Personnel
| 1984 Boston College Eagles football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Offense
| Defense
| Special teams
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| 1984 Boston College Eagles football | |
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Cotton Bowl Classic champion Eastern champion | |
Cotton Bowl Classic, W 45–28 vs. Houston | |
| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 4 |
| AP | No. 5 |
| Record | 10–2 |
| Head coach |
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| Defensive coordinator | Seymour "Red" Kelin (4th season) |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Alumni Stadium Sullivan Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Boston College $ | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temple | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Syracuse | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Boston College | – | – | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 11 South Carolina | – | – | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Army | – | – | 8 | – | 3 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | – | – | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 17 Florida State | – | – | 7 | – | 3 | – | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virginia Tech | – | – | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | – | – | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 Miami (FL) | – | – | 8 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notre Dame | – | – | 7 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southwestern Louisiana | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Syracuse | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temple | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memphis State | – | – | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Navy | – | – | 4 | – | 6 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Miss | – | – | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh | – | – | 3 | – | 7 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | – | – | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | – | – | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Carolina | – | – | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisville | – | – | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rankings from AP Poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1984 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College as an independent during the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season.
Doug Flutie gained national attention in 1984 when he quarterbacked the Eagles to victory in a high-scoring, back-and-forth game against the Miami Hurricanes (led by QB Bernie Kosar). The game was nationally televised on CBS the day after Thanksgiving and thus had a huge audience. Miami staged a dramatic drive to take the lead, 45–41, in the closing minute of the game. Boston College then took possession at its own 22-yard line with 28 seconds to go. After two passes moved the ball another 30 yards, only 6 seconds remained. On the last play of the game, Flutie scrambled away from the defense and threw a Hail Mary pass that was caught in the end zone by senior wide receiver Gerard Phelan, giving BC a 47–45 win. Although many people think that play clinched the Heisman Trophy for Flutie, the voting was already complete before that game. [1]
Boston College finished the season with a 10–2 record and a No. 5 ranking in the final AP Poll. The Eagles defeated the Southwest Conference champion Houston Cougars 45–28 in the 1985 Cotton Bowl. The team also captured the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy (emblematic of the 'Eastern championship' in Division I FBS).
Flutie left school as the NCAA's all-time passing yardage leader with 10,579 yards and was a consensus All-American as a senior. He earned Player of the Year awards from UPI, Kodak, The Sporting News, and the Maxwell Football Club.
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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| September 1 | Western Carolina | No. 19 | W 44–24 | 32,000 | |||
| September 8 | at No. 9 Alabama | No. 18 | ABC | W 38–31 | 67,821 | [2] | |
| September 22 | North Carolina | No. 10 | ESPN | W 52–20 | 44,672 | [3] | |
| October 13 | Temple | No. 4 |
| W 24–10 | 32,000 | ||
| October 20 | at No. 20 West Virginia | No. 4 | ABC | L 20–21 | 60,286 | [4] | |
| October 27 | Rutgers | No. 11 |
| W 35–23 | 32,000 | ||
| November 3 | at Penn State | No. 9 | ABC | L 30–37 | 85,690 | ||
| November 10 | Army | No. 16 |
| KATZ | W 45–31 | 32,000 | |
| November 17 | Syracuse | No. 13 |
| KATZ | W 24–16 | 60,890 | |
| November 23 | at No. 12 Miami (FL) | No. 10 | CBS | W 47–45 | 30,325 | ||
| December 1 | at Holy Cross | No. 8 | W 45–10 | 25,000 | [5] | ||
| January 1, 1985 | vs. Houston | No. 8 | CBS | W 45–28 | 67,381 | ||
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| 1984 Boston College Eagles football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Offense
| Defense
| Special teams
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| Week | ||||||||||||||||
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| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 19 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 5 |
| Coaches | 20 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 4 |
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
| Boston College | 13 | 15 | 3 | 14 | 45 |
at Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Game highlights |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Passing | Nate Sassaman | 4/10, 38 Yds, INT |
| Rushing | Nate Sassaman | 25 Rush, 136 Yds, TD | |
| Receiving | Scott Spellmon | 2 Rec, 26 Yds | |
| Boston College | Passing | Doug Flutie | 19/29, 311 Yds, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Steve Strachan | 15 Rush, 81 Yds, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Kelvin Martin | 7 Rec, 126 Yds, 2 TD |
| Scoring summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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| No. 8 Eagles | 17 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 45 |
| Cougars | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
The following players were claimed in the 1985 NFL Draft. [14]
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
| Gerard Phelan | Wide receiver | 4 | 108 | New England Patriots |
| Mark MacDonald | Guard | 5 | 115 | Minnesota Vikings |
| Doug Flutie | Quarterback | 11 | 285 | Los Angeles Rams |
| Steve Strachan | Running back | 11 | 303 | Los Angeles Raiders |
Bill Romanowski was also a member of the team and was drafted in 1988.
