It was one of the best endings to a Boston College football season in recent memory.

Granted, the Eagles finished 4-8 overall (3-5 ACC) this year and won't go bowling for the first time since 1998. BC can still take some measure of satisfaction in ending its 2011 campaign with a 24-17 win at Miami today, just its fifth win ever over the Hurricanes, and first in Florida since Doug Flutie's heroics 27 years ago in a last-second 47-45 win at the Orange Bowl.

It didn't start off all that well, as Miami (6-6, 3-5 ACC) raced out to a 14-7 first-quarter lead in the first 10 minutes at Sun Life Stadium. The visiting Eagles, though, battled back to take a 17-14 lead after three quarters on a Nate Frese field goal and Chase Rettig's second TD pass of the day to Chris Pantale.

They sealed it in the fourth on a 45-yard interception return for a score by junior linebacker Luke Kuechly, who is likely off to the NFL next season after becoming Boston College's all-time tackles leader today, with more than 525 career tackles. He also broke the Atlantic Coast Conference record of 182 tackles in a season that he set in 2010 and is a finalist for this year's Butkus Award.

Miami couldn't overcome four interceptions by quarterback Jacory Harris, who had thrown only five picks on the season entering today's game. BC, which also defeated Miami in 2007 in the two schools' last meeting, will host the Hurricanes in 2012 at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass.