Scope: These marks highlight standout single-game performances from the Bowl Championship Series era (1998–2013) across the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, and Orange Bowls, plus the rotating BCS National Championship Game. Where useful, we also note a broader “All Bowls” benchmark for historical context beyond the BCS era. For a broader look at how these games unfolded, you can review the historical BCS results page.
Total Offense
- Most yards (any BCS bowl):
467 — Vince Young, Texas vs USC, Rose (Jan 4, 2006) — 267 pass, 200 rush
429 — Mark Sanchez, USC vs Penn State, Rose (Jan 1, 2009) — 413 pass, 16 rush
427 — Rohan Davey, LSU vs Illinois, Sugar (Jan 2, 2002) — 444 pass, −17 rush
408 — Troy Smith, Ohio State vs Notre Dame, Fiesta (Jan 2, 2006) — 342 pass, 66 rush
399 — Colt McCoy, Texas vs Ohio State, Fiesta (Jan 5, 2009) — 414 pass, −15 rush - Most yards (BCS title game):
467 — Vince Young (Texas) vs USC, Rose (Jan 4, 2006)
362 — Ken Dorsey (Miami) vs Nebraska, Rose (Jan 3, 2002)
340 — Tim Tebow (Florida) vs Oklahoma, Orange (Jan 8, 2009)
322 — Michael Vick (Virginia Tech) vs Florida State, Sugar (Jan 4, 2000)
321 — Matt Leinart (USC) vs Oklahoma, Orange (Jan 4, 2005) - All Bowls benchmark: 594 — Ty Detmer, BYU vs Penn State, Holiday (1989)
- Most TDs responsible for (any BCS bowl): 5 — Mark Sanchez (USC) 1 rush/4 pass; Vince Young (Texas) 4 rush/1 pass; Matt Leinart (USC) 5 pass
- Most TDs responsible for (title game): 5 — Matt Leinart (USC) vs Oklahoma (Jan 4, 2005)
- All Bowls benchmark: 6 — achieved by multiple QBs (e.g., Chuck Long, Iowa; Bobby Layne, Texas)
Rushing
- Most attempts (any BCS bowl):
34 — Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) vs Stanford, Rose (Jan 1, 2000)
30 — Quentin Griffin (Oklahoma) vs Washington State, Rose (Jan 1, 2003) - Most attempts (title game):
25 — Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma) vs USC, Orange (Jan 4, 2005) - Most yards (any BCS bowl):
246 — Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) vs UCLA, Rose (Jan 1, 1999)
204 — Steve Slaton (West Virginia) vs Georgia, Sugar (Jan 2, 2006)
200 — Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) vs Stanford, Rose (Jan 1, 2000)
200 — Vince Young (Texas) vs USC, Rose (Jan 4, 2006) - Most yards (title game):
200 — Vince Young (Texas) vs USC, Rose (Jan 4, 2006) - QB rushing (BCS highlights):
200 — Vince Young (Texas) vs USC, Rose (Jan 4, 2006)
192 — Vince Young (Texas) vs Michigan, Rose (Jan 1, 2005)
150 — Pat White (West Virginia) vs Oklahoma, Fiesta (Jan 2, 2008) - Best yds/att, min 15 carries (title game):
10.53 — Vince Young (Texas) vs USC (19 for 200) - Most rushing TDs (any BCS bowl): 4 — Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) ’99 Rose; Domanick Davis (LSU) ’02 Sugar; Vince Young (Texas) ’05 Rose
- Most rushing TDs (title game): 3 — Vince Young (Texas) ’06; LenDale White (USC) ’06
- All Bowls benchmarks:
307 yards — P.J. Daniels, Georgia Tech (2004 Humanitarian)
