Top 10 lowest-scoring college football games of 2023 season ft. Miss State vs. Arkansas, Navy vs. Charlotte & More
Some of the lowest-scoring games of the 2023 college football season can be put down to incredible defenses or offensive issues. However, with the rules favoring the offense, points are easier than ever to be put on the scoreboard.
Today, we will look at the 10 lowest-scoring college football games and discuss what happened.
10 lowest-scoring games of the 2023 college football season
#10. UCLA vs. Utah (21 points)
A Pac-12 matchup typically has plenty of points, especially when ranked teams are battling it out. The No. 22-ranked UCLA Bruins were on the road and faced off against the No. 11-ranked Utah Utes. The Bruins lost 14-7 in the college football matchup.
The Utes did not have quarterback Cam Rising, and both teams have young quarterbacks with strong defenses. They combined for 70 rushing attempts throughout the game, and neither team ran effectively, as the Bruins averaged 0.3 rushing yards per attempt while the Utes ran 2.1 yards per carry.
#9. Troy vs Army (19 points)
The Troy Trojans and the Army Black Knights faced off, with the Trojans winning a low-scoring 19-0 game. Field goals help add points, but only one touchdown puts little confidence in the offense. These offenses combined for 90 rushing attempts, keeping the clock ticking.
#8. Toledo vs. Ball State (19 points)
Another low-scoring game happened between the Toledo Rockets and the Ball State Cardinals. The big reason this matchup is No. 8 on this list is that they combined to score 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Rockets had a 13-6 victory.
Ball State punted six times, and those are just empty possessions with no special teams touchdowns. Four of Ball State's punts being in the 20 put Toledo's offense in long-field situations.
#7. Texas A&M-Comm vs. Old Dominion (19 points)
Texas A&M-Comm and Old Dominion faced off in a college football game that was decided in the final 30 seconds as the Monarchs had a 10-9 home win. Two teams not moving the ball offensively and sustaining drives are non-existent.
Even with Old Dominion committing five turnovers, Texas A&M-Comm could not take advantage and left points on the field.
#6. Charlotte vs. East Carolina (17 points)
Another recent game was the Charlotte 49ers picking up a 10-7 road win over the East Carolina Pirates. The second half saw both teams score a touchdown, but they needed to get field goals to add to the total. Charlotte and East Carolina combined for 5-of-29 on third down and 25 total first downs.
#5. Iowa State vs. Ohio (17 points)
The Iowa State Cyclones and the Ohio Bobcats combined for 17 total points, and the Bobcats picked up a 10-7 home win. They could not score until the second half of the game, and with only two touchdowns, they had difficulty getting into a scoring position.
#4. Air Force vs. Sam Houston (16 points)
Two struggling offenses faced off as the Air Force Falcons picked up a 13-3 road win over the Sam Houston State Bearkats. This college football game had too many rushing attempts, as there were 17 pass attempts throughout the 60 minutes. Sam Houston had six total first downs and 80 total yards, so this will not give many scoring opportunities.
#3. Sam Houston vs. BYU (14 points)
Sam Houston's offense was dreadful to start the season as BYU picked up a 14-0 home win in Week 1. Quarterback Kedon Slovis ran in for a pair of touchdowns, but that was all the offense in the game. They combined to go just 7-of-30 on third down and 22 total first downs. These two offenses were brutal, and couldn't figure out how to find some points.
#2. Navy vs. Charlotte (14 points)
Week 7 saw the Navy Midshipmen blank the Charlotte 49ers 14-0 and was one of the lowest-scoring games of the college football season. This game was scoreless at halftime, but Navy scored two 60+ yard touchdowns to get on the board.
With two teams with 40 rushing attempts, the clock consistently ticked down and made scoring difficult.
#1. Miss State vs. Arkansas (10 points)
The lowest-scoring college football game of the season happened in Week 8 as the Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks 7-3. The Razorbacks kicked a field goal in the first quarter, and the Bulldogs scored a touchdown in the second quarter. These teams combined for 22 first downs throughout the game and 405 total yards of offense.