Saturday marked the 40th anniversary of the signature play in Boston College football history, as quarterback Doug Flutie completed a Hail Mary touchdown pass to wide receiver Gerard Phelan, beating the mighty Miami Hurricanes 47-45 at the Orange Bowl in what many regard as one of the best regular season college football games of all time.
In the moment, it was the play that cemented Flutie as the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner. And over the next 40 years, it was the play that guaranteed Boston College’s place in every single college football highlight reel for eternity.
With Saturday marking a home game for the Eagles against conference opponent North Carolina, the program used this opportunity at Alumni Stadium to celebrate the legendary 1984 team - a team that finished the season 10-2, ranked fourth in the Coaches Poll and fifth in the AP, and the champions of the 1985 Cotton Bowl Classic on New Year’s Day.
Legends were in the house on Saturday, and the 2024 version of the Eagles did not disappoint.
Boston College had its most complete game of the season, beating the Tar Heels 41-21 and securing their sixth win of the season.
Six wins makes the Eagles bowl eligible for the eighth time in nine years, and gives first-year head coach Bill O’Brien that key extra month of practices with the young players in the program as he continues to try and shape a new culture at Chestnut Hill.
“Very proud of these players, this coaching staff,” O’Brien said postgame. “You know, we got a long way to go, but, you know - from the moment we walked in the building here, the players really bought into what we were talking about.
“It hasn’t been perfect, don’t get me wrong. You know, we’re 6-5, but you know these kids have really worked hard for us. And so I’m very happy for them. It’s very well-earned. At the same time, we got one game - you know, we got another game. So we really want to get back to work here tomorrow. But I’m very happy for the players.”
Coming into Saturday, BC had lost four of their last five games after starting the season with a 4-1 record. In three of BC’s five losses this year, the Eagles held double-digit leads that they saw evaporate in crushing fashion. And even in some of their wins, second-half comebacks were required to secure the victory. Regardless of the outcomes, playing complete 60-minute games is something this team has struggled to do all season long.
This wasn’t a problem on Saturday.
- Six ball carriers for BC combined for 230 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns, including 93 yards and a touchdown for senior running back Kye Robichaux.
- Quarterback Grayson James looked sharp, going 18 of 27 for 192 yards, with 1 passing touchdown and 1 rushing touchdown. James also routinely made smart decisions with his legs, rushing for 38 yards on 10 carriers.
- Top receiving targets Lewis Bond and Reed Harris combined for 12 catches, 157 yards and a touchdown. While Bond was the leading pass catcher with 9 grabs, Harris was the man in the end zone, as well as the man on the other end of what was James’ most impressive throw of the day - a 48-yard pass off play action on 2nd and 5 from the BC 9 yard line.
- The defense accounted for 3 interceptions, with sophomore defensive back Ryan Turner taking one to the house in the fourth quarter to make it a 34-7 ballgame
- More on that defense - they held standout North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton to just 53 yards rushing on 11 carries. Hampton - who has rushed for 1,475 yards and 14 touchdowns this season - is widely regarded as the second best running back in the country behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, and will be a factor on Sundays in the near future. But on Saturday, Hampton was absolutely bottled up, as the BC front seven exposed a struggling UNC offensive line.
Outside of a fluky kickoff return touchdown for UNC in the second quarter, as well as a couple garbage time touchdowns late, Boston College played an almost flawless game across the board.
O’Brien said postgame that having the 1984 team in the building was part of his message to the team to play a complete game from coin toss to final whistle.
“I told them in this room on Friday - I showed them the last drive of the Miami game,” said O’Brien. “You know, that was a team, quite obviously, that played 60 minutes. You know, they understood what playing 60 minutes was all about. And on this screen right behind me, I showed that drive.
“You know, when you have the ’84 team here - they were 10-2, ranked fifth in the country, Heisman Trophy winner in the house, you gotta play well. It’s kinda, you know, in the same vein a little bit as the Red Bandana Game. Like, you gotta play well in these games. There’s a lot of tradition here at Boston College, and for those guys to be here meant a lot to our program and, you know, it was important for us to go out there and win.”
With six wins on the season, Boston College (6-5, 3-4) will be going bowling in O’Brien’s first season at the helm. I’m told by someone close to the program that if BC can close out their regular season with a win at home over Pittsburgh (7-4, 3-4) in Week 14, the Eagles could be looking at an invite to the Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX.
Officially named the “Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl” since 2019, the Kellogg’s-branded contest is tied for the second-oldest bowl game in the country, along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl.
While Pitt should be no gimme, the Panthers have lost four in a row after starting the season 7-0, reaching a ranking as high as 18th in late October. With BC coming off its most impressive win of the season, Pittsburgh will be heading to Alumni Stadium coming off a 37-9 loss to Louisville.
Regardless of where O’Brien has his team playing during bowl season, legends of the program like what they see in year one.
“It really looks - it’s exciting football to watch,” Flutie told me just outside his luxury suite on Saturday during the third quarter. “Less penalties, a lot more polish, guys in and out. All that type of stuff. It’s a tighter process throughout the game. And they really look explosive - they’re looking really good today against North Carolina. And it’s just much more enjoyable football to watch right now.”
“Yeah, and it takes time,” said Phelan, who was taking in the game with Flutie from the same suite. “And you can see the momentum building, I think, from every little detail. From, you know, the players - not many injuries, making hard personnel calls at the quarterback position, and getting the team to believe in themselves. And coming out and playing a tough game against North Carolina today, in the moment where they need that sixth win to make it into the bowl series.
“This is all great stuff that seems to be building, and you know I’m very proud of what they’ve done. And I’m sure - very confident, as is Doug, I’m sure, because we’ve talked about it, that things are just gonna get better.”