Before Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie won the Heisman Award in 1984, he suffered one of the toughest losses of his college career.
On Oct. 20, 1984, Flutie and the Eagles traveled to Morgantown, W.Va., to play West Virginia free safety Rich Rodriguez and the Mountaineers.
Flutie and Boston College, ranked No. 4 in the country at the time, built a 20-6 lead at halftime, but were outscored 15-0 in the second half. West Virginia won 21-20.
West Virginia, in 2010, named it the eighth most unforgettable game in Mountaineer history.
“I think they burned a few couches in Morgantown, West Virginia, that night,” said Rodriguez of the unique West Virginia tradition after big wins.
The win was one of the best of Rodriguez’s career and capped an undefeated career against the Eagles for the current UA coach. In four years as a West Virginia player, Rodriguez was 4-0 against the Eagles.
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“It’s a pretty neat stat, but the biggest accomplishment is that it’s when they were with Doug Flutie and had some of the best teams in the country,” Rodriguez said. “I remember by senior year, when I got to play the most, I was playing free safety and I probably lined up about 20 yards deep so Doug wouldn’t throw it over my head. They never beat me deep.”
The coach continued: “I didn’t play any the first year, and then the next two I was mostly on special teams, and then my senior year was when I actually got to play and make a meaningful contribution.”
As the West Virginia coach, Rodriguez was 2-2 against Boston College.
