 and sprinted for the end zone.
The West had a chance to tie the game in the fourth, but Sam Houston State quarterback Dustin Long's pass was intercepted by North Carolina State's Dovonte Edwards in the end zone to end the threat.
The game featured aggressive defense and sloppy offense, despite several well-known quarterbacks and rules favoring the offense such as no blitzing.
"There was supposed to be a lot of offense, but we came out on defense and made big plays," said Penn State linebacker Derek Wake, who forced a fumble and recovered another fumble. "It was our goal to keep the points off the scoreboard."
The teams combined for nine turnovers, including five fumbles.
"I felt turnovers really determined the course of the game," said West coach Mike Bellotti, of Oregon.
Chang, the NCAA career passing leader, was 3-of-8 for 38 yards. Cumbie, who led the nation in yards passing, didn't fare much better. He was 7-of-12 for 58 yards with an interception.
"When you try to put an offense together in just a week, it's hard to get everybody on the same page," Cumbie said. "But it was a lot of fun."
The West took a 6-0 halftime lead on a pair of 46-yard field goals by Brigham Young's Matt Payne.
Payne's second field goal was setup by Oregon linebacker Jerry Matson, who intercepted Florida Atlantic quarterback Jared Allen's first pass attempt of the game and returned it to the East 25.
Allen had a dreadful showing, going 3-of-7 for 23 yard and two interceptions.
Both teams blew excellent scoring opportunities on the game's opening series.
The East marched 75 yards to the West 1, but Harvard's Ryan Fitzpatrick fumbled near the goal line on a quarterback sneak. Texas' Phillip Geiggar picked up the loose ball, broke the other way and pitched it to Fresno State's Therrian Fontenot who sprinted 70 yards into the end zone.
But the score was nullified by an illegal lateral call.
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