This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.
It's nearly an impossible task to come up with a suitable list of moments that define our Boston College fandom. But that's probably because BC football is home to the greatest moment in college football history. Any other highlights or moments in BC football history pale in comparison to that one play.
That said, here's my attempt at a chronological list of the most memorable moments, both good and bad, in Boston College football history. Other than the first two which occurred before I started rooting for the Eagles, note that this list heavily favors more recent events, which just so happens to be my BC football history frame of reference. Also note that there could probably be a separate list of most memorable moments just for the BC-Notre Dame Holy War.
Leave your own list or thoughts in the comments section below.
Hail Flutie (Video)
Date: November 23, 1984
Place: Orange Bowl, Miami, Fl.
Score: #12 Miami 45, #10 Boston College 41
Situation: BC with the ball on the Miami 48 yard line
4th Quarter, 0:06 remaining
The Call: Because this radio call is far superior to Musburger's, who couldn't identify Phelan in the back of the endzone at the time.
Dan Davis: Here's your ballgame, folks, as Flutie takes the snap ... He drops straight back ... has some time ... Now he scrambles away from one hit ... looks ... uncorks a deep one for the end zone ... Phelan is down there ...
Gino Cappelletti: OH HE GOT IT!
Dan: Did he get it?
Gino: HE GOT IT!
Dan: TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN BOSTON COLLEGE! HE DID IT ... HE DID IT! FLUTIE DID IT! He hit Phelan in the end zone ... TOUCHDOWN!
Gino: I don't believe it!
Dan: Oh, my goodness!
Final Score: Boston College 47, Miami 45
David Gordon's Left Foot (Video)
Date: November 20, 1993
Place: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, In.
Score: #1 Notre Dame 39, Boston College 38
Situation: BC with the ball on the Notre Dame 31 yard line
4th Quarter, 0:05 remaining
The Call:
"Glenn Foley the hold. The left-footed kicker David Gordon ... 41 yard attempt to win the game and end the Irish's National Championship hopes.
GOOD!"
Final Score: Boston College 41, Notre Dame 39
Mike Rumph's Right Knee (Video)
Date: November 10, 2001
Place: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Ma.
Score: #1 Miami 12, Boston College 7
Situation: BC with the ball, threatening to get the go-ahead score on the Miami 9 yard line
4th Quarter, 13 seconds remaining
The Call:
"St. Pierre drops back, throws left side ... TIPPED ... and into the hands of Matt Walters. Ed Reed takes the ball on an exchange. Brings it over the 40 ... 50 ... down the middle. It's a race. The 30 ... the 20 ... Reed is gonna SCORE for Miami. The Hurricanes ... are gonna win this game."
Final Score: Miami 18, Boston College 7
Another Irish National Championship Dashed
Date: November 2, 2002
Place: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, In.
Score: Boston College 6, #12 Notre Dame 0
Situation: Notre Dame with the ball, threatening to score on the BC 14 yard line
2nd Quarter, 4:03 left in the quarter
Pressured by BC corner back Trevor White on a blitz, Notre Dame backup QB Pat Dillingham attempts a shovel pass instead of throwing the ball away. He flips the pass right into the arms of BC linebacker Josh Ott, who then alludes Dillingham and returns the pass 71 yards for a touchdown. After a two-point conversion, BC leads 14-0 and holds on for a 14-7 victory over the fourth ranked Irish.
Ott helped set up the other BC score when he recovered a Ryan Grant fumble that led to a Derrick Knight three yard touchdown run. The loss was the first of the year for the fourth ranked Irish, and BC again ended any hopes of an Irish National Championship.
Final score: Boston College 14, Notre Dame 7
The Miracle in Blacksburg (Video)
Date: October 25, 2007
Place: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, Va.
Score: #8 Virginia Tech 10, #2 Boston College 7
Situation: BC with the ball on the Virginia Tech 24 yard line
4th Quarter, 0:23 remaining
The Call:
Fowler: "Trying to force overtime."
Herbstreit: "Ten to twelve yards is what you're looking for right now if you're Matt Ryan."
Fowler: "Plenty of time ... cannot take a sack here. Ryan ... will fire ..."
Herbstreit: "Oh my goodness! Oh!"
Fowler: "... in the end zone. Wide open ... for a touchdown ... is Callender. And Lane Stadium goes SILENT with the 11 seconds to play. Now those are two Heisman drives."
Final score: Boston College 14, Virginia Tech 10
We're Going To The 'Ship (Video)
Date: November 17, 2007
Place: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Score: #15 Clemson 17, #18 Boston College 13
Situation: BC with the ball on the Clemson 43 yard line
4th Quarter, 1:50 remaining
The Call:
"Third and seven at the 43. Ryan back to pass. Flushed out, rolls to the right. Now steps up. Throw it down the field to Rich Gunnell who is WIDE OPEN at the five ... to the end zone ... TOUCHDOWN ... BOSTON COLLEGE! What a throw by MATT HEISMAN! Oh, it was a beauty. He dropped it out of the sky. It looked like Virginia Tech ... all over again. And the Eagles take the lead. Take a bow, Matt Ryan. THAT was a beauty."
Final score: Boston College 20, Clemson 17 (ACC Atlantic Division Champions)
Honorable mention: Paul Peterson finds Tony Gonzalez in the back of the end zone with less than a minute to play to complete a 24-23 comeback against Notre Dame in 2004, either of the two overtime wins games against Clemson, standing on the ESPN College GameDay set when Herzlich announced he was cancer-free, William Green's rushing performance in the Music City Bowl win over Georgia (arguably our best bowl win in recent history).
I'm sure there are plenty of moments that I missed or were before my Superfan days.
What moments most stand out to you as an Eagles fan? Feel free to leave your own most memorable moments in the comments section below.