Shrine Game : Stouffer Is the Star in West Win

Colorado State quarterback Kelly Stouffer wasn’t one of the players originally invited to the 62nd annual East-West Shrine football game, yet he wound up the star.

Stouffer, who replaced sore-shouldered John Paye of Stanford, boosted considerably his credentials for the upcoming NFL draft by throwing touchdown bombs of 34 and 48 yards Saturday to lead the West to a 24-21 victory.

“I felt good about my passing today,” said Stouffer, who completed his first 9 attempts and finished 11 of 15 for 179 yards while playing less than half the game.

Stouffer’s performance, seen by more than 50 NFL scouts and several coaches, earned him the most valuable offensive player award.

USC safety Tim McDonald, who intercepted a pass by Michigan State’s Dave Yarema in the end zone to stop a 78-yard drive to the West five, was selected the most valuable defensive player,

Stouffer had been considered a “sleeper” for the draft, but after Saturday’s performance, several scouts said Stouffer may have moved up to a first-round draft choice.

Scott Schwedes of Syracuse returned a kickoff 90 yards in the third period, the longest scoring play in East-West history, to help the East tie the game after falling behind, 21-0.

But the West pulled out the victory on a 19-yard field goal by Nebraska’s Dale Klein with 6:53 to play.

Greg Davis of The Citadel missed a 52-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game with 32 seconds remaining.

Running back D.J. Dozier of Penn State, who ran just twice for four yards in the first half, stood on the sideline in street clothes in the second half because of a hip pointer injury.

The charity game, which drew about 74,000 fans to Stanford Stadium, pushed past $10 million the amount of money raised for the Shriners’ Hospitals for Crippled and Burned Children.

Stouffer, taking over after Arizona State’s Jeff Van Raaphorst led the West to its first touchdown, threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Stanford’s Thomas Henley to give the West a 14-0 lead.

Five minutes later, the 6-foot 3-inch, 214-pound Stouffer made it 21-0 with a 48-yard play to Charles Lockett of Cal State Long Beach.

The East finally scored on an 18-yard field goal by Davis shortly before the first half ended.

Davis cut the East deficit to 21-6 with a 24-yard field goal midway through the third quarter.

Under an East-West game rule allowing a team behind by more than 10 points to receive the ball after a score, the West then kicked off and Schwedes ran back the ball 90 yards for a touchdown.

A two-point conversion on a pass from Yarema to Clemson’s Terrence Flagler cut the West lead to 21-14.