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Iowa State Cyclones football
2016 Iowa State Cyclones football team
First season1892
Head coach
1st season, 1–5 (.167)
StadiumJack Trice Stadium
(capacity: 61,500)
Field surfaceGrass
LocationAmes, Iowa
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
Past conferencesIndependent (1892–1907)
Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA) (1908-1927)
Big Six/Seven/Eight Conference (1928-1995)
All-time record510–620–46 (.453)
Bowl record3–9 (.250)
Conference titles2[1]
Division titles1
Consensus All-Americans3
Current uniform
File:Big12-Uniform-ISU.png
ColorsCardinal and gold[2]
   
Fight songISU Fights
MascotCy
Marching band"Iowa State University Cyclone Football 'Varsity' Marching Band"
RivalsIowa Hawkeyes
UNI Panthers
Kansas State Wildcats
Websitecyclones.com

The Iowa State Cyclones football is the football team at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The team was coached by Paul Rhoads before he was relieved of his duties on November 22, 2015. On November 29, 2015, Matt Campbell was named the head coach.[3] The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member of the NCAA. The Cyclones play their home games at Jack Trice Stadium, with a capacity of 61,500.

History

Legendary coach "Pop" Warner co-coached Iowa State's earliest football teams

Football first made its way onto the Iowa State campus in 1878 as a recreational sport, but it wasn't until 1892 that an organized group of athletes first represented Iowa State in football. In 1894, college president William M. Beardshear spearheaded the foundation of an athletic association to officially sanction Iowa State football teams. The 1894 team finished with a 6–1 mark, including a 16–8 victory over what is now the University of Iowa.[4]

Iowa State won the MVIAA titles in 1911 and 1912.

Johnny Majors era

Iowa State finished the season 8–4. The 1971 teams was picked to finish last in the Big Eight, but overcame odds to get a Sun Bowl bid to give the Cyclones their first bowl bid ever in Majors' fourth season at Iowa State. The team was led by George Amundson, who Majors called "the finest athlete I have coached in any job I have had." Iowa State had one all-conference pick, LB Keith Schroeder. Offensively they were led by Amundson who rushed for 1,260 yards as a running back, including a school record of 15 touchdowns. End Keith Krepfle had 40 receptions for 570 yards and 12 touchdowns. Quarterback Dean Carlson threw for a school record of 1,867 yards.

Iowa State's defense played well, but was unable to control QB Bert Jones who was 12–18–227 with three touchdowns. Iowa State got to within four points in the fourth quarter, but Bert Jones drove LSU down the field for yet another score.

Score Play
LSU 3, ISU 0 39-yard FG Michaelson
LSU 6, ISU 0 39-yard FG Michaelson
ISU 3, LSU 6 32-yard FG Shoemake
LSU 13, ISU 3 37-yard pass Jones to Hamilton(Michaelson)
LSU 19, ISU 3 21-yard pass Jones to Keigley(Michaelson)
ISU 9, LSU 19 30-yard pass Carlson to Marquardt
ISU 15, LSU 19 1-yard pass Carlson to Krepfle
LSU 26, ISU 15 6-yard pass Jones to Michaelson(Michaelson)
LSU 33, ISU 15 6-yard run Jones(Michaelson)

1972 saw the loss of five starters and the move of George Amundson from running back to quarterback to replace Dean Carlson. The Clones lost LB Matt Blair to a pre season injury which forced him into a medical redshirt. The Cyclones fought Nebraska to a 23–23 tie during the '72 season which would have been won on a made extra point by Tom Goedjen, who missed the extra point, but wouldn't miss another extra point as a Cyclone. Three players went on to be named to the All-Big Eight team, OL Geary Murdoch, DEMerv Krakau and QB George Amundson. George Amundson was named Big Eight player of the year over Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Rodgers. It was in this year that Iowa State became known as Defensive Tackle University, or D-Tackle U, similar to Penn State's moniker "Linebacker U."

