December 18 in college football
Every December 18 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.
- 41games on file
- 2unranked wins over ranked teams
- 1ranked vs ranked meeting
- 1907–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 18
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | UAB 31 | #13 BYU 28 | Neutral site · Independence Stadium · Shreveport, Louisiana |
| 2020 | Oregon 31 | #13 Southern California 24 | On the road · LA Memorial Coliseum · Los Angeles, Calif. |
Ranked vs ranked on December 18
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | #14 BYU 38 | #20 Washington State 36 | Neutral site |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | #14 BYU 38 | #20 Washington State 36 | 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 38 | Old Dominion Monarchs 35 | 28 ptsin game |
| 2009 | Villanova Wildcats 23 | Montana Grizzlies 21 | 11 ptsin game |
| 2024 | James Madison Dukes 27 | Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 17 | 7 ptsin game |
| 2021 | South Carolina St. 31 | Jackson St. 10 | 7 ptsin game |
| 2021 | Utah St. 24 | Oregon St. 13 | 7 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Western Ky. 59 | App State 38 | 97 pts |
| 2003 | #14 Miami (OH) 49 | Louisville 28 | 77 pts |
| 2010 | BYU Cougars 52 | UTEP Miners 24 | 76 pts |
| 2021 | Liberty 56 | Eastern Mich. 20 | 76 pts |
| 1981 | #14 BYU 38 | #20 Washington State 36 | 74 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | South Carolina St. 31 | Jackson St. 10 | 48,653 |
| 2021 | Utah St. 24 | Oregon St. 13 | 29,896 |
| 2021 | UAB 31 | #13 BYU 28 | 26,276 |
| 2024 | #24 UNLV Rebels 24 | California Golden Bears 13 | 24,420 |
| 2021 | #23 Louisiana 36 | Marshall 21 | 21,642 |