August 31 in college football
Every August 31 in Iron's archive: the ranked teams that lost to unranked ones, the ranked matchups, and the games worth retelling. Every result links to its game card.
- 511games on file
- 4unranked wins over ranked teams
- 9ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1985–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on August 31
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Colorado State 19 | #7 Colorado 14 | On the road · INVESCO FIELD |
| 2013 | Washington 38 | #19 Boise St. 6 | At home |
| 2002 | Notre Dame 22 | #21 Maryland 0 | On the road · Giants Stadium · East Rutherford, NJ |
| 2013 | Eastern Wash. 49 | #25 Oregon St. 46 | On the road |
Ranked vs ranked on August 31
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #1 Georgia Bulldogs 34 | #14 Clemson Tigers 3 | Neutral site · Mercedes-Benz Stadium · Atlanta, GA |
| 1998 | #2 Florida State 23 | #14 Texas A&M 14 | At home |
| 2013 | #8 Clemson 38 | #5 Georgia 35 | At home |
| 2025 | #10 Miami Hurricanes 27 | #6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 24 | At home · Hard Rock Stadium · Miami Gardens, FL |
| 2024 | #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 23 | #20 Texas A&M Aggies 13 | On the road · Kyle Field · College Station, TX |
| 2019 | #16 Auburn 27 | #11 Oregon 21 | At home · AT&T Stadium · Arlington, Texas |
| 2002 | #13 Michigan 31 | #11 Washington 29 | At home |
| 2013 | #12 LSU 37 | #20 TCU 27 | Neutral site |
| 2012 | #13 Michigan State Spartans 17 | #24 Boise State Broncos 13 | At home |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | #13 Michigan 31 | #11 Washington 29 | 2 pts |
| 2013 | #8 Clemson 38 | #5 Georgia 35 | 3 pts |
| 2025 | #10 Miami Hurricanes 27 | #6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 24 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Colorado State 19 | #7 Colorado 14 | 5 pts |
| 2013 | #8 Clemson 38 | #5 Georgia 35 | 3 pts |
| 2025 | #10 Miami Hurricanes 27 | #6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 24 | 3 pts |
Biggest comebacks
Deficit the winner erased. Measured from in-game margins where play data exists, cross-checked against quarter scores; a row prints only when the quarter lines corroborate it, so this list starts in 2000.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The Citadel Bulldogs 22 | Charleston Southern Buccaneers 21 | 18 ptsin game |
| 2019 | Boise St. 36 | Florida St. 31 | 18 ptsin game |
| 2019 | Tennessee Tech 59 | Samford 58 | 16 ptsat a quarter |
| 2013 | Charleston So. 32 | The Citadel 29 | 16 ptsin game |
| 2019 | #16 Auburn 27 | #11 Oregon 21 | 15 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Tennessee Tech 59 | Samford 58 | 117 pts |
| 2024 | Texas Tech Red Raiders 52 | Abilene Christian Wildcats 51 | 103 pts |
| 2024 | Boise State Broncos 56 | Georgia Southern Eagles 45 | 101 pts |
| 2024 | #21 Arizona Wildcats 61 | New Mexico Lobos 39 | 100 pts |
| 2024 | Washington State Cougars 70 | Portland State Vikings 30 | 100 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | #17 Michigan 59 | Central Mich. 9 | 112,618 |
| 2019 | #7 Michigan 40 | Middle Tennessee 21 | 110,811 |
| 2024 | #9 Michigan Wolverines 30 | Fresno State Bulldogs 10 | 110,665 |
| 2024 | #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 23 | #20 Texas A&M Aggies 13 | 107,315 |
| 2019 | #15 Penn State 79 | Idaho 7 | 104,527 |