Iowa State led 14–3 after the first quarter and a Willie Jones Liberty Bowl record, 93-yard kickoff return gave the Cyclones a 21–17 halftime edge. Georgia Tech regained the lead, but the Cyclones took advantage of a Tech turnover late in the game. Amundson hit Ike Harris on a 5-yard TD pass with 1:36 left to cut the Tech lead to 31-30, but Amundson's two-point conversion pass fell incomplete to end the Cyclones’ chances for victory before 50,021 emotionally spent fans, as well as an ABC-TV prime-time national audience.

Score Play
GT 3, ISU 0 32-yard FG Bonifay
ISU 7, GT 3 19-yard pass Amundson to Harris(Goedjen)
ISU 14, GT 3 1-yard run Amundson(Goedjen)
GT 9, ISU 14 9-yard pass Stevens to Robinson
GT 17, ISU 14 19-yard interception return Faulkner (Stevens run)
ISU 21, GT 17 93-yard kickoff return Jones(Goedjen)
GT 24, ISU 21 22-yard pass Stevens to Healy(Thigpen)
ISU 24, GT 24 30-yard FG Goedjen
GT 31, ISU 24 3-yard pass Stevens to McNamara(Thigpen)
ISU 30, GT 31 5-yard pass Amundson to Harris (Pass Failed)

All-Americans under Major

  • 1972- QB George Amundson
  • 1972- DE Merv Krakau
  • 1972- G Geary Murdock[5]
Year 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972
Record 3-7 3-7 5-6 8-4 5-6

Earle Bruce era

The team finished the 1976 season with an 8–3 record and a No. 18 ranking, but was snubbed by the bowls even though their losses were to the #1, #2 and #3 teams in the country. Bruce was selected as the Big Eight Coach of the year and had four players garner all conference honors, including Luther Blue, a Split End, who was an All-American. Iowa State would have tied for a share of the Big Eight title with a win over Oklahoma State in the season finale, but they lost. They upset power house Nebraska 37–28, their first win over Nebraska since 1960, but was unable to beat bowl-bound teams Oklahoma State and Colorado.

Following another good season, where the Cyclones again beat Nebraska, Iowa State earned a berth in the Peach Bowl. They also tied for second in the conference. The Peach Bowl saw the matchup of two stellar running backs, NC State's Ted Brown and Iowa State's Dexter Green. The game however was dominated by QB Johnny Evans who put up 264 yards of total offense.

Score Play
NC State 7, ISU 0 Hall 77 pass from Evans(Sherrill)
NC State 14, ISU 0 Brown 5 pass from Evans(Sherill)
NC State 21, ISU 0 Evans 32 run(Sherill)
ISU 7, NC State 21 Quinn 1 run(Kollman)
NC State 24, ISU 7 FG Sherill 42
ISU 14, NC State 24 Meckstroth 10 pass from Quinn(Kollman)

The Cyclones returned 14 starters from the 1977 peach bowl team including Heisman Trophy candidate, Dexter Green and Outland Trophy hopeful, Mike Stensrud. Iowa State's post season hopes came down to their last game against Colorado which was nationally televised. The game was close throughout, with ISU clinging to a 17–10 halftime lead. A 27-yard first-half TD pass from Grant to Hardee and a 24-yard field goal from Steve Johnson gave ISU a 10–0 lead. After a CU touchdown closed the gap, Grant rumbled into the end zone from five yards out before the Buffs closed the half with a field goal. The second half was a defensive battle, but the ISU defense came up with big plays down the stretch. Mike Stensrud had 16 stops and caused a fumble to help ISU preserve a 20–16 win over the Buffs. The win earned ISU a Hall of Fame Bowl bid. Cyclones that made the Big Eight first team were Dexter Green, Mike Stensrud, Tom Boskey and Dick Cuvelier. Chris Boskey was named Big Eight Newcomer of the Year.