5 rushing TDs — Neil Snow, Michigan (1902 Rose); Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State (1988 Holiday)
Passing
- Most attempts (any BCS bowl): 58 — Colt McCoy (Texas) vs Ohio State, Fiesta (Jan 5, 2009)
- Most attempts (title game): 52 — Chris Weinke (Florida State) vs Oklahoma, Orange (Jan 3, 2001)
- Most completions (any BCS bowl): 41 — Colt McCoy (Texas) vs Ohio State, Fiesta (Jan 5, 2009)
- Most completions (title game): 30 — Vince Young (Texas) vs USC, Rose (Jan 4, 2006)
- Most yards (any BCS bowl):
444 — Rohan Davey (LSU) vs Illinois, Sugar (Jan 2, 2002)
414 — Colt McCoy (Texas) vs Ohio State, Fiesta (Jan 5, 2009)
413 — Mark Sanchez (USC) vs Penn State, Rose (Jan 1, 2009) - Most yards (title game): 365 — Matt Leinart (USC) vs Texas, Rose (Jan 4, 2006)
- Most TD passes (any BCS bowl): 5 — Matt Leinart (USC) vs Oklahoma, Orange (Jan 4, 2005)
- Most TD passes (title game): 5 — Matt Leinart (USC) vs Oklahoma (Jan 4, 2005)
- Best completion % (min 20 att, any BCS bowl): .800 — Mark Sanchez (USC) vs Penn State (28/35)
- Best completion % (title game): .750 — Vince Young (Texas) vs USC (30/40)
- All Bowls benchmarks:
576 yards — Byron Leftwich, Marshall (2001 GMAC) & Ty Detmer, BYU (1989 Holiday)
.929 — Mike Bobo, Georgia (1998 Outback; 26/28)
Receiving
- Most receptions (any BCS bowl):
15 — Paris Warren (Utah) vs Pitt, Fiesta (Jan 1, 2005)
14 — Quan Cosby (Texas) vs Ohio State, Fiesta (Jan 5, 2009); Josh Reed (LSU) vs Illinois, Sugar (Jan 2, 2002) - Most receptions (title game): 11 — Kellen Winslow Jr. (Miami) vs Ohio State, Fiesta (Jan 3, 2003)
- Most receiving yards (any BCS bowl):
239 — Josh Reed (LSU) vs Illinois, Sugar (Jan 2, 2002)
205 — Dwayne Jarrett (USC) vs Michigan, Rose (Jan 1, 2007) - Most receiving yards (title game):
199 — Peerless Price (Tennessee) vs Florida State, Fiesta (Jan 4, 1999)
199 — Andre Johnson (Miami) vs Nebraska, Rose (Jan 3, 2002) - Most receiving TDs (any BCS bowl): 3 — Steve Smith (USC) ’05 Orange; Braylon Edwards (Michigan) ’05 Rose; David Terrell (Michigan) ’00 Orange
- Most receiving TDs (title game): 3 — Steve Smith (USC) vs Oklahoma (Jan 4, 2005)
- All Bowls benchmarks:
299 yards — Rodney Wright, Fresno State (2001 Silicon Valley)
4 TD — Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State (1965 Gator)
All-Purpose Yards
- Most (any BCS bowl):
315 — Steve Breaston (Michigan) vs Texas, Rose (Jan 1, 2005)
279 — Reggie Bush (USC) vs Texas, Rose (Jan 4, 2006)
261 — Juaquin Iglesias (Oklahoma) vs West Virginia, Fiesta (Jan 2, 2008) - Most (title game): 279 — Reggie Bush (USC) vs Texas, Rose (Jan 4, 2006)
- All Bowls benchmark: 359 — Sherman Williams, Alabama (1995 Citrus)
Scoring
- Most points (any BCS bowl): 24 — Vince Young (Texas) ’05 Rose; Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) ’99 Rose; Domanick Davis (LSU) ’02 Sugar
- Most points (title game): 20 — Peter Warrick (FSU) ’00 Sugar; Vince Young (Texas) ’06 Rose
- Most by a kicker (any BCS bowl): 14 — Billy Bennett (Georgia) ’03 Sugar
