Vol Walk before the game against Kent State
Vol Walk before the game against Kent State on Saturday, September 14, 2024.
Tennessee football players and quarterback Nico Iamaleava are on the hunt for goals.
The Vols scored 65 points in the first half of their nonconference game against Kent State on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. Dylan Sampson had 101 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone, while DeSean Bishop contributed 120 yards and two touchdowns for the Vols’ vicious running attack.
Tennessee led 37-0 after the first quarter — the Vols’ record for most points in a quarter — and many substitutes were in position before halftime, ultimately leading to a 71-0 victory. The Vols also scored 69 points in their season-opening win over Chattanooga and added 51 points against NC State, showing they can score against anyone.
REQUIRED READING: Tennessee Football breaks program scoring record against Kent State
A fourth-quarter field goal increased the lead to 71-0 and broke the team’s modern record for most points scored in a game. The previous record was 70, set by UT in a 70-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 23, 2000.
But Tennessee’s win might have fans wondering what college football’s scoring records are. Here’s what you need to know:
Most points scored in a college football game
Georgia Tech defeated Cumberland 222-0 on October 7, 1916. The Engineers – as Georgia Tech was then known – beat a team that had disbanded its football program the year before. However, because the university owed Georgia Tech $3,000 if the game was not played, Engineer coach John Heisman, who also coached the baseball team, suspected Cumberland had filled his program with professionals and handed the program a 222-0 loss.
Cumberland’s roster for the game consisted of fraternity members selected by the team’s student manager. Tech won its first national championship that season, defeating Cal in the Rose Bowl.
On Thursday, South Alabama defeated Northwestern State 87-10, the highest performance by a team since Fresno State beat New Mexico 94-17 in 1991. Ole Miss defeated Furman 76-0 in Week 1 of the 2024 college football season.
The highest scoring college football game
The record for the most-scoring college football game was set on November 24, 2018, when Texas A&M defeated LSU 74-72 in seven overtimes. Not only did the game last nearly five hours, but it also went to seven overtimes, which is an NCAA record (which directly led to the overtime rule change).
The highest-scoring game in regular time was SMU’s 77-63 win over Houston on November 5, 2022. The total points of 140 surpassed the previous record of 137 from a 76-61 win by Pitt over Syracuse in 2016.
Is there a mercy rule in college football?
No, there is no mercy rule in college football.
However, in South Alabama’s win on Thursday, coaches from both teams agreed to shorten the fourth quarter by six minutes. The same thing happened earlier this year when Auburn beat Alabama A&M and led 49-0 at halftime.
