September 3 in college football
Every September 3 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.
- 602games on file
- 10unranked wins over ranked teams
- 20ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1977–2026seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on September 3
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Wisconsin 16 | #5 LSU 14 | At home · Lambeau Field · Green Bay, Wisconsin |
| 2022 | Florida Gators 29 | #7 Utah Utes 26 | At home · Ben Hill Griffin Stadium · Gainesville, FL |
| 2005 | TCU Horned Frogs 17 | #7 Oklahoma Sooners 10 | On the road · Memorial Stadium |
| 1988 | Hawai'i 27 | #9 Iowa 24 | At home |
| 2021 | Virginia Tech 17 | #10 North Carolina 10 | At home · Lane Stadium · Blacksburg, Virginia |
| 2016 | Texas A&M 31 | #16 UCLA 24 | At home · Kyle Field · College Station, TX |
| 2011 | South Florida Bulls 23 | #16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 20 | On the road |
| 2005 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 23 | #16 Auburn Tigers 14 | On the road · Jordan-Hare · Auburn, AL |
| 2005 | Clemson Tigers 25 | #17 Texas A&M Aggies 24 | At home · Memorial Stadium · Clemson, SC |
| 2005 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish 42 | #23 Pittsburgh Panthers 21 | On the road · Heinz Field · Pittsburgh, PA |
Ranked vs ranked on September 3
20 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #1 Alabama 52 | #20 Southern California 6 | At home · AT&T Stadium · Arlington, Texas |
| 1988 | #6 Miami 31 | #1 Florida State 0 | At home |
| 2022 | #2 Ohio State Buckeyes 21 | #5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10 | At home · Ohio Stadium · Columbus, OH |
| 2022 | #3 Georgia Bulldogs 49 | #11 Oregon Ducks 3 | Neutral site · Mercedes-Benz Stadium · Atlanta, GA |
| 2016 | #15 Houston 33 | #3 Oklahoma 23 | At home · NRG Stadium · Houston, Texas |
| 2011 | #4 LSU Tigers 40 | #3 Oregon Ducks 27 | At home |
| 2023 | #8 Florida State Seminoles 45 | #5 LSU Tigers 24 | Neutral site · Camping World Stadium · Orlando, FL |
| 2011 | #5 Boise State Broncos 35 | #19 Georgia Bulldogs 21 | On the road |
| 1988 | #17 LSU 27 | #11 Texas A&M 0 | At home |
| 1988 | #12 Georgia 28 | #18 Tennessee 17 | At home |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | #14 UCLA 25 | #13 Tennessee 23 | 2 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | #6 Miami 31 | #1 Florida State 0 | 31 pts |
| 2023 | #8 Florida State Seminoles 45 | #5 LSU Tigers 24 | 21 pts |
| 2011 | #4 LSU Tigers 40 | #3 Oregon Ducks 27 | 13 pts |
| 2022 | #2 Ohio State Buckeyes 21 | #5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10 | 11 pts |
| 2016 | #15 Houston 33 | #3 Oklahoma 23 | 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | UCLA 45 | Texas A&M 44 | 34 ptsin game |
| 2016 | Southern Mississippi 44 | Kentucky 35 | 25 ptsin game |
| 2022 | #24 Houston Cougars 37 | UTSA Roadrunners 35 | 23 ptsin game |
| 2005 | Illinois Fighting Illini 33 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights 30 | 20 ptsin game |
| 2016 | South Alabama 21 | Mississippi State 20 | 17 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | North Carolina Tar Heels 63 | Appalachian State Mountaineers 61 | 124 pts |
| 2016 | Texas State 56 | Ohio 54 | 110 pts |
| 2022 | Howard Payne 59 | Texas Lutheran 45 | 104 pts |
| 2016 | #13 Texas Christian 59 | South Dakota State 41 | 100 pts |
| 2026 | Morehead State 75 | Kentucky Christian 24 | 99 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #7 Michigan 63 | Hawaii 3 | 110,222 |
| 2022 | #8 Michigan Wolverines 51 | Colorado State Rams 7 | 109,575 |
| 2005 | #3 Tennessee Volunteers 17 | UAB Blazers 10 | 107,529 |
| 2016 | #6 Ohio State 77 | Bowling Green 10 | 107,193 |
| 2022 | #2 Ohio State Buckeyes 21 | #5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10 | 106,594 |