Michigan linebacker Erick Anderson's interception with eight minutes left set up a 1-yard dive for the winning touchdown by Alabama's Kevin Turner as the East college all-stars edged the West 14-13 in the Japan Bowl Sunday.
The East trailed 13-0 going into the final quarter, but narrowed that to 13-7 on a 9-yard scoring run by Ohio State's Scottie Graham. The East immediately got the ball back on Anderson's interception of a pass by Iowa's Matt Rodgers and drove to the 1.It was only the East's sixth victory in 17 Japan Bowls.
Ty Detmer of Brigham Young, the 1990 Heisman Trophy winner, scored the West's only touchdown with a 4-yard scramble, capping an 89-yard third-quarter drive in which his passing and scrambling were the main factor.
Playing before about 40,000 spectators, the West led 6-0 at halftime on field goals of 40 and 45 yards by Joe Wood of Air Force.
Detmer directed the first drive to a field goal, hitting passes of 29 yards to Lee Miles of Baylor and 11 to Mike Smith of Kansas State. Scott Lockwood of Southern California contributed a run of 13 yards before Wood connected with his 40-yarder with 3:46 left in the first quarter.
Rodgers led the next West drive, and his 23-yard third-down pass to Russ Campbell of Kansas State put the ball on the 27. Four plays later, Wood kicked his 45-yarder 3:36 before halftime.
The East then advanced into West territory for the first time, reaching the 27 with three seconds left in the half. But Miami's Carlos Huerta miskicked a 45-yard field goal attempt.
Detmer led the West 89 yards in 12 plays on its first possession in the second half, and ran the last 4 yards for the score after completing passes of 15, 18 and 5 yards and scrambling for 23.
The East came back at the start of the fourth quarter with a 72-yard drive in 10 plays, with Graham going the final 9 yards. Tennessee quarterback Andy Kelly hit passes of 17 yards to Turner and 16 to Siran Stacy, another Alabama back.
After Anderson's interception, Jeff Blake of East Carolina passed 13 yards to Minnesota's Pat Evans on a third-down play, and runs by Siran Stacy, Graham and Florida's Willie McClendon put the ball on the 1.
Turner dived over the top for the touchdown, Huerta kicked the point, and the East led 14-13 with 3:11 left.
The West failed to move on its next possession and the East ran out the clock.