Hula Bowl : Reich Upstages Flutie in East Win

Maryland’s Frank Reich and Doug Flutie of Boston College combined for 341 passing yards, and Wisconsin’s Al Toon was on the receiving end of two touchdown passes as the East defeated the West, 34-14, in the 39th annual Hula Bowl Saturday.

The game was watched by 30,767 fans, leaving Aloha Stadium nearly half empty.

Reich, who missed four games during the regular season with a slightly separated right shoulder, had the more impressive statistics, completing 14 of 17 passes for 202 yards. Flutie, the Heisman Trophy winner, completed 10 of 19 passes for 111 yards.

Flutie engineered the first East scoring drive and capped it with a one-yard toss to Toon, a 6-4, 200-pound speedster.

Reich had one of the most productive quarters in Hula Bowl history as he threw for two touchdowns in the second quarter, boosting the East to a 21-0 halftime advantage.

Toon, named the game’s outstanding offensive player, tied a Hula Bowl record with his 10 catches. The record was set by Donnie Anderson of Texas Tech in 1966.

The East stymied the West much of the day and Mississippi’s Freddie Joe Nunn was one of the main reasons. The 6-5, 230-pound defensive end was in the West backfield much of the day and was named the outstanding defensive player. Nunn had nine unassisted tackles, one assisted and made three quarterback sacks for losses of 17 yards.

“We tried everything we could think of to keep him out of there, but nothing worked,” West Coach Terry Donahue of UCLA said. “I thought the East had two dominating players, Nunn and Toon. It was impossible to stop either.”

East Coach Jack Bicknell said: “The most difficult thing in a game like this is giving everyone a chance. We had great runners in Ricky Moore and Ethan Horton, and we had great receivers plus Frank Reich and Doug Flutie at quarterback. How do you give them all the ball?

“I will say one thing, they were all into the game. I thought the hitting was good for a game like this, especially in this heat.”

Moore, a 6-foot, 235-pounder from Alabama picked up 47 yards on seven carries, while Horton, North Carolina’s 6-6, 220-pound running back, added 34 yards and scored the final East touchdown on a two-yard run.