Saturday was an important day for the Boston College football program. 

Not only did the Eagles secure bowl eligibility with a 41-21 win over the UNC Tar Heels, but it also marked the 40th anniversary of the “Hail Flutie,” a Hail Mary touchdown pass that former quarterback Doug Flutie threw as time expired to give Boston College a 47-45 win over the reigning national champions the Miami Hurricanes. 

Members of the 1984 team were in attendance at Alumni Stadium and were honored as a way to mark the milestone. 

After the game, Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien as well as quarterback Grayson James and offensive lineman Drew Kendall spoke about the impact of that team and how them being at the game helped them come out with the victory. 

“It’s sweet,” said James. “Just being able to know what he’s done, done for this program, just being able to see guys like that come back and support, it’s awesome. It makes us want to put on a show for them and put on a show for the whole BC community, so it definitely got us going knowing that team was there today.” 

Kendall emphasized that the season and that team made impacts on the program that are still felt today. 

“Obviously they kind of put Boston College on the map,” said Kendall. “They were, I believe, a top five team in the country, No. 2- I’m not 100-percent, but they really put Boston College on the map and what they did has kind of allowed Boston College as a program to thrive. Of course Doug Flutie is the only Heisman at Boston College so hopefully we can get another one day but their toughness and their determination has really rubbed off through the program throughout the years.” 

O’Brien shared that he showed film from the Hail Flutie game the day before the Eagles matchup against the Tar Heels as a part of preparation.

“I told them in this room on Friday, I showed them the last drive of the Miami game,” said O’Brien. “That that was a team, quite obviously, that played 60 minutes. They understood what playing 60 minutes was all about and on this screen right behind me, I showed that drive. And then, when you have the ‘84 team here, they were 10-2, ranked fifth in the country, Heisman Trophy winner in the house, you got to play well. It’s kind of in the same vein a little bit as the Red Bandanna Game, like you got to play well in these games. There’s a lot of tradition here at Boston College and for those guys to be here meant a lot to our program and it was important for us to go out there and win.” 

The Boston College Eagles (5-5, 2-4 ACC) football team looks to become bowl eligible as it returns to Alumni Stadium to take on the UNC Tar Heels (6-4, 3-3 ACC).

Both teams are currently dealing with injuries in the program.

Below is a look at the latest injury updates for both teams.

[This story will be updated throughout the game with the latest injury news].

LB Caleb LaVallee | Questionable: Tar Heels linebacker Caleb LaVallee’s status for today’s game has yet to be determined. He has not played since UNC’s Nov. 2 game against FSU. He is dealing with a lower body injury and has been reportedly “monitored” this week.

RB Darwin Barlow | Questionable: Tar Heels running back Darwin Barlow’s status has yet to be revealed. Barlow’s appeared in three games this season, most recently in the team’s Nov. 2 game against FSU. 

TE Bryson Nesbit | Out: Tar Heels tight end Bryson Nesbit will miss the game against the Eagles with an injury. 

DB Max Tucker | Out: Eagles defensive back Max Tucker will miss the Eagles game against UNC. Tucker exited Boston College’s matchup against No. 13 SMU early in the game and did not return. Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien considered him “day-to-day.” 

DB Bryquice Brown | Out: Eagles defensive back Bryquice Brown will miss the Eagles game against UNC. Brown exited Boston College’s matchup against No. 13 SMU and did not return. Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien considered him “day-to-day.” 

LB Kam Arnold | Questionable: Eagles linebacker Kam Arnold’s status for today’s game has yet to be revealed. Arnold has missed Boston College’s last three games with an upper body injury. 

RB Turbo Richard | Questionable: Eagles running back Turbo Richard’s status for the game has also not been revealed. Like Arnold, Richard has also missed the Eagles last three games as he’s dealing with an ankle injury. 

Players Out For Season: LB Owen McGowan, CB Amari Jackson, RB Alex Broome, LB Jaylen Blackwell. 

Malcolm Brogdon departed the Boston Celtics two offseasons ago, in surprise fashion, sparking some speculated bad blood between both sides.

During Friday night’s NBA Cup battle, Brogdon, now a member of the Washington Wizards, got his first chance to compete against his old team. Brogdon missed both opportunities last season with the Portland Trail Blazers, the team Boston initially traded the 2023 Sixth Man of the Year to in order to land Jrue Holiday.

“Guys get traded every year,” Brogdon told reporters, per CLNS Media. “I think for teams, a lot of the time it’s not personal, it’s a business decision. For players, it is personal. You’re uprooting your family at the end of the day. You’re moving to a new city, you’re having to adjust to a new situation. But honestly, it was a good trade for them. We’ll both be good in the long run.”

Brogdon made the start against the Celtics, sharing the floor with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, for the first time since Brogdon was teammates with the crew. The 31-year-old met the challenge posed by the reigning champions and performed well, scoring 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field with 10 rebounds to notch his fourth double-double in his first season with the Wizards.

As frustrating as parting ways with the Celtics in the middle of their championship hunt might’ve been for Brogdon, the nine-year veteran doesn’t plan on letting the past haunt him moving forward. Brogdon’s inherited a leadership role for a Washington team that’s gone 2-12 so far, is 1-6 at home and isn’t expected to compete in the playoffs. And for Brogdon, that’s perfectly fine.

“Honestly, I’m not even in a position anymore where I even talk about it, man,” Brogdon said of the trade. “I’ve made peace with the situation and moved on. I’m in a good place now.”

Brogdon even gave his former team its flowers and made it known that even though he’s in Washington now, he’s been keeping tabs on Boston.

“They’re a very well-rounded team,” Brogdon said. “The way they’re constructed. And I think the Jay’s together — people have always criticized them over the years: ‘They can’t play together. Their games are too similar.’ I mean, they’ve heard it all and I think they’ve really come together and figured out how to play well and mesh on the court, on both ends. They’ve embraced the defensive side and they’ve then learned how to play together and embrace each other on offense.”

The Wizards — and Brogdon — were Boston’s latest stepping stone as the team continues to embark on its journey toward punching a ticket to Las Vegas in the NBA Cup. The Celtics improved to 13-3 overall and 2-1 in tournament play, securing a plus-14 point differential to put them second to the Atlanta Hawks in the Group C standings.