ISU's best wins

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CycloneRulzzz

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ISU's most joyous wins

To balance out the negative mojo from the worst losses thread I'm doing a best wins thread.

#1 OSU win in football EVERYTHIING else is secondary.

Any win against Iowa in any sport period. But especially beating IA in basketball this year and screwing the Hawks out of a perfect season in 2002 with that epic comeback.

Beating KU in basketball anytime especially the 5 game win streak 99-01.


Beating the hell out of UCLA in 99-00 to advance to elite 8.
 
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cyclones500

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The other thread was “most heartbreaking losses,â€￾ so a more accurate balance is “most joyous wins.â€￾

These aren’t all the best, some quality as major-impact, but each felt as good as the heartbreakers felt horrible — and for various reasons.

MBB
(2) Iowa State over (6) UCLA 80-56, Sweet 16, 2000 NCAA tournament.
(7) Iowa State over (2) Michigan, second round, 1986 NCAA tournament.
Iowa State over Kansas, 1996 Big 8 tournament championship.
(6) Iowa State over (3) Cincinnati, second round, 1997 NCAA tournament.

Football
ISU over OSU, 2011, as stated
ISU 37, Pitt 28, Insight Bowl, 2000
ISU 36, at Iowa 31, 2002
ISU 37, at KSU 23, 2004
ISU 37, Nebraska 28, 1976
ISU 9, at Nebraska 7, 2010
ISU 23, Iowa 12, 1981

WBB
(4) Iowa State over (1) UConn, Sweet 16, 1999

There are others, fill in the blanks — those were first that came to mind.
 
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Cyclonesince78

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OSU win was definitely the biggest football win in school history. I don't think that takes the #1 spot because it was during the regular season. I think it would have to go to basketball for the biggest win. I'm just not for sure which game though ATM. Probably the UCLA game or winning the big 12 regular season and tourney in 2000.
 

cyclones500

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I don't think the Okie State game gets the prize.
I'll give it to that first JO win against Mizzou when Hilton Magic was born. Much more significant in terms of lasting effects.

I don't think the Okie State game gets the prize.
I'll give it to that first JO win against Mizzou when Hilton Magic was born. Much more significant in terms of lasting effects.

Missouri win was definitely huge for the program's upswing.

Oklahoma State FB win is hard to top. It was unlikely, considering situation and ISU's historic futility vs. top 5 opponents, and wins of that magnitude are more rare in football than basketball. But you have to build on it, too.
 

CycloneRulzzz

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FYI my list wasn't really intended to be the entire list, just really a starting point for others to add to. I just threw the thread together in a few minutes.
 

Jordanj6502

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Before my time, but I have it on DVD, and it is a great game.

1987 #20 Iowa State 102 - #7 Iowa 100 (OT) - Rhodes 54 point game. Against a top 10 Iowa team, in Hilton, in OT. Maybe not be the best win, but up there for best game.
 

CyFan61

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I've only really followed ISU football since 2002 and basketball since 2010, so my choices will be in that context.

Basketball

Kansas at Hilton in 2012 - Fred's first big win.

UConn in NCAA tournament, 2012 - first NCAA tournament win and we played an incredible game.

Oklahoma in Big 12 tournament, 2013 - finally got off the schneid and off the bubble (in some people's minds), and it was a gritty comeback.


Football

Iowa in 2002 - huge comeback in Iowa City, and ended up ruining a perfect season.

Nebraska in 2002 - domination of the Huskers on ABC.

Iowa in 2005 - Hawks were in the Top 10 and we dismantled them.

Mizzou in 2006 - McCarney went out with a win.

Iowa in 2007 - I (wrongly) thought this would usher in an era of success with Chizik. This was also the first ISU game I watched as what I consider to be a "hardcore" Cyclone fan, so it has some personal significance.

Colorado in 2009 - Bowl eligibility when no one thought it was possible, except Rhoads and the team.

Minnesota in Insight Bowl, 2009 - Bowl win.

Texas in 2010 - looked like an absolutely huge program-changing win at the time.

Iowa in 2011 - never been more nervous about a game's outcome. First time for me storming the field at JTS.

Oklahoma State in 2011 - obvious reasons.
 

madguy30

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....way too many mentions of wins over Iowa. Even one is too many. That's why I have a hard time explaining to Iowa fans that ISU doesn't just have them as their Super Bowl.

Bball--collectively, the 5 game win streak over KU from 99-01.
The win over UCLA in sweet 16 in '00 was pretty awesome.

Football--OSU 2011, at ATM in '05 (no significance--it was just an ***** kicking in front of the 12th Man), and the crazy win over Nebraska in '92.
 

ImJustKCClone

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FB: I would include the win at Nebby when everyone was puking on the sidelines, the starting QB & RB were injured & unable to play, and the defense forced/capitalized on 8 turnovers.

MBB: not especially statistically significant, as the U-Conn team was a different player mix than the championship team, but I have to say it was incredibly satisfying to return to the dance, and beat the defending national champs in the first round. Not just beat, but dominate, from the coast-to-coast dunk by Royce White that started it all to the pointless windmill dunk that Jeremy Lamb failed to complete that ended the game. Had a smile on my face for hours!
 

MeanDean

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Before my time, but the win in 1957(?) over #1 Kansas with Wilt Chamberlain has to be right up there.

(Edit: Actually, I was 1 year old, so technically not before my time, but I don't remember seeing it on Cyclones.com at the time so we'll just go with "before my time")
 
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CRcyclone6

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Before my time, but the win in 1957(?) over #1 Kansas with Wilt Chamberlain has to be right up there.4

(Edit: Actually, I was 1 year old, so technically not before my time, but I don't remember seeing it on Cyclones.com at the time so we'll just go with "before my time")

I haven't seen that on cyclones.tv yet.:smile: That UCLA trouncing was awesome. I remember a preview in the USA Today the day of the game. UCLA is too big, too fast, too athletic for ISU. HA. Kicked their ******* ***!!
 

CycloneErik

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FB: I would include the win at Nebby when everyone was puking on the sidelines, the starting QB & RB were injured & unable to play, and the defense forced/capitalized on 8 turnovers.

MBB: not especially statistically significant, as the U-Conn team was a different player mix than the championship team, but I have to say it was incredibly satisfying to return to the dance, and beat the defending national champs in the first round. Not just beat, but dominate, from the coast-to-coast dunk by Royce White that started it all to the pointless windmill dunk that Jeremy Lamb failed to complete that ended the game. Had a smile on my face for hours!

I would say "windmilled" here.
Jeremy Lamb is a CF legend thanks to that one moment!
 

MeanDean

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I haven't seen that on cyclones.tv yet.:smile: That UCLA trouncing was awesome. I remember a preview in the USA Today the day of the game. UCLA is too big, too fast, too athletic for ISU. HA. Kicked their ******* ***!!

My memories of the pregame hype is similar. If you remember all the other #1 seeds except MSU lost in the first weekend so the experts were coming up with all kinds of theories on who was going to go all the way. I remember David Letterman riffing on the tournament and throwing UCLA out there a couple days before ISU blew them out.

That was pretty awesome, especially after the way the Tim Floyd/Cameron Dollar episode ended in OT after ISU being so far ahead during regulation. To this day I have to say UCLA is probably my least favorite non-Iowa team in MBB.