In college football, games in which 100 points are scored by a single team are rare, especially since 1940. In the post-World War II era, it is considered in poor form to run up the score of lopsided games. There have been only three occurrences since 1970, and just one since 2003.
On October 25, 1884, Yale defeated Dartmouth 113–0, becoming the first team to score 100 points in a game. [1] The next week, Princeton defeated Lafayette 140–0. [2]
The most points scored by a single team, and the most lopsided final score in college football history, occurred on October 7, 1916 when Georgia Tech beat Cumberland 222–0. [3] Only two other programs have scored at least 200 points in a single game: King (TN) defeated Lenoir 206–0 in 1922 and St. Viator beat Lane (IL) 205–0 in 1916.
Twenty programs have scored at least 150 points in a game: Albion, Arizona, Bowling Green, Carroll (MT), Central Oklahoma (twice), Christian Brothers (MO), Dayton, Georgia Tech, Harvard, King (TN), Millikin, Missouri S&T, Newberry, Oklahoma (twice), Pittsburg State, Roanoke, St. Viator, Southwestern (KS), Stevens and Tulsa (twice).
It is rare for a team to have scored in a game when the opponent scored over 100 points, but several cases exist, including when SMU kicked an early field goal but Rice "came back" to win 146–3 in 1916.
Early records are often incomplete and sometimes contradictory. Scores without footnotes listed in the table below have been confirmed in at least two sources, usually The Football Thesaurus and the football media guide of one of the corresponding schools. A footnote by the score indicates a separate single reference source. The table includes not only scores from NCAA programs, but also from those that compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and from games played before the advent of the NCAA or NAIA.
As a supplement to the list, the following summarizations are provided.
Oklahoma has scored at least 100 points in the most games with eight, followed by Centre and Georgia Tech with five. Georgia Tech holds the single season record for most games scoring at least 100 points, with three in 1918.
Wesleyan has allowed at least 100 points in the most games with five, followed by Bethel (KY), Cumberland (TN), Kansas City (KS), Kingfisher, Montana Western, Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma City, Phillips, and Southwestern Oklahoma State with three each. Kansas City (KS) allowed the most 100 point games in a single season, with three in 1923.
Excluding games in the 19th century and early 1900s, the Houston Cougars are the only current FBS team to score 100 points against another FBS team, against Tulsa in 1968.
A total of 24 teams have both won and lost 100 point games: Amherst, Arkansas, Carroll (MT), Colorado, Creighton, Idaho State, King (TN), Louisville, Marion Military Institute, Michigan State, Midland, Missouri S&T, NC State, New Mexico, North Central, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Northern Illinois, Pacific (OR), Penn State, Peru State, Pittsburg State, Rochester, Tulsa, and Virginia.
Virginia is the only team to win and lose a 100-point game in the same season. In 1890, Virginia lost to Princeton 115-0 and defeated Randolph-Macon 136–0.
The losing team has scored more than seven points in only two games. North Central scored 32 points in 1968 and North Park won by "only" 72 points. Oklahoma Panhandle State scored 13 in 1922 to lose to West Texas A&M by 91 points.
The 1920 season produced the most 100 point games in a single year with 17, but the 1910s proved to be the decade with the most 100 point games with 125. From 1910 to 1929, a total of 193 games were played with 100 points scored by one side, meaning 69% of all such games were in this 20-year period.
Decade | # games | Percent of total |
---|---|---|
1860s | 0 | 0.0 |
1870s | 0 | 0.0 |
1880s | 13 | 5.4 |
1890s | 10 | 4.2 |
1900s | 32 | 11.7 |
1910s | 125 | 45.2 |
1920s | 68 | 23.8 |
1930s | 8 | 2.9 |
1940s | 7 | 2.5 |
1950s | 3 | 1.2 |
1960s | 4 | 1.7 |
1970s | 0 | 0.0 |
1980s | 2 | 0.8 |
1990s | 0 | 0.0 |
2000s | 1 | 0.4 |
2010s | 0 | 0.0 |
2020s | 0 | 0.0 |
John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll was an American professional football and baseball player and football coach. A triple-threat man in football, he was regarded as the best drop kicker and one of the best overall players in the early years of the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
The 1917 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1917 college football season. The season was Alfred L. Buser's first of three as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The 1917 season was a disappointment; the team completed their football season with an SIAA conference record of 1–3 and an overall record of 2–4.
