Miracle in Miami - Doug Flutie's Pass to Gerard Phelan

Thirty years later, it still ranks as not only the greatest play in Boston College football history, but as one of the top plays in all of college football history.
"The Play" of course, is the still-talked about 48-yard "Hail Mary" throw from Doug Flutie to Gerard Phelan earning BC a miraculous 47-45 last-second victory over Miami on November 23, 1984. Televised nationally on CBS, the game - which was called by ace broadcaster Brent Musberger - was the highest-rated college football broadcast of the year in 1984. The Eagles soared into the nation's top 10 after the dazzling win and Flutie brought home college football's top individual prize, the Heisman Trophy, in balloting which closed days after the classic contest.

[@tedbyszinski2853]

the little guy in the face of adversity in the last second of the last play proving everyone wrong... thats what the human spirit is right there

[@broaddusmarines]

Doug Flutie was born 35 years too early. He’s an NFL MVP if he played today.

[@jasonwolfe3252]

Absolutely

[@g.w.7893]

No doubt about it.

[@davidlafleche1142]

No, because the NFL was too stupid to give him a fair chance.

[@robsmith9093]

Absolutely not.

[@s.hudson7524]

The earlier NFL (before 1980) would have played a 5'9" Flutie. He was born too late.

[@derekthompson5731]

Making America Great Again at 7:26

[@johnbatchler8551]

The greatest game in college history

[@howardstern8720]

It's probably the greatest ending in College Football History

[@strokerace4765]

2023 Tech vs Miami was double this

[@scituguy2538]

Something I never noticed before relistening to this but how about the crowd was cheering NaNaNaNa Hey Hey Hey Goodbye before the play. LMAO. Little did they know about Flutie Magic like everyone in Boston did. hehe : )

[@derekthompson5731]

Great memories.... watching a football game, and having the announcer mention that the Dukes of Hazard is up next... life didn't (hasn't) gotten any better than that... and how could it?

[@BillBrinkman-en1zp]

I remember this game like yesterday, I was a 19 year old soldier stationed at Ft. Sill, OK. I went to the OU vs OSU game the next day in Norman, OK with buddies. So much fun being young & broke. Great days

[@georgeorwell4534]

Women, children, and Doug Flutie first! 😅

[@kevindickerson9513]

Great call by the legendary Brent musburger great game what a hail Mary still gives me goose bumps to this day

[@eXHackeR]

That was amazing. Man oh man. Flute has some legendary moments.

[@jsimmons12]

My complaint is that after he announced that Phelan caught the touchdown, Musberger really should've shut up. Great moments in sports don't need play-by-play guys talking all through it. Did we really need "JACK BICKNELL IS THE ONLY PERSON LEFT ON THE SIDELINES HE COULDN'T GET HIS HEADSET OFF!" He should've been quiet and let us all take in the moment.

[@johncirillo9544]

Except Brent called him Gerald Phelan instead of Gerard Phelan. Come on Brent, read your call sheet!

[@grumpyoldgraymetalhead2441]

The radio call by Dan Davis blows Musburger away.

[@savagewarlock8962]

hail flutie!!!!! yea baby!!!

[@ralrashidi1]

7:32 it's donald trump

[@scituguy2538]

The man who would ruin the USFL. Book it!

[@BGK2223]

​@@scituguy2538and the USA!

[@rickrry]

Back when live was awesome...no wokeism in the days.

[@kragratt]

If that's your biggest problem with life today, you are golden. Wokeism isn't a problem, its the idiots that take it way too far that is. Just like religion isn't a problem but EXTREMIST religion is. Politics isn't a problem but EXTREMIST politics is. Being cognizant and respectful of other people isn't a problem, but crucifying people for the slightest misstep is, I agree. And I'm a liberal. It was a great game though. I was a senior in high school and watched it with my dad. Have a great day.

[@johnriordan9169]

Still the greatest college football game ever! Ever to Excel!

[@howardstern8720]

In my view it's the greatest ending in College Football History

[@Crusader1815]

This is some awesome quality video. Thanks for posting. Best college football game in history. I don't suppose you could post the whole game with this same quality?

[@GrowthruGod]

Flutie was most exciting player of all time that ive sEEN...way before this play occured...