Score Play
Iowa State 6, TAMU 0 Green 5-yard pass from Grant
TAMU 7, Iowa State 6 Brothers 1-yard run(Franklin)
TAMU 14, Iowa State 6 Carter 4-yard pass from Mosley(Franklin)
Iowa State 12, TAMU 14 Green 28-yard run
TAMU 21, Iowa State 12 Dickey 19-yard run(Franklin)
TAMU 28, Iowa State 12 Armstrong 5-yard run(Franklin)

Iowa State was favored in the Hall of Fame Bowl, but Texas A&M RB Curtis Dickey ran for a Hall of Fame Bowl record of 276 yards. Dickey had 184 yards in the first half, including runs of 54, 25, 35, and 21 yards.

Year 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978
Record 4-7 4-7 4-7 8-3 8-4 8-4
  • All-Americans under Bruce
  • 1973- ROV Matt Blair
  • 1974- S Barry Hill
  • 1976- SE Luther Blue
  • 1977- NG Ron McFarland
  • 1978- TB Dexter Green
  • 1978- DT Mike Stensrud[5]

Dan McCarney era

In 2000, McCarney took the Cyclones to their first bowl game since 1978 and their first ever bowl victory. Led by senior QB Sage Rosenfels, the Cyclones won against the University of Pittsburgh Panthers in the 2000 Insight.com Bowl at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona. In an interesting side note, Paul Rhoads was the defensive coordinator for Pittsburgh in this game. He would later become the Iowa State head coach.

Propelled by newcomer Seneca Wallace, the Cyclones went to a second bowl game in 2001 against the Alabama in the 2001 Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. They lost the game on a disputed missed field goal by Cyclone kicker Tony Yelk, which some people thought had sailed directly over the right goal post.

Seneca Wallace would lead the Cyclones to a 6–1 start in 2002, including a near-win against the Florida State in the Eddie Robinson Classic in Kansas City, Missouri. Wallace dove towards the goal line at the last second but was ruled out shy of the end zone. At one point the Cyclones were ranked #9 in the country. They wouldn't finish the season as well as they began it. They finished the season 7-7 following a loss to Boise State in the Humanitarian Bowl. The following season wasn't as successful. The Cyclones finished 2003 with a 2–10 record. They were quarterbacked by redshirt freshman Austin Flynn, who went on to switch the wide receiver position in later seasons.

During a 2002 home game versus Texas Tech, ISU quarterback Seneca Wallace scored on a 12-yard touchdown by running an estimated 120 yards backwards, forwards, and sideways on the field. Wallace dodged tackles and received numerous blocks from his offense, including one devastating block made by running back Michael Wagner. The play briefly catapulted Wallace into Heisman Trophy contention and was recognized by ESPN as the "Play of the Week." It has since been recognized as one of the great plays in college football history. The play is known among Iowa State fans simply as "The Run." Just as memorable to fans was the play-by-play given by Cyclone Radio broadcaster Pete Taylor.

The 2004 season would be much more successful than 2003 for the Cyclones. Redshirt freshman Bret Meyer took over the quarterback spot and paired up with fellow redshirt freshman receiver Todd Blythe to make a lethal combination. The Cyclones had a chance to win the Big 12 North Title but fell short after a Missouri defender intercepted a pass intended for Jon Davis in the end zone. The Cyclones would go on to play the Miami RedHawks in the 2004 Independence Bowl. They won the game 17–13. The Cyclones finished the season 7–5.

The Cyclones continued their success under McCarney in the 2005 season with a 7–5 record. They missed out yet again on the Big 12 title when they lost in overtime to the Kansas Jayhawks after a missed field goal by Bret Culbertson. They led the game in the 4th quarter but allowed Kansas to come back. They got a berth in the 2005 Houston Bowl, but lost 24–27 to the TCU Horned Frogs.

McCarney stepped down as head coach after a 4–8 season in 2006. McCarney finished with a 56–85 all-time record.

