FOOTBALL BOWL SUBDIVISION RECORDS Individual Records 2 Team Records 24 All-Time Individual Leaders on Offense 35 All-Time Individual Leaders on Defense 63 All-Time Individual Leaders on Special Teams 75 All-Time Team Season Leaders 86 Annual Team Champions 91 Toughest-Schedule Annual Leaders 98 Annual Most-Improved Teams 100 All-Time Won-Loss Records 103 Winningest Teams by Decade 106 National Poll Rankings 111 College Football Playoff 164 Bowl Coalition, Alliance and Bowl Championship Series History 166 Streaks and Rivalries 182 Major-College Statistics Trends 186 FBS Membership Since 1978 195 College Football Rules Changes 196 INDIVIDUAL RECORDS Under a three-division reorganization plan adopted by the special NCAA NCAA DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL STATISTICS COMPILATION Convention of August 1973, teams classified major-college in football on August 1, 1973, were placed in Division I. College-division teams were divided POLICIES into Division II and Division III. At the NCAA Convention of January 1978, All individual defensive statistics reported to the NCAA must be compiled by Division I was divided into Division I-A and Division I-AA for football only (In the press box statistics crew during the game. Defensive numbers compiled 2006, I-A was renamed Football Bowl Subdivision, and I-AA was renamed by the coaching staff or other university/college personnel using game film will Football Championship Subdivision.). not be considered “official” NCAA statistics. Before 2002, postseason games were not included in NCAA final football This policy does not preclude a conference or institution from making after- statistics or records. Beginning with the 2002 season, all postseason games the-game changes to press box numbers. This is consistent with existing were included in NCAA final football statistics and records. NCAA policies involving corrections to any offensive statistics after a contest. Any changes to press box numbers must be obvious errors, such as misiden- From 1937, when official national statistics rankings began, through 1969, tified players, and this should not be interpreted as a way for press box sta- individual rankings were by totals. Beginning in 1970, most season individual tistics to be later “updated” by the coaching films. Changes should be made rankings were by per-game averages. In total offense, rushing and scoring, within one week after the game is played. Statisticians also are reminded it is yards or points per game; in receiving, catches per game and yards per that NCAA policy does not permit changes to away-game statistics unless game; in interceptions, catches per game; and in punt and kickoff returns, approved by the home sports information director. yards per return. Punting always has been by average, and all team rankings have been per game. Beginning in 1979, passers were rated in all divisions It is important to note that this policy applies ONLY to official NCAA statistics on “pass efficiency rating points,” which are derived from a formula that and national rankings, and does not mean a coaching staff cannot compile compares passers to the national averages for 14 seasons of two-platoon separate defensive statistics for institutional use. Those compilations also Division I football starting with the 1965 season. One hundred points equals could appear in the institution’s press releases and/or website, as long as the 14-year averages for all players in Division I. Those averages break they are identified as coaching film numbers rather than official statistics as down to 6.29 yards per attempt, 47.14 percent completions, 3.97 percent used by the NCAA. touchdown passes and 6.54 percent interceptions. The formula assumes that The NCAA statistics staff reserves the right to review any statistics provided touchdowns are as good as interceptions are bad; therefore, these two figures to the national office and may withhold publishing/posting those numbers until offset each other for the average player. To determine efficiency rating points, the accuracy of those statistics can be substantiated. multiply a passer’s yards per attempt by 8.4, add his completion percentage, add his touchdown percentage times 3.3, then subtract his interception per- ^Active player. centage times two. Passers must have a minimum of 15 attempts per game to determine rating points because fewer attempts could allow a player to win the championship with fewer than 100 attempts in a season. A passer must play in at least 75 OFFENSE percent of his team’s games to qualify for the rankings (for example, a player on a team with a nine-game season could qualify by playing in seven games); thus, a passer with 105 attempts could qualify for the national rankings. RUSHING A pass efficiency rating comparison for each year since 1979 has been added to the passing section of all-time