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 the-game changes to press box numbers. This is consistent with existing Convention of August 1973, teams classified major-college in football on NCAA policies involving corrections to any offensive statistics after a contest. August 1, 1973, were placed in Division I. College-division teams were divided Any changes to press box numbers must be obvious errors, such as misiden- into Division II and Division III. At the NCAA Convention of January 1978, tified players, and this should not be interpreted as a way for press box sta- Division I was divided into Division I-A and Division I-AA for football only (In tistics to be later “updated” by the coaching films. Changes should be made 2006, I-A was renamed Football Bowl Subdivision, and I-AA was renamed within one week after the game is played. Statisticians also are reminded Football Championship Subdivision.). that NCAA policy does not permit changes to away-game statistics unless approved by the home sports information director. Before 2002, postseason games were not included in NCAA final football statistics or records. Beginning with the 2002 season, all postseason games It is important to note that this policy applies ONLY to official NCAA statistics were included in NCAA final football statistics and records. and national rankings, and does not mean a coaching staff cannot compile separate defensive statistics for institutional use. Those compilations also From 1937, when official national statistics rankings began, through 1969, could appear in the institution’s press releases and/or website, as long as individual rankings were by totals. Beginning in 1970, most season individual they are identified as coaching film numbers rather than official statistics as rankings were by per-game averages. In total offense, rushing and scoring, used by the NCAA. it is yards or points per game; in receiving, catches per game and yards per game; in interceptions, catches per game; and in punt and kickoff returns, The NCAA statistics staff reserves the right to review any statistics provided yards per return. Punting always has been by average, and all team rankings to the national office and may withhold publishing/posting those numbers until have been per game. Beginning in 1979, passers were rated in all divisions the accuracy of those statistics can be substantiated. on “pass efficiency rating points,” which are derived from a formula that compares passers to the national averages for 14 seasons of two-platoon ^Active player. Division I football starting with the 1965 season. One hundred points equals the 14-year averages for all players in Division I. Those averages break down to 6.29 yards per attempt, 47.14 percent completions, 3.97 percent touchdown passes and 6.54 percent interceptions. The formula assumes that OFFENSE touchdowns are as good as interceptions are bad; therefore, these two figures offset each other for the average player. To determine efficiency rating points, 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- RUSHING centage times two. Most Rushes 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 Quarter with fewer than 100 attempts in a season. A passer must play in at least 75 22—Alex Smith, Indiana vs. Michigan St., Nov. 11, 1995 (1st, 114 yards) percent of his team’s games to qualify for the rankings (for example, a player Half on a team with a nine-game season could qualify by playing in seven games); 34—Tony Sands, Kansas vs. Missouri, Nov. 23, 1991 (2nd, 240 yards) thus, a passer with 105 attempts could qualify for the national rankings. Game 58—Tony Sands, Kansas vs. Missouri, Nov. 23, 1991 (396 yards) A pass efficiency rating comparison for each year since 1979 has been added Season to the passing section of all-time leaders to compare that season’s passers 450—Kevin Smith, UCF, 2007 (2,567 yards) with the average rating for all passers during that year. Season Per Game For records by position, such as yards rushing by a quarterback or receiv- 39.6—Ed Marinaro, Cornell, 1971 (356 in 9) ing yards by a tight end, a student-athlete must have played at least half his Career games in a season at that position in order to be considered for a season 1,215—Steve Bartalo, Colorado St., 1983-86 (4,813 yards) record. Only the seasons he qualified in will be considered for a career record. Career Per Game In 2000, defensive stats became a part of the statistics. Individual and team 34.0—Ed Marinaro, Cornell, 1969-71 (918 in 27) records and rankings included only regular-season games through the 2001 season. Beginning in 2002, all individual and team records included postsea- Most Rushes By a Freshman son games. Career records of players include only those years in which they Game competed in the FBS. 52—Michael Turner, Northern Ill. vs. Central Mich., Nov. 18, 2000 (281 yards) Statistics in some team categories were not tabulated until the advent of the computerized statistics program in 1966. The records listed in those catego- Season ries begin with the 1966 season and are so indicated. 