‘Tis the season for a bounty of college football bowl games.
College football’s very first bowl game was the Rose Bowl in 1902. Michigan blew out Stanford 49-0 on New Year’s Day. Though the College Football Playoff games headline the modern postseason landscape, a myriad of FBS bowl games also flood the airwaves during the holidays and put an exclamation point on another action-packed season.
Whether it’s long returns or high-scoring games, many of college football’s most eye-popping statistical feats have happened during bowl season. In 2025, New Mexico’sDamon Bankston returned a kickoff for 100 yards in the Rate Bowl, marking the first 100-yard kickoff return in Rate Bowl history.
Take a look at notable records from bowl game history below:
Most bowl game appearances
Alabama, 78
Georgia, 63
Texas, 60
Most bowl game victories
Alabama, 45
Georgia, 38
USC, 35
Most total points in a bowl game
125 – Marshall def. East Carolina 64-61, 2001 GMAC Bowl
Fewest total points in a bowl game
0 (four times) – most recently Air Force vs. TCU, 1959 Cotton Bowl
Most total points in first half of a bowl game
76 – Virginia Tech (45) vs. Tulsa (31), 2015 Independence Bowl
Most total points in second half of a bowl game
84 – Idaho(41) vs. Colorado State(43), 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Most total touchdowns scored in a bowl game
17 – Washington (8) vs. Baylor (9), 2011 Alamo Bowl
Most total yards in a bowl game
1,397 – Washington (620) vs. Baylor (777), 2011 Alamo Bowl
Most total first downs in a bowl game
70 – Arizona (31) vs. Nevada (39), 2012 New Mexico Bowl
Most total rushing yards in a bowl game
889 – Baylor (645) vs. North Carolina (244), 2015 Russell Athletics Bowl
Most total rushing touchdowns in a bowl game
12 – Texas Tech (6) vs. Air Force (6), 1995 Copper Bowl
Most total passing yards in a bowl game
971 – Western Kentucky (486) vs. Central Michigan (485), 2014 Bahamas Bowl
Most total passing touchdowns in a bowl game
12 – Western Kentucky (5) vs. Central Michigan (7), 2014 Bahamas Bowl
Most total interceptions thrown in a bowl game
12 – Auburn (4) vs. Arizona (8), 1968 Sun Bowl
Most total fumbles lost in a bowl game
9 – Alabama (3) vs. Ole Miss (6), 1964 Sugar Bowl (17 combined fumbles are also a bowl record)
Most total field goals made in a bowl game
8 – Notre Dame (5) vs. Rutgers (3), 2013 Pinstripe Bowl
Most total punts in a bowl game
28 (twice) – Santa Clara (14) vs. LSU (14), 1938 Sugar Bowl; Rice (13) vs. Tennessee (15), 1947 Orange Bowl
Most total penalties in a bowl game
29 (three times) – 1999 Peach Bowl; 1997 Sugar Bowl; 1976 Independence Bowl
Most total penalty yards in a bowl game
315 – Kansas (216) vs. UNLV (99), 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Most points by a team in a bowl game
70 (twice) – West Virginia vs. Clemson, 2012 Orange Bowl; Army vs. Houston, 2018 Armed Forces Bowl
Most points by a team in a bowl game loss
61 – East Carolina vs. Marshall, 2001 GMAC Bowl
Fewest points by a team in a bowl game win
2 – Fordham vs. Missouri, 1942 Sugar Bowl
Most points by a team in first half of a bowl game
56 – Auburn vs. Purdue, 2018 Music City Bowl
Most points by a team in second half/overtime of a bowl game
56 – Marshall vs. East Carolina, 2001 GMAC Bowl
Most points by a team in a single quarter of a bowl game
36 – Colorado State vs. Idaho, fourth quarter of 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Most touchdowns by a team in a bowl game
10 (twice) – Nebraska vs. Northwestern, 2000 Alamo Bowl; West Virginia vs Clemson, 2012 Orange Bowl
Largest margin of victory in a bowl game
