On Oct. 22, 2022, Rhode Island and Monmouth made history with Rhode Island's 48-46 win in a seven-overtime thriller. The game set the record for the most overtimes in one game in FCS history, moving past three six-overtime games.
Twenty-four years before Rhode Island and Monmouth's multiple-overtime battle, the record for most overtime periods played by an FCS team was set by Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 26, 1998. Bethune-Cookman defeated Virginia State — a Division II opponent — in eight overtimes 63-57.
Earlier in 2022, Eastern Kentucky pulled off an FCS-over-FBS upset, knocking off Bowling Green 59-57 in seven overtimes, the longest game between an FCS and FBS opponent.
RELATED: How overtime works in college football
The NCAA adopted an overtime rule in 1996 and for most of those games, the overtime rules have been virtually the same.
- An overtime period consists of each team getting one possession from its opponent's 25-yard line.
- There is no game clock, only a play clock.
- Starting with the third overtime, teams must attempt a 2-point conversion after every touchdown.
However, in 2019, the overtime rules were changed.
- Starting with the fifth overtime, teams will begin to run alternating two-point conversion plays instead of offensive possessions that start at the 25-yard line.
In 2021, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a change to overtime rules again.
- Teams will be required to run a 2-point conversion play after a touchdown when a game reaches a second overtime period. Previously, a 2-point attempt was required after the third overtime period.
- Also established in 2021, if the game reaches the third overtime, teams will run alternating 2-point plays, instead of starting another drive at the opponent's 25-yard line. This is a change from the previous rule, which started to use 2-point plays in the fifth overtime period.
MORE: Highest scoring college football games across FBS, FCS, DII, and DIII
Here's a recap of some of the longest games between FCS opponents in history:
Oct. 22, 2022 | 7 OT | No. 19 Rhode Island 48, Monmouth 46
No. 19 Rhode Island escaped Monmouth 48-46 in a seven-overtime CAA battle. The game lasted over 3.5 hours. The game saw seven ties and four lead changes.
In the seventh overtime, Rhode Island defensive back Jordan Jones broke up a pass in the end zone on the first possession. Then, quarterback Kasim Hill found wide receiver Ed Lee for the game-winning score. Check out the highlights below.
In the longest game EVER played between two teams, No. 22 outlasted Monmouth, 48-46, in 7️⃣ overtimes!
— CAA Football (@CAAFootball)
Here's how it happened...
Sept. 28, 2024 | 5 OT | Prairie View A&M 36, Grambling State 34
Prairie View A&M and Grambling State met in the 2024 State Fair Classic in Dallas, Texas. The neutral site contest had high early-season stakes. Prairie View A&M entered 0-2 in the SWAC West division while Grambling State was playing its first SWAC game of the year. A win for Grambling State meant Prairie View A&M would fall into an 0-3 whole in the division that would likely be insurmountable.
Prairie View trailed Grambling 17-7 at halftime, but scored 17 straight points out of the break to take a seven point lead with 9:43 to play. It wasn't until 38 seconds were left to play the Grambling tied the game back at 24 apiece, forcing overtime.
In the first overtime, Grambling and Prairie View each scored touchdowns. In the second overtime, both teams converted field goals. That forced two point conversions next under the overtime rules.
Neither team could make anything happen in the third and fourth extra frames. Grambling State got the ball first in the fifth overtime, and it was more of the same. Then it was Prairie View A&M's turn. That's when running back Lamagea McDowell navigated his way through chaos, scoring the game-winning two-point conversion.
Instant Classic 🍿 scores the 2-point conversion to win the State Fair Classic in 5OT. x 🎥 ESPN+
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS)
Oct. 23, 2021 | 5 OT | No. 16 Harvard 18, No. 17 Princeton 16
Harvard and Princeton each entered their 2021 meeting as undefeated teams with top-10 defenses in the FCS. Thanks to new overtime rules, this game lasted over four hours, with Princeton emerging victorious.