339—Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma, 2004 (1,925 yards) Season Per Game Some players in career categories have five seasons listed because they 29.2—Steve Bartalo, Colorado St., 1983 (292 in 10) were granted an additional season of competition for reasons of hardship or a freshman redshirt. Most Consecutive Rushes by Same COLLEGIATE RECORDS Player Individual and team collegiate records are determined by comparing the best Game records in all four divisions (FBS, FCS, II and III) in comparable categories. 16—William Howard, Tennessee vs. Ole Miss, Nov. 15, 1986 (during two Included are career records of players who played parts of their careers in dif- possessions) ferent divisions (such as Dennis Shaw of San Diego State, Howard Stevens of Randolph-Macon and Louisville, and Doug Williams of Grambling). For Most Rushes in Two Consecutive Games individual collegiate career leaders and team records, see the collegiate Season records section. 102—Lorenzo White, Michigan St., 1985 (53 vs. Purdue, Oct. 26; 49 vs. Minnesota, Nov. 2) NCAA DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL STATISTICS COMPILATION POLICIES Most Consecutive Rushes Without All individual defensive statistics reported to the NCAA must be compiled by Losing a Fumble the press box statistics crew during the game. Defensive numbers compiled by the coaching staff or other university/college personnel using game film will Season not be considered “official” NCAA statistics. 365—Travis Prentice, Miami (OH), 1998 Career This policy does not preclude a conference or institution from making after- 862—Travis Prentice, Miami (OH), 1997-99 Individual Records 2 Most Yards Gained Earliest Game By a Freshman Quarter Reaching 1,000 Yards 222—Corey Dillon, Washington vs. San Jose St., Nov. 16, 1996 (1st, 16 rushes) Season 7th—Emmitt Smith, Florida, 1987 (1,011 vs. Temple, Oct. 17); Marshall Half Faulk, San Diego St., 1991 (1,157 vs. Colorado St., Nov. 9); Adrian 287—Stacey Robinson, Northern Ill. vs. Fresno St., Oct. 6, 1990 (1st; 114 Peterson, Oklahoma, 2004 (1,023 vs. Kansas, Oct. 23); Jamario Thomas, in first quarter, 173 in second quarter; 20 rushes); LaDainian Tomlinson, North Texas, 2004 (1,216 vs. La.-Monroe, Oct. 30); P.J. Hill, Wisconsin, TCU vs. UTEP, Nov. 20, 1999 (2nd; 121 in third quarter, 166 in fourth 2006 (1,011 vs. Minnesota, Oct. 14); Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin, 2017 quarter; 28 rushes) (1,112 vs. Maryland, Oct. 21) Game 427—Samaje Perine, Oklahoma vs. Kansas, Nov. 22, 2014 (34 rushes) Most Yards Gained by a Quarterback (61 yards in first quarter, 161 in second quarter, 156 in third quarter, 49 in fourth quarter) Game Season 327—Khalil Tate, Arizona vs. Colorado, Oct. 7, 2017 (14 rushes) 2,628—Barry Sanders, Oklahoma St., 1988 (344 rushes, 11 games) Season Season Per Game 2,017—Malcolm Perry, Navy, 2019 (295 rushes) 238.9—Barry Sanders, Oklahoma St., 1988 (2,628 in 11) Season Per Game Career 155.2—Malcolm Perry, Navy, 2019 (2,017 in 13) 6,405—Donnel Pumphrey, San Diego St., 2013-16 (1,059 rushes) Career Career Per Game 4,559—Keenan Reynolds, Navy, 2012-15 (977 rushes) 174.6—Ed Marinaro, Cornell, 1969-71 (4,715 in 27) Career Per Game 109.1—Stacey Robinson, Northern Ill., 1988-90 (2,727 in 25) Most Yards Gained Per Rush Most Yards Gained by a Freshman Game (Min. 10 rushes) 30.20—Kevin Lowe, Wyoming vs. South Dakota St., Nov. Quarterback 10, 1984 (10 for 302) (Min. 15 rushes) 21.44—Tony Jeffery, TCU vs. Tulane, Sept. 13, 1986 (16 Season for 343) 1,410—Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, 2012 (201 rushes) (Min. 25 rushes) 16.32—Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin vs. Nebraska, Nov. 15, 2014 (25 for 408) Longest Gain by a Quarterback Season Game (Min.