20 Highest Scoring College Football Games
October 12, 2024
Whoever said defense wins championships never read the box scores of these games. Sure, we鈥檝e all seen the occasional four-overtime thriller, but have you seen the 220-point Georgia Tech blowout? With more and more teams adapting to a pass-heavy offensive strategy () it might come as no surprise that many of the highest scoring games of the modern era have occurred since 2000.聽 In many ways, the list below charts the evolution of the sport of college football – from one of overmatched blowouts to a current style of equally-matched offensive juggernauts. Read below to see a chronological list of the highest scoring college football games of all time, starting with the Early Era of college football and then working up to the Modern Era.
Highest Scoring College Football Games – Early Era (Pre-1940)
There were many 100-point games in the early days of college football. It was considered a part of the sport to try and score as many points as possible no matter the situation or circumstances. It wasn鈥檛 until post-WWII that it became frowned upon to run up the score on opponents.
Nearly all of the high-scoring games in the Early Era were blowouts, so the games below are a curated selection and not an exhaustive list.
1) Chicago 108 – Monmouth 0 (1903)
In one of the earliest blowouts in college football history, the University of Chicago trounced Monmouth by a staggering 108 points. Under the guidance of legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, Chicago鈥檚 dominant performance illustrates the vast disparity between programs in the sport鈥檚 early days.
2) Carlisle 100 – Albright 0 (1904)
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was one of the best college football programs of the Early Era.聽 The team included the likes of famous football coach Pop Warner and pro football hall of famer Jim Thorpe.聽 In its 25-year history, Carlisle amassed a .647 winning percentage, making it the most successful defunct major college football program of all time.
Highest Scoring College Football Games (Continued)
3) Cincinnati 124, Transylvania 0 (1912)
Cincinnati demolished Transylvania University in one of the most lopsided games of the pre-modern era. This game was a prime example of the huge score differentials that characterized football in the early 20th century, where mismatched teams frequently led to triple-digit outcomes.聽 The Transylvania Pioneers disbanded their football program in 1941, but the university still exists today in Lexington, Kentucky.
4) Georgia Tech 222, Cumberland 0 (1916)
The most infamous blowout in football history, Georgia Tech, led by head coach John Heisman, obliterated Cumberland College, who had disbanded its football team but was forced to play to avoid a contract penalty. The 222-0 final score remains the largest margin of victory in college football鈥檚 150-year history. Heisman鈥檚 team relentlessly ran up the score to prove a point about sportsmanship, creating a point differential that is now legendary.聽 This game was the last matchup in any sport between the schools. Georgia Tech also appears on this list again for a game that happens nearly 100 years later!
Highest Scoring College Football Games (Continued)
5) University of Central Oklahoma 183, Oklahoma Methodist 0 (1916)
In the same year as Georgia Tech鈥檚 massacre, the Central Oklahoma Bronchos also ran rampant over Oklahoma Methodist, scoring 183 points. This game showcased the raw offensive power of the Bronchos football program during its early dominance, especially against much weaker programs.聽 The Bronchos – located in Edmund, Oklahoma – currently play in NCAA Division II.
6) Centre 110, Kentucky Wesleyan 0 (1916)
The Centre College Colonels were one of the dominant programs of early college football, and their 110-0 win over Kentucky Wesleyan highlighted their superiority. Playing out of Danville, Kentucky, the Colonels were a force to be reckoned with in the early part of the century, consistently putting up large scorelines against weaker opponents.聽 Matter of fact, Centre College scored over 100 points in a game in 1917 and then twice during the 1920 season!
Highest Scoring College Football Games – Modern Era (Post-1940)
7) Houston 100, Tulsa 6 (1968)
In the very last 100-point game in college football history, the Houston Cougars, under head coach Bill Yeoman, dismantled Tulsa by 94 points. Houston鈥檚 veer offense was routinely one of the top offenses in the country during Yeoman鈥檚 26 years as head coach. The Cougars were particularly unstoppable on November 23, 1968, and Tulsa had no answers for their roaring offense. This game remains one of the biggest blowouts of the modern era, standing out in contrast to today鈥檚 more competitive matchups.聽 Interestingly, Houston is actually on this list twice (for a win in 1968 and a loss in 2022).
8) Texas 81, TCU 16 (1974)
The Longhorns had their way with a TCU team that finished the 1974 season with a record of 1-9. Texas dominated from the start and went into halftime with a staggering 52-3 lead.聽 Five different running backs scored touchdowns for Texas, including three for Marty Akins and two for Graylon Wyatt.聽 The Longhorns opened the third quarter with a 90-yard kickoff return and rest was history.聽 This matchup will go down as one of the all-time great in-state blowouts 鈥� and that鈥檚 saying a lot for a Texas program that has had its share of big wins!
Highest Scoring College Football Games (Continued)
9) Florida State 77, North Carolina State 17 (1995)
Led by legendary coach Bobby Bowden, Florida State obliterated NC State, scoring 77 points in a dominating performance. Quarterback Danny Kanell led the Seminoles鈥� offense with five touchdown passes, and future NFL star Warrick Dunn was unstoppable on the ground. Dunn and wide receiver Andre Cooper each scored three touchdowns. The game showed the dominance of the Seminoles during the mid-90s when they were perennial national title contenders and won the national championship in 1993 and 1999 (in that 鈥�99 season, the Seminoles also went undefeated with a record of 12-0).
10) Arkansas 71, Kentucky 63 (2003)
The craziest thing about this game was that it was tied at 24 apiece after the fourth quarter ended.聽 Then, seven overtimes later, the total points had nearly tripled!聽 In addition to this game being one of the highest scoring, it was also one of the longest games in college football history with a total time of more than five hours. The game ended when Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen fumbled the ball on a quarterback keeper play in the endzone.