[@GrowthruGod]

IF THIS IS only video of his from college online its a shame!

[@bradlewis6514]

His college stats for his stature were unreal! Everybody and anybody has surpassed those stats in the last 35 years, but none of them did it at 5' 9"! That's what separates Flutie along with the unwavering poise he had! I am a die-hard Penn St fan (been since early childhood) and am gonna be 48 in a month so I remember well in the early '80s when we played Flutie yearly! He gave us fits

[@nk5350]

“Doug Flutie is down to his last at bat…..”What a call by Brent Musburger!!! What an amazing play by Flutie!!!!

[@oldschoolgnrfan6035]

Only a one point loss to West Virginia, and a seven point loss to Penn State, kept BC from playing for the National Championship that year. What a player Doug Flutie was.

[@marshalmagooo3899]

BC was up 20-0 over WVU..haunts me today

[@cfoster81]

I know BC was in the running for the Lambert Trophy, which is given to the best Independent team in the East (Mid Atlantic and New England states), in 1984. BTW, the only schools that were eligible for the Lambert Trophy at the time were Boston College, Syracuse, Pitt, Penn State, Rutgers, Temple, Army (West Point), Navy and West Virginia. Doug Flutie's hail Mary pass basically won him the 1984 Heisman and each time I watch it, it never disappoints.

[@eddiew.6485]

@ 3:10 Kosar laughing, and being congratulated on the sidelines……Classic! Didn’t Kosar walk off the field in disgust after Flutie threw the game winner?

[@gmaxim]

I was twelve years old when this game took place. I can remember watching this in absolute awe!

[@Nick83Fairfax]

WOWWW!!! Miami had white guys on defense!!

[@NFLYoungBoy223]

Nick83Fairfax it was a different time back then

[@ObamaFromKenya]

NFL YoungBoy yeah we didn’t have an insane 74 year old as President, we had an demented 73 year old as President.

[@Rconn1982]

That commercial at 6:45... Hilarious.

[@scituguy2538]

LMAO. Yeah that Olds 98. I'd put that right up against any Mercedes or BMW, etc. LOL

[@Crusader1815]

And they talk about Trump and his football team... where Flutie would be playing the next year.

[@PebblesOx]

Haha the commercials were awesome

[@markhilbertrossetti1796]

Satellite Tape on the football Dude Perfect -- regardless, darn decent.

[@a-ddaigrepont3375]

goat of NCAA football

[@apex_prowler95]

Flutie was 30 yrs too soon. He never played for the right coach in the NFL until he went to the Chargers but by then it was too late. He's a HOF in my book. He put a few inferior BC teammates in the NFL. They only really got an opportunity because they played with him. Phelan, Stradford, his brother Darrin. They get no shot without Doug. Salute!

[@jasonwolfe3252]

Had he not been a scab he would have gotten a chance. A lot of players never forgave him for that.

[@dentonyoung4314]

That was an incredible throw. The ball went close to 70 yards in the air. And perfectly landed in Phelan's arms.

[@chadwaldron3568]

My heart does not go out to kolslaw it goes out to the Flute. Hail to the Flute. The shot heard round the world.

[@strokerace4765]

2023 Georgia Tech to Boston College “Hold my beer”

[@jasonwolfe3252]

It's so cool seeing football played on real grass

[@leogetz3570]

One thing that has always bugged me about every video showing the last 30 seconds of this game.... we never, ever get to see Jimmy Johnson's reaction on Miami's sideline!! People forget that just two weeks earlier the Hurricanes blew a 31 point lead against Maryland and lost

[@patsfan4life]

Oh wow I did t know that was the same season…. what a snake bitten team

[@DKoolbj7dl]

Doug Flutie is Legend .

[@keithdoersam2557]

39 years ago today!!!!!

[@billysbikesbrews7183]

I'll never forget this game.. I was there.. something I'll never forget.. I still have the program.. what did I do next.. I went to the Cotton Bowl Game..

[@billysbikesbrews7183]

@@howarddamico1237 Yes.. it was cold sitting on those metal seats.. they were out of BC beanies so my Dad bought a Houston Cougars Beanie.. it was cold 🥶

[@brsfan66]

Doug and Don with two great comebacks !