- Most by a kicker (title game): 13 — Ryan Killeen (USC) ’05 Orange
- Field goals (any BCS bowl): 4 — Billy Bennett (Georgia) ’03 Sugar
- Longest FG (any BCS bowl): 52 — Brandon Coutu (Georgia) ’08 Sugar
- Longest FG (title game): 46 — David Pino (Texas) ’06 Rose
Punting
- Most punts (any BCS bowl): 11 — Jeremy Kapinos (Penn State) ’06 Orange
- Most punts (title game): 10 — Keith Cottrell (FSU) ’01 Orange
- Longest punts (BCS highlights):
66 — Pat McAfee (West Virginia) ’08 Fiesta
63 — A.J. Trapasso (Ohio State) ’08 title game
62 — Patrick Fisher (LSU) — twice in ’08 title game - Best average, min 3 punts (title game): 56.67 — Patrick Fisher (LSU), ’08 title game
- All Bowls benchmark: 21 punts — Everett Sweeney, Michigan (1902 Rose)
Punt Returns
- Most returns (any BCS bowl): 7 — Willie Reid (FSU) ’06 Orange (180 yds)
- Most yards (any BCS bowl): 180 — Willie Reid (FSU) ’06 Orange
- TD returns (BCS highlights):
87 — Willie Reid (FSU) ’06 Orange
71 — DeJuan Groce (Nebraska) ’02 Rose - All Bowls benchmark: 136 yds — Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska (1972 Orange)
Kickoff Returns
- Most returns (any BCS bowl): 7 — Juaquin Iglesias (Oklahoma) ’08 Fiesta; Ramonce Taylor (Texas) ’05 Rose
- Most yards (any BCS bowl): 221 — Steve Breaston (Michigan) ’05 Rose
- Longest (title game): 93 — Ted Ginn Jr. (Ohio State) — TD on opening kick, ’07 title game
- All Bowls benchmark: 46.67 avg (min 3) — Cal Beck, Utah (1994 Freedom)
Longest Plays from Scrimmage
- Longest runs (BCS highlights):
79 — Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) ’08 Rose (TD)
65 — Chris Wells (Ohio State) ’08 title game (TD) - Longest passes (BCS highlights):
85 — Troy Smith → Santonio Holmes (Ohio State) ’06 Fiesta (TD)
79 — Tee Martin → Peerless Price (Tennessee) ’99 title game (TD) - All Bowls benchmarks:
99-yd run — Terry Baker, Oregon State (1962 Liberty)
95-yd pass — Oklahoma (1965 Gator)
Defense
- Total tackles (BCS highlights): 18 — James Laurinaitis (Ohio State) ’08 title game
- Solo tackles: 14 — Rufus Alexander (Oklahoma) ’07 Fiesta
- Tackles for loss: 5 — Navorro Bowman (Penn State) ’09 Rose
- Sacks (three in a game): Steve Sylvester (Utah) ’09 Sugar; Marcus Howard (Georgia) ’08 Sugar; Derrick Harvey (Florida) ’07 title game; others
- Passes broken up (3): multiple players, incl. Louisville’s William Gay (’07 Orange)
- Pick-six (BCS highlights):
71 — Bruce Thornton (Georgia) ’03 Sugar
60 — Aqib Talib (Kansas) ’08 Orange - Fumble return TD: Marcus Howard (Georgia) — recovery in end zone, ’08 Sugar
- Safeties (title-game era): FSU vs Oklahoma ’01 Orange; Oklahoma vs USC ’05 Orange; Penn State vs FSU ’06 Orange
For chronological context on how these performances fit into the evolution of the system, see our timeline of the BCS era.
Notes & Methodology
- Listings above reflect single-game highs during the BCS era.
- “Title game” refers to the BCS National Championship Game (rotated among bowl sites).
“All Bowls benchmark” items are included for historical perspective beyond the BCS timeframe.