Year 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Record 3-8 2-9 1-10 3-8 4-7 9-3 7-5 7-7 2-10 7-5 7-5 4-8

All-Americans under McCarney

  • 1995- RB Troy Davis
  • 1996- RB Troy Davis
  • 2000- C Ben Bruns[5]

Gene Chizik era

Gene Chizik signed as new head football coach, replacing Dan McCarney. Iowa State wore 1977 throwback jerseys for the 2007 game against Iowa and re-introduced gold pants as a standard part of their uniform. It marked the 30th anniversary since the restart of the rivalry as well as the 30th anniversary of the 1977 Iowa State Peach Bowl team. They finished the season 3-9, including a 15-13 win over Iowa, and back-to-back wins against Kansas State and Colorado. All three wins were upsets. In 2008, Iowa State opened with two wins against weaker nonconference foes, before losing their next 10 games to finish the season 2-10. Chizik left the Cyclones after the season to become the head football coach of Auburn.[6]

Year 2007 2008
Record 3-9 2-10

Paul Rhoads era

Paul Rhoads was announced as the 31st head coach in December 2008. Rhoads had previously spent time at Iowa State as an assistant coach in the late nineties and was raised only 20 miles from the school's football facilities.[7] Rhoads led Iowa State to a victory at Kent State in his first year, ending a 17-game road losing streak.[8] In October 2009 the Cyclones defeated Baylor to end an 11-game losing stretch against conference opponents,[9] and then went on to defeat Nebraska in Lincoln for the first time since 1977.[10] On December 31, 2009 the Cyclones capped off their season with an Insight.com Bowlvictory over Minnesota.[11]

In 2010 the Cyclones captured a milestone win over the #22 Texas Longhorns by a 28–21 margin. It was only the fourth ever road win over a ranked team in Iowa State history, and the first occurrence since a 33–31 victory over Oklahoma in 1990. It was also the first ever win by an Iowa State football team over Texas.[12]

In 2011 Iowa State started off the season 3-0 including a triple overtime win over Iowa in Ames, and a win over Connecticut in East Hartford. The Cyclones would drop the next four games, starting out 0-4 in conference play but quickly bounce back. The Cyclones rebounded with a 41-7 win on October 29 at number 19 Texas Tech. In the process, Iowa State managed to rack up 512 total yards, the most since the Nov 22, 2008 game at Kansas State (626 yards at KSU). Several other school records were broken, including first-ever win in Lubbock, Texas (1-5 all-time), largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent (previous: 22-point margin of victory against No. 20 Nebraska, 2002), largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent as an unranked team (previous: 21-point margin of victory against No. 8 Missouri, 1981), largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent on the road (previous: 7-point margin of victory at No. 22 Texas, 2010), and most points scored against a ranked opponent since Nov. 9, 1996 (42 at No. 7 Colorado).[13]

On November 18, Iowa State faced off against undefeated No. 2 Oklahoma State and Heisman frontrunner Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon in Ames. Down 24-7 early in the second half, Iowa State came back with 17 unanswered points to force overtime. In overtime, Iowa State scored on its first play from scrimmage, but Oklahoma State answered back with one. In the second overtime, Iowa State forced an interception and ran three run plays to beat Oklahoma State 37-31, smashing Oklahoma State's chances of playing for a national championship and Brandon Weeden's Heisman shot. Iowa State became bowl eligible with the win and improved to 6-4. The win over Oklahoma State marks Iowa State's first ever win against an opponent in the top 6 (AP polls).[14]

On September 8, 2012 Iowa State defeated Iowa 9-6 for its first win in Iowa City in 10 years.[15] The 2012 season ended 6-7 and a berth in that year's Liberty Bowl, where the Cyclones lost 31-17 to Tulsa. While things appeared to be promising to move in a positive direction for the Cyclones, Rhoads' future teams were unable to recapture the success of his earlier teams. In his final three seasons, the Cyclones won just four Big 12 games (including a winless conference record in 2014) and went 8-27 overall. The 2015 season proved to be particularly difficult, as in two games, the Cyclones held double-digit halftime leads against both Oklahoma State and Kansas State only to lose late in the fourth quarter. Following a 38-35 loss to Kansas State on November 21, in which he came under heavy criticism for play-calling in the game's final 90 seconds,[16] Rhoads was fired as head coach, effective the conclusion of the season.[17]

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Record 7-6 5-7 6-7 6-7 3-9 2-10 3-9

