September 2 in college football
Every September 2 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.
- 547games on file
- 13unranked wins over ranked teams
- 8ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1977–2024seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on September 2
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | UCLA 35 | #3 Alabama 24 | At home |
| 1995 | Northwestern 17 | #9 Notre Dame 15 | On the road |
| 2024 | Boston College Eagles 28 | #10 Florida State Seminoles 13 | On the road · Doak Campbell Stadium · Tallahassee, Florida |
| 2001 | Fresno State 44 | #10 Oregon State 24 | At home |
| 2011 | Baylor Bears 50 | #14 TCU Horned Frogs 48 | At home |
| 2010 | Utah Utes 27 | #15 Pittsburgh Panthers 24 | At home |
| 1991 | Memphis 24 | #16 USC 10 | On the road |
| 2023 | Colorado Buffaloes 45 | #17 TCU Horned Frogs 42 | On the road · Amon G. Carter · Fort Worth, Texas |
| 1995 | Syracuse 20 | #20 North Carolina 9 | On the road |
| 2017 | Maryland 51 | #23 Texas 41 | On the road · DKR Texas Memorial · Austin, Texas |
| 2000 | Colorado State 28 | #23 Colorado 24 | At home · Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium |
| 1995 | Purdue 26 | #23 West Virginia 24 | On the road |
| 2000 | Notre Dame 24 | #25 Texas A&M 10 | At home |
Ranked vs ranked on September 2
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | #1 Alabama 24 | #3 Florida State 7 | At home · Mercedes-Benz Stdm · Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2018 | #25 LSU 33 | #8 Miami (Fla.) 17 | At home |
| 2006 | #23 Tennessee Volunteers 35 | #9 California Golden Bears 18 | At home · Neyland Stadium |
| 2017 | #11 Michigan 33 | #17 Florida 17 | On the road · AT&T Stadium · Arlington, Texas |
| 1995 | #15 UCLA 31 | #12 Miami 8 | At home |
| 2000 | #13 Tennessee 19 | #22 Southern Miss 16 | At home |
| 1995 | #13 Michigan 38 | #25 Illinois 14 | On the road |
| 1995 | #14 Colorado 43 | #21 Wisconsin 7 | On the road |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13 Tennessee 19 | #22 Southern Miss 16 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Fresno State 44 | #10 Oregon State 24 | 20 pts |
| 2006 | #23 Tennessee Volunteers 35 | #9 California Golden Bears 18 | 17 pts |
| 2017 | #1 Alabama 24 | #3 Florida State 7 | 17 pts |
| 2018 | #25 LSU 33 | #8 Miami (Fla.) 17 | 16 pts |
| 2024 | Boston College Eagles 28 | #10 Florida State Seminoles 13 | 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | UCF 36 | Boise St. 31 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2012 | Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 38 | Alabama State Hornets 28 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2023 | Prairie View A&M Panthers 37 | Texas Southern Tigers 34 | 17 ptsin game |
| 2017 | Bryant Bulldogs 49 | Merrimack Warriors 41 | 16 ptsin game |
| 2010 | Florida Atlantic Owls 32 | UAB Blazers 31 | 16 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Missouri 72 | Missouri State 43 | 115 pts |
| 2010 | Illinois State 55 | Central Missouri 54 | 109 pts |
| 2017 | Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns 51 | Southeastern Louisiana Lions 48 | 99 pts |
| 2011 | Baylor Bears 50 | #14 TCU Horned Frogs 48 | 98 pts |
| 2017 | Oregon 77 | Southern Utah 21 | 98 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #7 Penn State Nittany Lions 38 | West Virginia Mountaineers 15 | 110,747 |
| 2006 | #23 Tennessee Volunteers 35 | #9 California Golden Bears 18 | 106,009 |
| 2006 | #1 Ohio State Buckeyes 35 | Northern Illinois Huskies 12 | 103,896 |
| 2017 | #6 Penn State 52 | Akron 0 | 101,684 |
| 2023 | #4 Alabama Crimson Tide 56 | Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 7 | 100,077 |