The 1920 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1920 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. Playing as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the team was led by head coach John R. Bender, in his third year, and played their home games at Waite Field in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season 7–2 overall and 5–2 in the SIAA. The Volunteers offense scored 243 points while the defense allowed 40 points.
The 1919 Harvard Crimson football team was an American football team that represented Harvard University as an independent during the 1919 college football season. In their first season under head coach Bob Fisher, the Crimson compiled a 9–0–1 record, shut out seven of ten opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 229 to 19. The team was invited to play in the 1920 Rose Bowl and defeated Oregon, 7–6.
The 1917 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season was the college football games played by the member schools of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of the 1917 college football season. The season began on September 28. A curtailing of expenses was required for extension into 1918.
The 1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season was the college football games played by the members schools of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of the 1897 college football season
The 1920 Michigan Agricultural Aggies football team was an American football team that represented Michigan Agricultural College (MAC) as an independent during the 1920 college football season. In their first and only year under head coach George Clark, the Aggies compiled a 4–6 record and outscored their opponents 270 to 166.
The 1928 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College (MAC) as an independent during the 1928 college football season. In their first and only year under head coach Harry Kipke, the Spartans compiled a 3–4–1 record and outscored their opponents 153 to 66.
The 1914 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season was the college football games played by the member schools of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of the 1914 college football season. The season began on September 26.
The 1915 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season was the college football games played by the member schools of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of the 1915 college football season. The season began on September 25.
The 1922 Army Cadets football team represented the United States Military Academy in the 1922 college football season. In their eighth season under head coach Charles Dudley Daly, the Cadets compiled a 8–0–2 record, shut out seven of their ten opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 228 to 27, an average of 22.8 points scored and 2.7 points allowed. In the annual Army–Navy Game, the Cadets defeated the Midshipmen 17–14.
The 1922 California Golden Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Berkeley in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1922 college football season. In their seventh year under head coach Andy Smith, the team compiled a 9–0 record, won the PCC championship, and outscored its opponents by a combined total of 398 to 34. The 398 points scored led major college football.
The 1923 Saint Mary's Saints football team was an American football team that represented Saint Mary's College of California during the 1923 college football season. In their third season under head coach Slip Madigan, the Gaels compiled a 5–3–1 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 212 to 111. The Gaels' victories included a 22–20 besting of Arizona. Their losses included a 49–0 defeat against undefeated national champion California.
The 1918 Rutgers Queensmen football team was an American football team that represented Rutgers University as an independent during the 1918 college football season. In their sixth season under head coach George Sanford, the team compiled a 5–2 record, shut out its first four opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 192 to 78.
The 1909 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University as an independent during the 1909 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Tad Jones, the Orangemen compiled a record of 4–5–1. The team played home games at Archbold Stadium in Syracuse, New York.
The 1920 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) during the 1920 college football season. Led by second-year head coach R. L. Sullivan, the Rebels compiled an overall record of 4–3, with a mark of 0–2 in conference play. Ole Miss played home games at Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.
The 1901 Beloit football team represented Beloit College as an independent during the 1901 college football season. In its sixth season under head coach John W. Hollister, the team compiled a 5–3–3 record.
The 1916 Haskell Indians football team was an American football team that represented the Haskell Indian Institute as an independent during the 1916 college football season. In its first and only season under head coach A. M. Venne, Haskell compiled a 3–6 record and was outscored by a total of 130 to 63.
The 1916 Fordham Maroon football team was an American football team that represented Fordham University as an independent during the 1916 college football season. Under first-year head coach Frank Gargan, Fordham claims a 25–1–1 record. College Football Data Warehouse (CFDW) lists the team's record at 6–1–1. Opponents recognized by CFDW are displayed in bold in the schedule chart below.
The 1920 Southwest Conference football season was the sixth season of college football played by the member schools of the Southwest Conference (SWC) and was a part of the 1920 college football season. The Texas Longhorns won their first officially recognized conference championship and went undefeated in season play. This was also the first SWC without Oklahoma as they joined the MVIAA at the end of 1919 and the first season with Phillips.