On November 23 in 1984, as the clock ticked down in the Orange Bowl, quarterback Doug Flutie of the trailing Boston College Eagles hurled the football 64 yards against the University of Miami Hurricanes to win the game 47-45. BC receiver Gerard Phelan, who also was Flutie’s roommate, caught the ball amidst a pack of players, thus elevating the exciting game to legendary status and inspiring underdogs everywhere.
The win resulted in Boston College being ranked fourth in the country. As for the quarterback, Flutie became the first college football quarterback to throw for more than 10,000 yards in his career, and he won the Heisman Trophy.
NFL scouts were skeptical of how the 5’9″ Flutie would do in that league, so Flutie ended up becoming a star quarterback in the Canadian Football League. He eventually played in the NFL, retiring in 2005.
Regarding the amazing 1984 Orange Bowl game, the losing University of Miami quarterback was Bernie Kosar. He also went onto an NFL career, playing well for the Cleveland Browns and other teams.
In the video below, watch the live coverage of the “Miracle in Miami.”
This video features players reflecting back on the game and the pass. Also, Flutie explains how colleges did not think he could be a starting quarterback because of his size.
Where were you when Doug Flutie completed the famous pass? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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