December 16 in college football
Every December 16 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.
- 35games on file
- 1unranked win over a ranked team
- 1ranked vs ranked meeting
- 1950–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 16
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Tennessee 7 | #10 Maryland 3 | Neutral site |
Ranked vs ranked on December 16
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #24 Troy Trojans 18 | #25 UTSA Roadrunners 12 | Neutral site · Inter&Co Stadium · Orlando, FL |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Tennessee 7 | #10 Maryland 3 | 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | North Dakota State Bison 35 | Incarnate Word Cardinals 32 | 16 ptsin game |
| 2023 | Florida A&M Rattlers 30 | Howard Bison 26 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2022 | #24 Troy Trojans 18 | #25 UTSA Roadrunners 12 | 12 ptsin game |
| 2023 | UCLA Bruins 35 | Boise State Broncos 22 | 9 ptsin game |
| 2005 | Appalachian State Mountaineers 21 | Northern Iowa Panthers 16 | 9 ptsat a quarter |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Troy 50 | North Texas 30 | 80 pts |
| 1950 | Utah 40 | Hawai'i 28 | 68 pts |
| 2022 | North Dakota State Bison 35 | Incarnate Word Cardinals 32 | 67 pts |
| 2017 | James Madison 51 | South Dakota State 16 | 67 pts |
| 2017 | #25 Boise State 38 | Oregon 28 | 66 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Florida A&M Rattlers 30 | Howard Bison 26 | 41,108 |
| 2017 | #25 Boise State 38 | Oregon 28 | 36,432 |
| 2023 | Texas Tech Red Raiders 34 | California Golden Bears 14 | 33,071 |
| 2023 | UCLA Bruins 35 | Boise State Broncos 22 | 32,780 |
| 2023 | Fresno State Bulldogs 37 | New Mexico State Aggies 10 | 30,822 |