60 points – Georgia 63-3 vs. Florida State, 2023 Orange Bowl
Largest comeback win in a bowl game
31 points (twice) – Texas Tech (trailed 38-7) vs. Minnesota, 2006 Insight Bowl; TCU (trailed 31-0) vs. Oregon, 2016 Alamo Bowl
Most total yards by a team in a bowl game
777 – Baylor vs. Washington, 2011 Alamo Bowl
Most first downs by a team in a bowl game
39 – Nevada vs. Arizona, 2012 New Mexico Bowl
Most rushing attempts by a team in a bowl game
87 (twice) – Army vs. San Diego State, 2017 Armed Forces Bowl; Oklahoma vs. Auburn, 1972 Sugar Bowl
Most rushing yards by a team in a bowl game
645 – Baylor vs. North Carolina, 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl
Most rushing touchdowns by a team in a bowl game
8 (three times) – Army vs. Houston, 2018 Armed Forces Bowl; Baylor vs. Washington, 2011 Alamo Bowl; Centre vs. TCU, 1921 Fort Worth Classic
Fewest rushing yards by a team in a bowl game
minus-66 – Middle Tennessee vs. San Diego State, 2022 Hawaii Bowl
Most passing yards by a team in a bowl game
601 – Baylor vs. Michigan State, 2015 Cotton Bowl
Fewest passing yards by a team in a bowl game
minus-50 – UNAM Pumas (Mexico) vs. Southwestern (Texas), 1945 Sun Bowl
Most passing touchdowns by a team in a bowl game
7 (twice) – LSU vs. Oklahoma, 2019 Peach Bowl; Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky, 2014 Bahamas Bowl
Most pass attempts by a team in a bowl game
78 – Northwestern vs. Auburn, 2010 Outback Bowl
Fewest pass attempts by a team in a bowl game
1 – Navy vs. Virginia, 2017 Military Bowl
Most completions by a team in a bowl game
47 – Northwestern vs. Auburn, 2010 Outback Bowl
Fewest completions by a team in a bowl game
0 (15 times) – Most recently Navy vs. Virginia, 2017 Military Bowl
Most interceptions thrown by a team in a bowl game
8 – Arizona vs. Auburn, 1968 Sun Bowl
Most fumbles by a team in a bowl game
11 – Ole Miss vs. Alabama, 1964 Sugar Bowl
Most fumbles lost by a team in a bowl game
6 (six times) – Most recently Tulsa vs. Georgia Tech, 2004 Humanitarian Bowl
Most field goals made by a team in a bowl game
6 – Memphis vs.Penn State, 2019 Cotton Bowl
Most punts by a team in a bowl game
17 – Duke vs. USC, 1939 Rose Bowl
Most penalties by a team in a bowl game
21 – Mississippi State vs. Clemson, 1999 Peach Bowl
Most penalty yards by a team in a bowl game
216 – Kansas vs. UNLV, 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Most yards of total offense by a player in a bowl game
594 yards – Ty Detmer (BYU) vs. Penn State, 1989 Holiday Bowl
Most touchdowns responsible for by a player in a bowl game
8 – Joe Burrow (LSU) vs. Oklahoma, 2019 Peach Bowl
Most touchdowns by a player in a bowl game
5 (15 times) – Most recently Rickey Hunt Jr. (Ohio) vs. Georgia Southern, 2023 Myrtle Beach
Most rushing attempts by a player in a bowl game
46 – Ron Jackson (Tulsa) vs. San Diego State, 1991 Freedom Bowl
Most rushing yards by a player in a bowl game
329 – Frank Gore Jr. (Southern Miss) vs. Rice, 2022 Lending Tree Bowl
Most rushing yards by a quarterback in a bowl game
229 – Johnny Manziel (Texas A &M) vs. Oklahoma, 2013 Cotton Bowl
Most rushing touchdowns by a player in a bowl game
5 (seven times) – Most recently by Camerun Peoples (Appalachian State) vs. North Texas, 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl
Most pass attempts by a player in a bowl game
78 – Mike Kafka (Northwestern) vs. Auburn, 2010 Outback Bowl
Most completions by a player in a bowl game
47 – Mike Kafka (Northwestern) vs. Auburn, 2010 Outback Bowl
Most consecutive completions by a player in a bowl game