Matt Campbell era

Matt Campbell, who had been the head coach of the University of Toledo football team, was named head coach at Iowa State on November 29, 2015. Campbell signed a six-year contract worth $2 million his first year.[18]

Championships and rankings

Conference championships

Iowa State has won 2 conference championships in school history. Both Iowa State conference championships were during their membership in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA), which would later be known as the Big Eight Conference.[1]

Year Conference Coach Overall Record Conference Record Bowl Game
1911† MVIAA Clyde Williams 6–1–1 2–0–1 N/A
1912† MVIAA Clyde Williams 6–2–0 2–0–0 N/A
Conference Championships 2 MVIAA
† Denotes co-champions

Divisional championships

Iowa State competed in the Big 12 North Division from 1996-2010, winning a share of one division title during that time.

Season Division CG Result Opponent PF PA
2004 Big 12 North - N/A N/A N/A
Division Championships 1
† Denotes co-champions

Appearances in the final Associated Press Poll

Iowa State has made 40 appearances in the Associated Press poll over 10 seasons, including 1 week in the Top 10.[19] Iowa State has finished the year ranked in the final Associated Press poll of the season only twice:

Year Ranking Record
1976 19 8–3
2000 25 9–3

Individual accomplishments

First team All-Americans

Polly Wallace was named to the 1926 All-America Team

Every year, several publications release lists of their ideal "team". The athletes on these lists are referred to as All-Americans. The NCAA recognizes five All-American lists. They are the Associated Press (AP), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News (TSN), and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF). Since the establishment of the team in 1892, Iowa State has had 16 players honored a total of 24 times as First Team All-America for their performance on the field of play. Included in these selections are 4 consensus selections, 2 of which were unanimous selections.[20]

The most recent All-American from Iowa State came after the 2011 season, when Kelechi Osemele was named First Team All-America by Sports Illustrated.[21]

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

In 1951, the College Football Hall of Fame opened in South Bend, Indiana. Since then, Iowa State has had two players and one former coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Ed Bock is widely considered the greatest offensive lineman in Iowa State history. During his 1938 senior season the team finished with a then best 7-1-1 record. At the conclusion of the season Bock became the first consensus first team All-American in ISU history. Following his football career at Iowa State Bock worked for the Monsanto Chemical Company where he eventually rose to become CEO and President. Bock was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970.[22]

Earle Bruce is a former coach of the Iowa State Cyclones. He served as the head coach at the University of Tampa (1972), Iowa State (1973–1978), Ohio State (1979–1987), the Northern Iowa (1988), and Colorado State (1989–1992), compiling a career college football record of 154–90–2. At Iowa State, he put together a 36-32 record as well as taking Iowa State to there second and third bowl games in the history of the program.[23] At Ohio State, Bruce was the successor to the legendary Woody Hayes, and won four Big Ten Conference titles. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2002.[24]

Troy Davis is considered the greatest running back in Iowa State history and one of the greatest in college football history. Troy twice earned unanimous All-American honors and was the first NCAA Division I-A running back to rush for over 2,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, a feat that has yet to be repeated. Davis finished 5th and 2nd in Heisman voting in his sophomore and junior seasons respectively.[25] After completely his college career Davis went on to have a 10-year career in the NFL and CLF. He was a member of the Edmonton Eskimos 2005 Grey Cup championship team. Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2016.[26]

Name Time at Iowa State Position Year Inducted
Ed Bock 1936–38 Guard 1970
Earle Bruce 1972–78 Head Coach 2002
Troy Davis 1994–96 Running Back 2016

Heisman Trophy

The Heisman Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's most outstanding college football player. After his stellar 1972 campaign George Amundson became the first player in ISU history to receive Heisman votes when he finished in 7th place.[27] In 1995 after a 23-year absence Troy Davis became the second Cyclone to gain Heisman attention when he finished 5th. Then in 1996 at the conclusion of his second consecutive 2,000 yard season Davis nearly won the Heisman but ultimately was runner-up.[28]

Name Year Position Class Points Place
George Amundson 1972 Running Back Senior 219 7th
Troy Davis 1995 Running Back Sophomore 402 5th
Troy Davis 1996 Running Back Junior 1,174 2nd