Douglas Richard Flutie is an American former football quarterback who played professionally for 21 seasons. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL), and one season in the United States Football League (USFL). Flutie played college football for the Boston College Eagles, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1984 amid a season that saw him throw the game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds against the Miami Hurricanes. He chose to begin his professional career with the USFL's New Jersey Generals; his unavailability to NFL teams resulted in him being selected 285th overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round of the 1985 NFL Draft, the lowest drafting of a Heisman winner. After the USFL folded, Flutie spent his first four NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots.
Keith Alan Byars is an American sports broadcaster and former professional football player. He was a running back, fullback, and tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Robbie Bosco is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football for the BYU Cougars and led the team to the 1984 National Championship.
Gerard P. Phelan is a former college football player who played wide receiver for Boston College.
Jack Bicknell is a retired American football coach, most recently known for his long involvement in NFL Europa and its predecessor, the World League of American Football (WLAF). He served as the head football coach at the University of Maine from 1976 to 1980 and at Boston College from 1981 to 1988, compiling a career college football record of 77–90–2. In 1984, Bicknell coached his Boston College Eagles team to a 10–2 mark including a victory in the Cotton Bowl Classic. His quarterback that season, Doug Flutie, was awarded the Heisman Trophy.
The Hail Flutie game, also known as the Miracle in Miami, is a college football game in 1984 that took place between the Boston College Eagles and the Miami Hurricanes on November 23. It has been regarded by FOX Sports writer Kevin Hench as among the most memorable moments in sports.
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Miami Hurricanes' 76th season of football and 11th as a member of the Big East Conference. The Hurricanes were led by first-year head coach Larry Coker and played their home games at the Orange Bowl. They finished the season 12–0 overall and 7–0 in the Big East to finish as conference champion. Though they struggled to defeat #14 Virginia Tech, and an unranked Boston College. They were invited to the Rose Bowl, which served as the BCS National Championship Game, and defeated Nebraska, 37–14, to win the school's fifth national championship.
The Boston College Eagles football team represents Boston College in the sport of American football. The Eagles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Eagles home games are played at Alumni Stadium on the university's campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
Shawn Halloran is an American high school sports administrator and former football player and coach. He played college football as a quarterback for the Boston College Eagles and professionally for St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Halloran served as the head football coach at Franklin & Marshall College from 2003 to 2005, compiling a record of 17–15. He is currently the athletic director at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas, a position he has held since 2017.
The Coca-Cola Classic was a regular season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college football game played in Tokyo, Japan, from 1977 to 1993. It was originally sponsored by Mitsubishi and known as the Mirage Bowl, and later sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company and renamed for the soft drink Coca-Cola Classic. Because the game was merely a re-location of a late regular season game, it was not considered a traditional postseason bowl game.
Seymour "Red" Kelin was an American football coach.
Stephen Michael Strachan is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the 11th round of the 1985 NFL Draft by and played for the Los Angeles Raiders. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles.
The 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic was the fourth edition of the postseason college football bowl game, between the Clemson Tigers and the Boston College Eagles. It was played on Monday, January 1, 1940, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
The 1985 Cotton Bowl Classic was the 49th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Tuesday, January 1. Part of the 1984–85 bowl game season, it matched the No. 8 Boston College Eagles (independent) and the unranked Houston Cougars of the Southwest Conference (SWC). Boston College never trailed and won 45–28.
John Blake Galvin, Jr. is a retired American Football Linebacker for New York Jets from 1988 to 1991. He was drafted in the 11th round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Jets.
The 1984 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Hurricanes' 59th season of football. The Hurricanes were led by first-year head coach Jimmy Johnson and played their home games at the Orange Bowl. They finished the season 8–5 overall. They were invited to the Fiesta Bowl where they lost to UCLA, 39–37.
The 1983 Liberty Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game played on December 29, 1983, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The 25th edition of the Liberty Bowl pitted the Boston College Eagles and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The 1985 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College as an independent during the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Eagles were led by fifth-year head coach Jack Bicknell, and played their home games at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. They also played two alternate-site home games at Sullivan Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Eagles failed to replicate their 1984 success after the departure of their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Doug Flutie, finishing with a 4–8 record.
The 1983 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College as an independent during the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Eagles were led by third-year head coach Jack Bicknell, and played their home games at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and Sullivan Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Junior quarterback Doug Flutie threw for over 2,700 yards and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, leading Boston College to their first ranked finish in 41 years. They met their rivals, Notre Dame, in the 1983 Liberty Bowl.
The 1984 Holy Cross Crusaders football team was an American football team that represented the College of the Holy Cross as an independent during the 1984 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Crusaders ranked No. 15 nationally and did not qualify for the postseason.
