Hello, I'm David Funk, and welcome to this edition of FSD History Flashback for November 23. The intro video for FSD Flashback shows a picture in the very beginning that tops today's FSD History Flashback. It's one moment that forever has been played over and over again, and one such player will forever be remembered for a miracle play that decided the outcome.
On November 23, 1984, a soldout crowd at the Orange Bowl in Miami witnessed one of the most memorable and incredible finishes in college football history. Boston College with a record of 7-2 took on Miami who was 8-3.
Originally, this game was to take place on September 29, but TV executives wanted to switch the game to November 23, the day after Thanksgiving. Miami was scheduled to play Rutgers that day, so the TV execs contacted both schools to see about rearranging the schedule. Rutgers did agree to cancel the date with Miami for $80,000. The execs paid that sum, and the Boston College/Miami matchup became the national telecast that day.
Boston College was fresh off beating Syracuse 24-16 with star scrambling quarterback Doug Flutie leading the way. Their only losses on the season had come in narrow defeats to West Virginia and Penn State. Jack Bicknell was in his fourth season as head coach.
Miami was coming off a loss to Maryland, in which they blew a 31-point halftime lead to lose 42-40 at home. They were led by star quarterback Bernie Kosar, who as a red-shirt freshman, led the Hurricanes to their first ever National Title in 1983. Kosar was having a great year as he followed up his freshman year in good fashion. Jimmie Johnson was in his first year as head coach for Miami.
The score is 28-21 at halftime in favor of Boston College when a rainstorm arrives. Miami gets backed up to its own 4-yard line to start the second half, but drove the ball down the field to tie the game.
The two teams entered the final quarter with the score tied 28-28. Then Boston College takes the lead on a field goal to go up 31-28. But Miami answered with a 52-yard touchdown run by Melvin Bratton to put the Hurricanes in front 35-31. Each team trades field goals, and Boston College goes up 41-38 on a 82-yard drive.
Miami then faced a 3rd-and-21 on their own 10-yard line with 2:30 remaining in the game. On that play, the Eagles missed tackling Kosar on two occasions before he completed a pass to receiver Darrell Oliver to pick up the first down. The Hurricanes also faced a 4th-and-1 later in the drive which they converted before Bratton scored his 4th touchdown of the game as Miami led 45-41 with 28 seconds left to play. Miami celebrates wildly on the sidelines thinking that they pulled this game out.
After a touchback, Flutie tells his teammates that he wants to get the ball to midfield. Starting on their own 20-yard line, Flutie completes his first pass of the drive to receiver Troy Stafford for 19 yards to the 39-yard line. Flutie completes his second pass to Scott Gieselman for 13 yards to the Miami 48-yard line with ten seconds left to play. Flutie then had an incomplete pass on the next play, and now six seconds remained in the game. Flutie then calls a "Flood Tip on Two" as he prepared for the last play of the game.
The Flood Tip play is where three wide receivers flood one side of the end zone and they wait for the QB to hail mary the pass to them. Boston College had tried this play three times during that season, and were successful one time against Temple in which Gerry Phelan caught that pass in the first half in a 24-10 win. The play is designed for Phelan, and if he can't catch the pass, he tips it up in the air.
Flutie scrambles away from All-American defensive lineman Jerome Brown, and also has Lee Broughton coming in fast on him as well. Flutie retreats to his own 37-yard line, and throws the ball as far as he can into a stiff wind in Miami. Miami is in a prevent defense as they have three defenders that straddle around their own 10-yard line.
The Hurricanes had no idea that Flutie could throw a ball over 60 yards, and also let Phelan slip behind them because of it. Miami defensive backs Darrell Fullington and Reggie Sutton bump into each other at the 3-yard line as the ball was coming on their side of the field. They still leap to try and tip the pass, and just miss as the ball falls right into the hands of Phelan in the end zone for the game winning score. Boston College won 47-45.
Flutie was unaware at first what had happened as Broughton brought him down to the turf. Flutie then rises to his feet and realizes that Phelan caught the ball for a touchdown! Flutie races down to the end zone with his arms flapping and the rest of the Boston College players began to celebrate. This play is now referred to as the "Hail Flutie."
The teams combined for 1,282 yards of total offense, 919 passing yards, 15 total scoring drives, and not a single drive was shorter than 55 yards. The game took 3 hours and 45 minutes to play as both teams put on an offensive show with a very memorable ending.
Flutie finished 34-for-46 with 472 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. Phelan had 11 catches for 226 yards.
Kosar was 25-for-38 with 447 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. Bratton had 134 rushing yards to go with those four touchdowns. Receiver Eddie Brown had 10 catches for 220 yards in the air.
Boston College earned a trip to the Cotton Bowl with that win to take on Houston. They won the Cotton Bowl matchup 45-28 to finish 10-2 on the season.
Flutie went on to win the Heisman Trophy while Kosar finished 4th in the voting. Flutie later played briefly in the NFL with the Chicago Bears before starring in the CFL. He would return to the NFL to play for the Bills, Chargers, and Patriots.
Miami would end up losing three in a row on the season, and lost to UCLA in the Fiesta Bowl 39-37. But they would win three more titles by 1991 as well as another in 2001. They have won the most national titles since that period of time.
Here's a video of that classic play. Brent Musberger has the call, so enjoy one of sports most famous moments as the legend of Doug Flutie was cemented on this day:
Thanks for viewing, and I hope you enjoyed today's FSD History Flashback!
8 comments:
flutie is a classic, awesome post!!!
BTW i have u back toots, sorry bout that!
Cindy- I've always liked Flutie. It was never over when he was under center.
It's all good about your site. I'm just glad you were able to take care of it.
Thanks for the reply as always girl!:)
The luckest 4'10" guy that was in football.
Madman- LOL!
One of the best moments in sports history.
Lester- No doubt about it.
Flukie has milked that play to Flutie flakes. I admit I was pleased he was able to be a decent NFL QB after his CFL era, because I was not convinced he ever would be.
3rd- Many thought he wouldn't cut it in the NFL, but he did just fine. There's no doubt that Hail Flutie made him a household name. Thanks.
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