Safeway Bowl history

Rivalry leaderboard

Safeway Bowl Greatest Games

The series' top 25 meetings, ranked without team allegiance by game-time AP strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.

Games
25
Top score
40/100
Overtime
0

Series context

Completed meetings
43
Series record
North Texas 6-36-1 SMU
Tracked years
1922-2023
Trophy
No named trophy

Series ranking

The rivalry's top 25 games

6 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.

  1. 1936Week 2

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 0, SMU 6

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. No. 15 SMU · 6-point margin

    Ranking 11/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15

    40

    Game score

  2. 1932Week 2

    SMU at North Texas

    SMU 0, North Texas 0

    Result: Tie

    Unranked SMU vs. Unranked North Texas · 0-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15

    35

    Game score

  3. 1940Week 4

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 7, SMU 20

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. No. 14 SMU · 13-point margin

    Ranking 12/50 · Closeness 22/35 · Overtime 0/15

    34

    Game score

  4. 1974Week 2

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 6, SMU 7

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. Unranked SMU · 1-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15

    34

    Game score

  5. 1984Week 5

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 6, SMU 24

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. No. 11 SMU · 18-point margin

    Ranking 15/50 · Closeness 17/35 · Overtime 0/15

    32

    Game score

  6. 1939Week 4

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 0, SMU 16

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. No. 13 SMU · 16-point margin

    Ranking 13/50 · Closeness 19/35 · Overtime 0/15

    32

    Game score

  7. 1979Week 4

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 9, SMU 20

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. No. 19 SMU · 11-point margin

    Ranking 7/50 · Closeness 24/35 · Overtime 0/15

    31

    Game score

  8. 1990Week 7

    SMU at North Texas

    SMU 7, North Texas 14

    Winner: North Texas

    Unranked SMU vs. Unranked North Texas · 7-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15

    28

    Game score

  9. 1976Week 4

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 31, SMU 38

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. Unranked SMU · 7-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15

    28

    Game score

  10. 1933Week 2

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 7, SMU 0

    Winner: North Texas

    Unranked North Texas vs. Unranked SMU · 7-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15

    28

    Game score

  11. 1924Week 2

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 0, SMU 7

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. Unranked SMU · 7-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15

    28

    Game score

  12. 1982Week 5

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 10, SMU 38

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. No. 7 SMU · 28-point margin

    Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 7/35 · Overtime 0/15

    26

    Game score

  13. 1929Week 1

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 3, SMU 13

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. Unranked SMU · 10-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15

    25

    Game score

  14. 1977Week 3

    SMU at North Texas

    SMU 13, North Texas 24

    Winner: North Texas

    Unranked SMU vs. Unranked North Texas · 11-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 24/35 · Overtime 0/15

    24

    Game score

  15. 1931Week 3

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 0, SMU 13

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. Unranked SMU · 13-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 22/35 · Overtime 0/15

    22

    Game score

  16. 1992Week 3

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 14, SMU 28

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. Unranked SMU · 14-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 21/35 · Overtime 0/15

    21

    Game score

  17. 1937Week 2

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 0, SMU 14

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. Unranked SMU · 14-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 21/35 · Overtime 0/15

    21

    Game score

  18. 1980Week 3

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 9, SMU 28

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. Unranked SMU · 19-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 16/35 · Overtime 0/15

    16

    Game score

  19. 1942Week 3

    North Texas at SMU

    North Texas 7, SMU 26

    Winner: SMU

    Unranked North Texas vs. Unranked SMU · 19-point margin

    Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 16/35 · Overtime 0/15

    16

    Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.

Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason meetings use the final regular-season AP poll before bowl and playoff results. Games before 2005 remain in the ranking but do not link to unsupported box-score pages. Videos are matched by canonical game ID or by a rematch-safe season matchup.