19 – Mike Bobo (Georgia) vs. Wisconsin, 1998 Outback Bowl
Most passing yards by a player in a bowl game
576 (twice) – Byron Leftwich (Marshall) vs. East Carolina, 2001 GMAC Bowl; Ty Detmer (BYU) vs. Penn State, 1989 Holiday Bowl
Most passing touchdowns by a player in a bowl game
7 (twice) – Joe Burrow (LSU) vs. Oklahoma, 2019 Peach Bowl; Cooper Rush (Central Michigan) vs. Western Kentucky, 2014 Bahamas Bowl
Most interceptions thrown by a player in a bowl game
6 (twice) – Case Keenum (Houston) vs. Air Force, 2009 Armed Forces Bowl; Bruce Lee (Arizona) vs. Auburn, 1968 Sun Bowl
Most receptions by a player in a bowl game
20 (twice) – Norman Jordan (Vanderbilt) vs. Air Force, 1982 Hall of Fame Classic; Walker Gillette (Richmond) vs. Ohio, 1968 Tangerine Bowl
Most receiving yards by a player in a bowl game
347 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State) vs. Utah, 2022 Rose Bowl
Most receiving touchdowns by a player in a bowl game
4 (five times) – Most recently by Justin Jefferson (LSU) vs. Oklahoma, 2019 Peach Bowl
Most scrimmage yards by a player in a bowl game
375 – Gartrell Johnson (Colorado State) vs. Fresno State, 2008 New Mexico Bowl (285 rushing, 90 receiving)
Most field goals made by a player in a bowl game
6 – Riley Patterson (Memphis) vs. Penn State, 2019 Cotton Bowl
Most punts by a player in a bowl game
21 – Everett Sweeney (Michigan) vs. Stanford, 1902 Rose Bowl
Most punt return yards by a player in a bowl game
180 – Willie Reid (Florida State) vs. Penn State, 2006 Orange Bowl
Most kickoff return yards by a player in a bowl game
221 – Steve Breaston (Michigan) vs. Texas, 2005 Rose Bowl
Most all-purpose yards by a player in a bowl game
408 – Chris Johnson (East Carolina) vs. Boise State, 2007 Hawaii Bowl (223 rushing, 32 receiving, 153 kick return)
Most interceptions by a player in a bowl game
4 (twice) – Jim Dooley (Miami) vs. Clemson, 1952 Gator Bowl; Manuel Aja (Arizona State) vs. Xavier, 1950 Salad Bowl
Most total tackles by a player in a bowl game
31 – Lee Roy Jordan (Alabama) vs. Oklahoma, 1963 Orange Bowl
Most solo tackles by a player in a bowl game
18 – Rod Smith (Notre Dame) vs. Florida, 1992 Sugar Bowl
Most tackles for loss by a player in a bowl game
6 (three times) – Most recently by LeMarcus McDonald (TCU) vs. Texas A &M, 2001 galleryfurniture.com Bowl
Most sacks by a player in a bowl game
6 – Shay Muirbrook (BYU) vs. Kansas State, 1997 Cotton Bowl
Longest rush in a bowl game
99 yards – Terry Baker (Oregon State) vs. Villanova, 1962 Liberty Bowl
Longest completion in a bowl game
99 yards – Tommy Armstrong Jr. to Quincy Enunwa (Nebraska) vs. Georgia, 2014 Gator Bowl
Longest punt return in a bowl game
92 yards (three times) – Tarheeb Still (Maryland) vs. Virginia Tech, 2021 Pinstripe Bowl; Brandon Boykin (Georgia) vs. Michigan State, 2012 Outback Bowl; Quinton Jones (Boise State) vs. Boston College, 2005 MPC Computers Bowl
Longest kickoff return in a bowl game
100 yards (many times) – Most recently byDamon Bankston(New Mexico) vs. Minnesota, 2025 Rate Bowl
Longest field goal in a bowl game
62 yards – Tony Franklin (Texas A &M) vs. Florida, 1977 Sun Bowl
Longest punt in a bowl game
85 yards – Caleb Junko (Pittsburgh) vs. UCLA, 2022 Sun Bowl
Longest interception return in a bowl game
100 yards (five times) – Most recently by Tyree Robinson (Oregon) vs. Boise State, 2017 Las Vegas Bowl
Longest fumble return in a bowl game
99 yards – Darwin Cook (West Virginia) vs. Clemson, 2012 Orange Bowl
Longest blocked field goal return in a bowl game
80 yards – Antonio Banks (Virginia Tech) vs. Indiana, 1993 Independence Bowl