Princeton's 18-16 win was a five-overtime thriller on Oct. 23. The game fell one overtime short of the record, finished off by a Cole Smith two-point conversion pass to Jacob Birmelin that gave the Tigers sole possession of first place in the Ivy League.
The game remained low-scoring despite the abundance of overtimes because teams exchanged field goals and later missed or made two-point conversion attempts. It was 13-13 through four quarters and 16-16 after the first OT. In the new rule instituted before the 2021 season, teams must alternate two-point conversion attempts starting with the third extra period.
Both the Crimson and Tigers failed on their attempts in the second, third and fourth overtime periods. Princeton finally converted in the fifth, before a Tiger stop on Harvard's ensuing possession ended the game.
FINAL: Princeton 18, Harvard 16 5OT
— Princeton Football (@PrincetonFTBL)
The final stop! TIGERS WIN! 🍊🥤
However, this overtime game should've been decided in the third overtime instead of the fifth. An should've given Harvard the win in the third extra period.
Sept. 18, 1982 | 6 OT | Rhode Island 58, Maine 55
The first four-plus hour thriller in FCS football came in 1982 when Rhode Island defeated Maine 58-55 in six overtimes. According to school officials, the game was thought to be the longest modern-era college football game at the time.
How were Rhode Island and Maine able to play so long even though the NCAA had yet to establish an overtime rule? Well, individual conferences were able to establish their own rules for what happened in the case of a tie after regulation.
Rhode Island and Maine's Yankee Conference passed rules during the prior season in which teams began overtime periods when a regulation game ended in a 21-21 tie. Per the overtime rules, each team would get one possession from the opponent's 15 to score, continuing until a winner was decided.
Rhode Island and Maine were tied 21-21 at the end of regulation after Maine scored two touchdowns in the final seven minutes of regulation.
In overtime, the teams matched scores across the first five overtimes, scoring four touchdowns and one field goal.
In the sixth overtime, Maine scored first on a field goal to lead 55-52. Rhode Island then got the opportunity to answer, getting to the ball to the two-yard line for a 4th-and-goal play.
The Rams were at a crossroads; should they tie the game and go to a seventh overtime or go for the win?
Rhode Island decided on the latter as T.J. Del Santo scored the game-winning touchdown on a two-yard end-around run.
Just how great was this game? It has its own exhibit in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Oct. 7, 1989 | 6 OT | Villanova 41, UConn 35
In 1989, the Yankee Conference struck again with another six overtime game, this time featuring Villanova and UConn.
The Wildcats and Huskies battled in a back-and-forth affair with Villanova ultimately ending up on top in a 41-35 victory.
Oct. 5, 1996 | 6 OT | Florida A&M 59, Hampton 58
For the final six overtime FCS game, we go to the 13th Annual Circle City Classic between Florida A&M and Hampton.
The MEAC rivals met in a nationally televised game on BET in front of a huge crowd of 62,037 fans at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. And what a game it was! It lasted an unbelievable five hours and 10 minutes.
Fast-forwarding to the sixth overtime, Hampton scored a touchdown after possessing the ball first, but missed the extra-point attempt. On Florida A&M's following possession, the Pirates stopped the Rattlers on the goal line. Helmets flew in the air as Hampton stormed the field in celebration.
But the Pirates celebrated too soon. A quick look around found a penalty flag on the field as Hampton cornerback Cordell Taylor was flagged for holding in the end zone.
Florida A&M was still alive. Two plays after the chaotic penalty, Rattler running back Ken Williams crossed into the end zone on a one-yard game-tying touchdown run. Kicker Juan Toro made his extra point to win the game 59-58. It was Florida A&M's turn to celebrate.
''Every time I thought the game was over, it just kept going and going and going,'' said Florida A&M defensive end Jomo Cousins. ''At one point I was willing to take any outcome. I just wanted to get out of there.''
Unfortunately, after the lengthy game, several Rattler players were taken to the hospital and Pirate Marvin Adams even broke his arm. On the bright side that year, with a great overtime win under its belt, Florida A&M would go on to play in the FCS playoffs as the MEAC champion.
The very next season, the NCAA adopted overtime rules across the sport (see above).
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