Highest scoring game goes Navy way, 74-62
PUBLISHED: November 11, 2007 at 3:36 a.m. | UPDATED: August 17, 2016 at 4:21 a.m.
DENTON, Texas — Navy and North Texas set a major-college record by combining for 136 points in the Midshipmen's 74-62 win on Saturday.
It wasn't the highest scoring game of the season, though. Weber State and Portland State racked up 141 for the all-division record two weeks ago. Weber State won 73-68 in a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) game.
The previous record for college football's top tier of competition was 133 points in San Jose State's 70-63 win over Rice on Oct. 2, 2004. Boise State beat Nevada 69-67 earlier this year, totaling 136 points, but that Oct. 14 game went to four overtimes. The teams were tied at 44 after regulation.
Rice also had the highest score by a losing team in that game, a distinction the Mean Green missed out on by a single point.
Navy, the nation's best rushing offense, set a school record by running for 572 yards with eight rushing TDs a week after snapping a 43-year losing streak to Notre Dame.
The Midshipmen (6-4) tied a school record by scoring at least 30 points for the eighth straight game. They scored their most points in a game since beating Colby 121-0 in 1919.
Zerbin Singleton ran for three touchdowns, including a 65-yard run midway through the third quarter that pushed Navy ahead 58-49. Singleton's score was set up after Ram Vela intercepted a pass by Giovanni Vizza, who threw an NCAA freshman-record eight touchdown passes.
North Texas (1-8) led 49-45 at the half, setting two bowl subdivision records for the most combined points (94) and most in the second quarter (63).
The previous record for points in a half of a major college game was 76, set by Houston and Tulsa in 1968. The old mark for points in a quarter was set Nov. 6, 1999, when San Jose State and Hawaii combined to score 61 points in the fourth quarter. Hawaii won the game 62-41.