All-time Records

All-time record vs. Big 12 opponents

School ISU Record Streak 1st Meeting
Baylor 6–9 Lost 4 1988
Kansas 39–50–6 Won 1 1898
Kansas State 49–46–4 Lost 8 1917
Oklahoma 5–73–2 Lost 16 1928
Oklahoma State 18–28–3 Lost 3 1926
Texas 2–11 Won 1 1979
TCU 1–4 Lost 1 1995
Texas Tech 3–10 Lost 3 1967
West Virginia 1–2 Lost 1 2012

Season records

The Cyclones began playing football against other colleges in 1892.

Coaching records

Years Coach Seasons Wins Losses Ties Pct.
1892 Ira C. Brownlie 1 1 0 1 .750
1893 W. F. Finney 1 0 3 0 .000
1894 Bert German 1 5 1 0 .833
1895-99 Glenn "Pop" Warner 4 1/3 18 8 0 .692
1899 Joe Meyers 2/3 4 4 1 .500
1900 C. E. Woodruff 1 2 5 1 .313
1901 Edgar Clinton 1 2 6 2 .300
1902-06 A. W. Ristine 5 36 10 1 .766
1907-12 Clyde Williams 6 33 14 2 .694
1913-14 Homer C. Hubbard 2 8 7 0 .533
1915-19 Charles Mayser 5 21 11 2 .647
1920 Norman C. Paine 1 4 4 0 .500
1921 Maury Kent 1 4 4 0 .500
1922–25 Sam F. Willaman 4 14 15 3 .484
1926–30 Noel Workman 5 11 27 3 .305
1931-36 George Veenker 6 21 22 8 .490
1937–40 James Yeager 4 16 19 1 .458
1941-42 Ray Donels 1 1/3 3 8 1 .292
1942-46 Mike Michalske 4 2/3 18 18 3 .500
1947-53 Abe Stuber 7 24 38 3 .393
1954-56 Vince DiFrancesca 3 6 21 1 .232
1957 Jim Myers 1 4 5 1 .450
1958-67 Clay Stapleton 10 42 53 4 .444
1968-72 John Majors 5 24 30 1 .445
1973-78 Earle Bruce 6 36 32 0 .529
1979–82 Donnie Duncan 4 18 24 2 .432
1983–86 Jim Criner 3 4/5 16 24 2 .405
1986 Chuck Banker 1/5 1 1 0 .500
1987-94 Jim Walden 8 28 57 3 .335
1995-2006 Dan McCarney 12 56 85 0 .397
2007-08 Gene Chizik 2 5 19 0 .208
2009–15 Paul Rhoads 6 29 45 0 .392
2016– Matt Campbell 1 1 6 0 .250
Totals Coaches Seasons Wins Losses Ties Pct.
1889–2013 32 122 510 623 46 .453

[29]

Bowl games

Iowa State has appeared in 12 bowl games. Their overall bowl record is 3–9:

Date Bowl W/L Opponent PF PA
December 18, 1971 Sun Bowl L LSU 15 33
December 18, 1972 Liberty Bowl L Georgia Tech 30 31
December 31, 1977 Peach Bowl L NC State 14 24
December 20, 1978 Hall of Fame Classic L Texas A&M 12 28
December 28, 2000 Insight.com Bowl W Pittsburgh 37 29
December 27, 2001 Independence Bowl L Alabama 13 14
December 31, 2002 Humanitarian Bowl L Boise State 16 34
December 28, 2004 Independence Bowl W Miami (OH) 17 13
December 31, 2005 Houston Bowl L TCU 24 27
December 31, 2009 Insight Bowl W Minnesota 14 13
December 30, 2011 Pinstripe Bowl L Rutgers 13 27
December 31, 2012 Liberty Bowl L Tulsa 17 31
Total 12 Bowl Games 3–9 222 304

Iowa State and the NFL

Ahtyba Rubinis an 8-year veteran; he currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks

Iowa State players currently in the NFL