[@markbart1424]

“Gerald”

[@dzanier]

i recall this as being an absolutely thrilling game.

[@wallpaper2a551]

Usually these high-scoring college games are boring to watch but this one was anything but boring! And it was exciting because they were playing in really bad weather which is typically the kind of weather for a running game.....& not a passing game!

[@jimmcnamara6523]

The ballsiest pass ever

[@christophermorgan3261]

I was working in a Boston men's clothing store named Roots that day. I remember all the fans coming down Commonwealth Ave after the game, and the press talked about it for weeks. Flutie went on to have great carreer in the Canadian Leagues and the NFL but nothing to match that magic moment.

[@hectordavis4597]

what about the false start by phelan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@scituguy2538]

LOL, he threw the ball from the 37 anyhow, so that extra 5 yards wouldn't have mattered anyway. Miami never thought he could throw a ball that far so he would have been behind them anyhow, which was why Miami was playing so shallow and allowed Phelan behind them. Just watch the Miami D set up. You could see they never thought he'd get it that far. But we knew he could! : )

[@codyamigh7378]

Besides the last 65 yard pass, just remember the completions he made going down field in 48 seconds!

[@창녀줄리가청와대접수]

The commentator, whoever it is, keeps saying that the defensive players should not let the receivers get behind them. Well, the defensive players didn't think Flutie could throw that far. They thought they were far enough back. Phelan, knowing his roommate, went near the goal line, but even he didn't think Flutie could throw 65 yards into the end zone. So, when the ball actually went up and traveling through the air, Phelan realizes the ball will actually be in the end zone and runs into the end zone. I don't think the defense did anything wrong, because it is extremely unlikely that anyone could throw that far.

[@MrNati1Sun]

Nearly promised Doug Flutie, that I’d watch this again, Saturday at the Heisman Trophy Awards inside the JAZZ-Lincoln Center!!)

[@edwards.6857]

That cannot happen but it did.Flutie was a special breeze that ran through Boston that year and yet was good enough to play in the pros.That's another story.

[@PFBM86]

Why does he keep calling him Gerald? lol

[@mitchyoung93]

I just wanna watch Falcon Crest.

[@lucasgalvan9737]

Miami celebrating too early. Great "Hail Mary".

[@WalkmanAssassin]

Jan 21, 2023 - Still Here.

[@oshea41]

Flutie had a cannon.

[@markhilbertrossetti1796]

64 or 48 yrds? ... /

[@phantomsellers8952]

Kosar wasn’t going to shake a hand. As punishment he went to Cleveland!

[@barnswardrowan3022]

someone said Doug Flutie wasn't wearing his mouth guard, and that it would be a penalty.

[@wildmercuryfilms]

That’s ridiculous. What may have been called was where the offensive lineman tackled the defensive linemen. But I’m happy when refs have the philosophy: LET THE PLAYERS DECIDE THE BALLGAME, NOT THE REFS. Calling the quarterback for “no mouth guard” on one of the greatest plays in college football history would have been insane.

[@mikedecarlo9057]

@@wildmercuryfilms The defensive lineman (Jerome Brown by the way) slipped. Watch the last replay they show. The BC lineman barely even touches him.

[@angelus4282]

Jeez, there's just no escaping Trump, is there?

[@stephenboroody3049]

No respect for Kosar. Poor loser. And poor sportsmanship. He should have congratulated Flutie on the game.

[@jjavyy]

Tom Waddle caught that ball not Phalen. Phalen was sick/Injured, Waddle jersey was lost they gave him Phalen's

[@timcarter817]

I’m 44 now, but one of my earliest childhood memories was seeing this as my mom was yelling at me to get in the dining room at my grandpa’s house for must what have Thanksgiving dinner I’m guessing?

[@timcarter817]

Just googled and it was the friday next day after, which makes sense that we had it there at his house bc my grandparents had divorced some years before and we did one day at Grandma’s and one at his. Crazy I remember it my head so vividly and I’ve lived in Michigan and been a Michigan fan my entire life. Back then, we only had antenna tv and maybe got to watch 3-4 games a week if we were lucky and this happened to be the national game that day. I fell in love with football then and have remembered this ever since. KZbin sure does bring back memories

[@bigassdummy46]

Great moment, horrible play by play call.