On this day – November 23, 1984 – a mark was forever left on Boston College football history when scrappy quarterback Doug Flutie threw a last-second “Hail Mary” touchdown pass to Gerard Phelan in the end zone, giving Boston College a 47-45 win over the University of Miami. This pass became an iconic moment for BC. But it was more than a sports accomplishment for the college. The Eagles’ increase in visibility was a significant factor in BC’s emergence as a major national
university. The increase in applications for admission and alumni support that followed came to be known as the “Flutie Factor.” As Globe columnist Bob Ryan wrote, Doug Flutie “was a walking advertisement, bringing attention and glory to the school.”

From Mass Moments:

      …in 1984, Doug Flutie threw a last-second “Hail Mary” touchdown pass to Gerard Phelan in the end zone, giving Boston College a 47-45 win over the University of Miami. Considered too short and without a strong enough arm to play quarterback, the 5’10” Natick resident became one of the gutsiest players in football. Running away from defenders, buying time for receivers, he threw a Boston College single-year record of 3,454 yards and 27 touchdowns. Passing for over 57,000 yards in his pro career, he won three Grey Cups in the Canadian Football League and led the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs in 1998. As legendary coach John Madden said, “Inch for inch, Flutie in his prime was the best quarterback of his generation.”