With apologies to Doug Flutie and Boston College in 1984, Jacksonville State’s last-second bomb to shock Florida State last week may go down in history as the Hail Mary to end all Hail Marys.
For unlike that last-second, 47-45 BC win at Miami, JSU’s 59-yard catch-and-run score that delivered a 20-17 victory over the host Seminoles was a Football Championship Subdivision program win over a traditional Football Bowl Subdivision power.
Beyond that, great as Flutie’s strike to Gerald Phelan was, it only covered 48 yards and Boston College actually entered the Hurricanes’ Orange Bowl that Friday after Thanksgiving ranked 10th to Miami’s No. 12.
But the bigger news may be – especially since many may rightly argue that FSU is down these days – that Jax State’s upset hasn’t been the only one orchestrated by FCS programs against their larger FBS brothers this season. East Tennessee State dominated Vanderbilt 23-3 two weeks ago. South Dakota State bashed Colorado State 42-23.
And in perhaps the biggest shocker of all, Montana won 13-7 over then No. 20 Washington.