leaders to compare that season’s passers Most Rushes with the average rating for all passers during that year. Quarter For records by position, such as yards rushing by a quarterback or receiv- 22—Alex Smith, Indiana vs. Michigan St., Nov. 11, 1995 (1st, 114 yards) ing yards by a tight end, a student-athlete must have played at least half his Half games in a season at that position in order to be considered for a season 34—Tony Sands, Kansas vs. Missouri, Nov. 23, 1991 (2nd, 240 yards) record. Only the seasons he qualified in will be considered for a career record. Game 58—Tony Sands, Kansas vs. Missouri, Nov. 23, 1991 (396 yards) In 2000, defensive stats became a part of the statistics. Individual and team records and rankings included only regular-season games through the 2001 Season season. Beginning in 2002, all individual and team records included postsea- 450—Kevin Smith, UCF, 2007 (2,567 yards) son games. Career records of players include only those years in which they Season Per Game competed in the FBS. 39.6—Ed Marinaro, Cornell, 1971 (356 in 9) Career Statistics in some team categories were not tabulated until the advent of the 1,215—Steve Bartalo, Colorado St., 1983-86 (4,813 yards) computerized statistics program in 1966. The records listed in those catego- Career Per Game ries begin with the 1966 season and are so indicated. 34.0—Ed Marinaro, Cornell, 1969-71 (918 in 27) Some players in career categories have five seasons listed because they were granted an additional season of competition for reasons of hardship or Most Rushes By a Freshman a freshman redshirt. Game In 2020, several teams teams were unable to play full schedules due to the 52—Michael Turner, Northern Ill. vs. Central Mich., Nov. 18, 2000 (281 COVID-19 pandemic. As a result teams with very few games over the course yards) of the season can create unusual outcomes in per game and percentage Season season records. As a result, it was determined that in order for a team or 339—Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma, 2004 (1,925 yards) individual to appear in the records or lists, that team must have played at least Season Per Game six games. Teams or individuals that may have qualified for a record or list are 29.2—Steve Bartalo, Colorado St., 1983 (292 in 10) listed as a footnote in that category. Most Consecutive Rushes by Same COLLEGIATE RECORDS Player Individual and team collegiate records are determined by comparing the best records in all four divisions (FBS, FCS, II and III) in comparable categories. Game Included are career records of players who played parts of their careers in dif- 16—William Howard, Tennessee vs. Ole Miss, Nov. 15, 1986 (during two ferent divisions (such as Dennis Shaw of San Diego State, Howard Stevens possessions) of Randolph-Macon and Louisville, and Doug Williams of Grambling). For individual collegiate career leaders and team records, see the collegiate Most Rushes in Two Consecutive Games records section. Season 102—Lorenzo White, Michigan St., 1985 (53 vs. Purdue, Oct. 26; 49 vs. Minnesota, Nov. 2) Individual Records 2 Most Consecutive Rushes Without Earliest Game Reaching 1,000 Yards Losing a Fumble Season 5th—Ed Marinaro, Cornell, 1971 (1,026); Ricky Bell, Southern California, Season 1976 (1,008); Marcus Allen, Southern California, 1981 (1,136); Ernest 365—Travis Prentice, Miami (OH), 1998 Anderson, Oklahoma St., 1982 (1,042); Barry Sanders, Oklahoma St., Career 1988 (1,002); Troy Davis, Iowa St., 1995 (1,001); Troy Davis, Iowa St., 862—Travis Prentice, Miami (OH), 1997-99 1996 (1,047); Byron Hanspard, Texas Tech, 1996 (1,112); Ricky Williams, Texas, 1998 (1,086); Garrett Wolfe, Northern Ill., 2006 (1,181); Bryce Most Yards Gained Love, Stanford, 2017 (1,088); Jaret Patterson, Buffalo, 2020 (1,025) Quarter Earliest Game By a Freshman 222—Corey Dillon, Washington vs. San Jose St., Nov. 16, 1996 (1st, 16 rushes) Reaching 1,000 Yards Half Season 287—Stacey Robinson, Northern Ill. vs. Fresno St., Oct. 6, 1990 (1st; 114 7th—Emmitt Smith, Florida, 1987 (1,011 vs. Temple, Oct. 17); Marshall in first quarter, 173 in second quarter; 20 rushes); LaDainian Tomlinson, Faulk, San Diego St., 1991 (1,157 vs. Colorado St., Nov. 9); Adrian TCU vs. UTEP, Nov. 20, 1999 (2nd; 121 in third quarter, 166 in fourth Peterson, Oklahoma, 2004 (1,023 vs. Kansas, Oct. 23); Jamario Thomas, quarter; 28 rushes) North Texas, 2004 (1,216 vs. La.-Monroe, Oct. 30); P.J. Hill, Wisconsin, Game 2006 (1,011 vs. Minnesota, Oct. 14); Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin, 2017 427—Samaje Perine, Oklahoma vs. Kansas, Nov. 22, 2014 (34 rushes) (1,112 vs. Maryland, Oct. 21) (61 yards in first quarter, 161 in second quarter, 156 in third quarter, 49 in fourth quarter) Most Yards Gained by a Quarterback Season Game 2,628—Barry Sanders, Oklahoma St., 1988 (344 rushes, 11 games) 327—Khalil Tate, Arizona vs.