[This was slightly less painful when I started writing it Oct. 19. Slightly. Paul Rhoads was the perfect man for ISU football everywhere except the W-L ledger. -Ed.]
In light of Nebraska’s pair of hilarious losses to BYU and Illinois, Indiana’s Jim Walden-esque forfeiture of a 25-point lead, Michigan’s “we have no idea what happened but it’s going to get a special name” loss to Michigan State, and Michigan State’s “out of bounds is just a conjecture” loss to Nebraska, the Big Ten Conference (save for a team that shall remain nameless) is trying to lose games in the most Iowa State ways possible.
But the last two weeks have proven that over the long term no one, NO ONE, can match the Cyclones in that category. “The most Iowa State way possible” is less jaw-dropping end-of-game moments and more building like a slow-motion wreck. Here’s a list limited to this century of the many ways ISU has lost football games, updated as necessary:
- Up 21 at half, still up 7 with 1:31 remaining, fumbled twice when kneeling would’ve made time (almost) expire (2015 Kansas State)
- Up 17 at half against #5 team in country, trailed for first time with 3 minutes left, uncalled first down leads to coach confusion (2015 Oklahoma State)
- Up 20-0 at half against #16 team in country (2008 Kansas)
- Up 7, 2 minutes remaining, opponent drives 58 yards for tying score, lost in OT (2005 Kansas)
- Up 6, 1:08 remaining, opponent fumble at 1-yard line ruled not a fumble, opponent scored, conference apologized (2013 Texas)
- Blew 14-point early-fourth-quarter lead to top-15 team at home, never trailed until game-ending field goal (2016 Baylor)
- Blew 17-point second-half lead to top-15 team the week after the above game (2016 Oklahoma State)
- Three words: Big 12 Refs (2017 Kansas State)
- Down 1, 46 seconds remaining, “wide right” kick sailed over the goalpost, third missed field goal of game (2001 Independence Bowl vs. Alabama)
- Down 1, 32 seconds remaining, extra point blocked (2009 Kansas State)
- Tie game, one win away from outright Big 12 North title, one minute left, wide right, lost in OT (2004 Missouri)
- Up 7, one win away from outright Big 12 North title again, opponent completes 87-yard drive with 20 seconds to go, wide right again, lost in OT again (2005 Missouri)
- Tie game, time expired, wide left, lost in double OT (2015 Toledo)
- Down 1 in double OT after 14-point comeback, 2-point conversion attempt fails (2010 Nebraska)
- Recovered from 21-point halftime deficit, game-winning two-point conversion attempt fails (2019 Oklahoma)
- Wiped out 20-point deficit, opponent puts together 14-play drive for game-winning field goal (2019 Baylor) — in 93-degree Texas heat
- Double OT as the higher-ranked team (2005 Nebraska)
- Triple OT to most-hated rival (2017 Iowa)
- Opponent scores 31 points in third quarter, then takes mercy by kneeling in the red zone on last drive (2014 TCU)
- Reversed call at end of first half gives opponent TD, opponent then also scores on second-half kickoff (2014 Oklahoma State)
- Toyed with by the weather gods, and then the extremely not optimal situation of running into your own punt returner with a minute and a half to go (2019 Iowa)
- In the only matchup of AP Top 10 teams ever at Jack Trice Stadium (2021 Iowa)
- By 1, 1, 2, 7, and 10 points the entire season (2019)
- By 3, 7, 7, and 10 points the entire season, and 3 in the bowl (2005)
- By 64 points (2013 Baylor)
- By 41 points, including a 31-point second quarter (2010 Utah)
- By 46, 46, 25, 52, 38, 45, and 38 points (2002, ’03, ’06, ’10, ’13, ’14, and ’15 Oklahoma)
- To an interim coach (2010 Colorado)
- To another interim coach (2014 Kansas)
- To a third interim coach, and a 62-yard field goal as time expired (2021 Texas Tech)
- To a Division I-AA program,
threefour times (2007 UNI, 2013 UNI, 2014 NDSU, 2016 UNI) - To a program in its third year at the Division I-A level (2002 UConn)
- Starting quarterback had the flu (2012 Liberty Bowl vs. Tulsa)
Iowa State football fandom: We don’t know HOW the punch is coming, we just know that it is.
Last updated 11/25/21.