COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Kirby, Dukes Power East to 31-17 Win

In college football’s last showcase of the season for seniors, two running backs from the East upstaged a pair of big-name quarterbacks.

Virginia’s Terry Kirby ran for two touchdowns and Boston College’s Chuckie Dukes led all rushers with 62 yards in 13 carries Sunday as the East defeated the West, 31-17, for its first Shrine Game victory in four years.

“I wanted to play hard,” Kirby said. “I’m normally a tailback but I had to play fullback today. It’s like a foreign language, but it was a matter of making the adjustments, which I did.”

Kirby was complemented by Dukes, who was named the game’s outstanding offensive player. They stole the spotlight from their team’s quarterback tandem of Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta of Miami and Rick Mirer of Notre Dame.

Coming on the heels of his three-interception Sugar Bowl flop, Torretta was steady in front of dozens of pro scouts, completing nine of 16 passes for 69 yards, with one interception.

Mirer struggled, completing seven of 16 passes for 105 yards, with two interceptions, but engineered the flashiest play of the game, a 60-yard pass to Walter Dunson of Middle Tennessee State.

“I thought I did real well,” said Torretta, whose appearance drew about 500 fans from his nearby hometown of Pinole. “On a couple of deep throws we weren’t on the same page as far as timing, but I was in a couple of series, then out a couple, and I’m not used to the receivers I was throwing to.”