Highest Scoring College Football Games (Continued)
11) Navy 74, North Texas 62 (2007)
At the time, this game held the record for most combined points scored in a modern-era NCAA game, with a total of 136 points.聽 Despite the total points, this game did not go into overtime and only 15 points were scored in the fourth quarter.聽 Navy鈥檚 triple-option offense, led by head coach Paul Johnson, was on full display with quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada directing the attack. Navy racked up 572 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. North Texas quarterback Giovanni Vizza threw for 478 yards and 8 touchdowns in the losing effort. The win earned the Midshipmen a berth in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl.
12) Boise State 69, Nevada 67 (2007)
Boise State, under head coach Chris Petersen, fought off Nevada in a thrilling double-overtime game. Running back Ian Johnson, who became famous for his Fiesta Bowl heroics in 2006, rushed for 205 yards and 3 touchdowns. Nevada, coached by Chris Ault, saw quarterback Colin Kaepernick lead a furious comeback, but the Broncos held on in overtime.
Highest Scoring College Football Games (Continued)
13) West Virginia 70, Baylor 63 (2012)
This Big 12 shootout saw West Virginia鈥檚 air raid offense in full force, as quarterback Geno Smith threw for a staggering 656 yards and 8 touchdowns. Baylor quarterback Nick Florence countered with 581 yards and five touchdowns – which set a Baylor single-game record.聽 The game set numerous offensive records, and Smith鈥檚 performance solidified his place in the Heisman race that year.聽 Amazingly, Smith threw more touchdown passes (eight) than incompletions (six)!聽 Although this game was not a well-known rivalry matchup, the fact that it was an in-conference games makes the outcome even more incredible.
14) Georgia Tech 68, North Carolina 50 (2012)
At the time, this was the highest-scoring ACC football game in history as Paul Johnson鈥檚 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets ran wild over North Carolina with 380 total rushing yards. The Yellow Jackets鈥� triple-option offense overwhelmed the Tar Heels, despite a valiant effort from North Carolina quarterback Bryn Renner, who threw for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tech鈥檚 relentless ground game proved to be the difference, with Tech’s Robert Godhigh rushing for two touchdowns and catching a third.
Highest Scoring College Football Games (Continued)
15) Western Kentucky 67, Marshall 66 (2014)
In the highest-scoring game in Conference USA history, the Hilltoppers from Western Kentucky foiled Marshall鈥檚 undefeated season in dramatic fashion.聽 WKU converted a two-point conversion in overtime to claim the victory, as quarterback Brandon Doughty threw for nearly 500 yards and eight touchdowns.聽 Although the Thundering Herd were ranked #24 nationally, they gave up a school-record 738 yards of total offense from the Hilltoppers.
16) Pittsburgh 76, Syracuse 61 (2016)
This game surpassed the Navy/UNT game in 鈥�07 as the highest scoring regulation game in the modern-era. Pittsburgh quarterback Nate Peterman led his team to a thrilling 76-61 win over Dino Babers鈥� Syracuse squad. Peterman threw for 3 touchdowns, while running back James Conner (future Pittsburgh Steelers star) added 160 yards and 4 touchdowns. Syracuse receiver Amba Etta-Tawo caught 5 touchdowns in the loss
Highest Scoring College Football Games (Continued)
17) Oklahoma 77, Texas Tech 55 (2016)
In one of the most memorable high scoring affairs in modern history, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes put on a legendary duel. Mayfield threw for 7 touchdowns while Mahomes set an NCAA record with 819 total yards and seven total touchdowns. Oklahoma鈥檚 defense made enough stops to secure the victory. This matchup was revisited five years later when the Cleveland Browns – led by Mayfield – faced Mahomes鈥� Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the NFL playoffs. 聽Unlike college, however, Mahomes and the Chiefs prevailed, 22-17.
18) Western Michigan 71, Buffalo 68 (2017)
With 139 total points scored, this was – at the time – the highest scoring college football game of all time (surpassing the 鈥�16 Pitt-Syracuse matchup).聽 Under head coach Tim Lester, Western Michigan survived the seven-overtime thriller when Broncos running back Jarvion Franklin took a 12-yard sweep into the endzone to secure victory.聽 Franklin rushed for 176 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Buffalo quarterback Drew Anderson threw for 597 yards, a single-game Buffalo record.
Highest Scoring College Football Games (Continued)
19) Texas A&M 74, LSU 72 (2018)
We have finally arrived at the undisputed high scoring champion!聽 With a total of 146 points, this matchup is the highest-scoring game of the modern era of college football.聽 Newly hired head coach Jimbo Fisher led the Aggies over a powerful LSU team that was loaded with future NFL stars (and would eventually, in 2019, go undefeated for one of the greatest college football seasons of all time).聽 After seven overtimes, Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond accounted for 7 touchdowns while LSU quarterback Joe Burrow tallied 6 total touchdowns. The game finally came to a close when Texas A&M converted a two-point attempt in the seventh overtime.
20) SMU 77, Houston 63 (2022)
SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai set a school record with 9 touchdown passes in this regulation shootout (seven of Mordecai鈥檚 touchdowns came in the first half, tying an NCAA record).聽 Houston quarterback Clayton Tune countered with 7 touchdowns of his own, but the Cougars couldn鈥檛 keep up with SMU鈥檚 explosive offense.聽 The Mustangs averaged more than 10 yards per rush, as Tyler Lavine rushed for a total of 146 yards.聽 The 140 total points set a record for a college football game that ended in regulation.
Highest Scoring College Football Games – Additional Resources
