'Tis the season for an abundance 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 will 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. Take a look at some of the most notable records in 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 by Barion Brown (Kentucky) vs. Clemson, 2023 Gator 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
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