Worst ISU Football Team You've Watched

[SolarGarlic]

OK, so not the most uplifting thread, but I think we're pretty used to discussing our abysmal history as a football program. Which ISU was the most hopeless that you watched in person? The 0-10-1 team was obviously terrible, but I was too young to catch any of those games.

Listening to the 77-14 beatdown from Nebraska in 1997 was bad, but the worst team I've seen play was McCarney's 2003 squad. Seneca was gone, and we were counting on Austin Flynn to keep the "momentum" from 2000-2002 going. I don't remember if he got hurt or benched, but we went from Flynn to Waye Terry to Cris Love at QB. They were outscored 343-71 in Big 12 play. I had a good time at the Kansas State game, which we lost 45-0.

 

[JP4CY]

OK, so not the most uplifting thread, but I think we're pretty used to discussing our abysmal history as a football program. Which ISU was the most hopeless that you watched in person? The 0-10-1 team was obviously terrible, but I was too young to catch any of those games.

Listening to the 77-14 beatdown from Nebraska in 1997 was bad, but the worst team I've seen play was McCarney's 2003 squad. Seneca was gone, and we were counting on Austin Flynn to keep the "momentum" from 2000-2002 going. I don't remember if he got hurt or benched, but we went from Flynn to Waye Terry to Cris Love at QB. They were outscored 343-71 in Big 12 play. I had a good time at the Kansas State game, which we lost 45-0.

Regretfully, I haven't thought about the name Cris Love in a long time. Shame on me.

 

[Cyched]

2003 is the winner for me. Just seemed like they weren’t in any game after the first couple. Terrible line play. Went to a lot of games in the 90s prior to Mac, Sage and co. breaking through, but don’t remember those teams well outside of the Davis brothers.

 

[CyTwins]

That Baylor game in Waco still gives me nightmares

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

That Baylor game in Waco still gives me nightmares

My god that was bad.

 

[Sigmapolis]

I realize there are probably worse Iowa State teams in the history of the program, but the worst team I have watched closely in my living memory was 2008.

That was the second Chizik team. They went 2-10 (0-8 in the Big 12).



Easy wins over overmatched MVC and MAC schools
Lose a grinding defensive game at Kinnick
Somehow lose to a crappy UNLV team in overtime
Take a big lead into halftime against ranked KU -- and pee it away
Four weeks of generally getting our teeth kicked in
Lose at Colorado... on the infamous option to the short side of the field... somehow could not score to win from 1st and goal on four tries...
Missouri kicks our butt, and Kansas State handles us

Then Chizik bailed -- somehow got a promotion after 5-19 to Auburn.

What an awful season to forget.

Not only were they bad, but they were boring. The Iowa, UNLV, Kansas, and Colorado games were there for a taking (for a record of 6-6 and a bowl game), but we just never seemed like we were really all that interested in actually winning games.

 

[JP4CY]

I realize there are probably worse Iowa State teams in the history of the program, but the worst team I have watched closely in my living memory was 2008.

That was the second Chizik team. They went 2-10 (0-8 in the Big 12).

View attachment 73738

Easy wins over overmatched MVC and MAC schools
Lose a grinding defense game at Kinnick
Somehow lose to a crappy UNLV team in overtime
Take a big lead into halftime against ranked KU -- and pee it away
Four weeks of generally getting our teeth kicked in
Lose at Colorado... on the infamous option to the short side of the field... somehow could not score to win from 1st and goal on four tries...
Missouri kicks our butt, and Kansas State handles us

Then Chizik bailed -- somehow got a promotion after 5-19 to Auburn.

What an awful season to forget.

Not only were they bad, but they were boring. The Iowa, UNLV, Kansas, and Colorado games were there for a taking (for a record of 6-6 and a bowl game), but we just never seemed like we were really all that interested in actually winning games.

Haven't thought about this in almost two years! Fun times!

I remember we were up 20-0 on Todd Reesing and Kansas about 10 years ago. Figure, why not go out at half and shotgun some beers? I may have shotgunned one too many, walked back in, and it was 21-20. I couldn’t believe it.

 

[SolarGarlic]

I realize there are probably worse Iowa State teams in the history of the program, but the worst team I have watched closely in my living memory was 2008.

That was the second Chizik team. They went 2-10 (0-8 in the Big 12).

View attachment 73738

Easy wins over overmatched MVC and MAC schools
Lose a grinding defense game at Kinnick
Somehow lose to a crappy UNLV team in overtime
Take a big lead into halftime against ranked KU -- and pee it away
Four weeks of generally getting our teeth kicked in
Lose at Colorado... on the infamous option to the short side of the field... somehow could not score to win from 1st and goal on four tries...
Missouri kicks our butt, and Kansas State handles us

Then Chizik bailed -- somehow got a promotion after 5-19 to Auburn.

What an awful season to forget.

Not only were they bad, but they were boring. The Iowa, UNLV, Kansas, and Colorado games were there for a taking (for a record of 6-6 and a bowl game), but we just never seemed like we were really all that interested in actually winning games.

They were my second choice.

 

[Cyched]

I realize there are probably worse Iowa State teams in the history of the program, but the worst team I have watched closely in my living memory was 2008.

That was the second Chizik team. They went 2-10 (0-8 in the Big 12).

View attachment 73738

Easy wins over overmatched MVC and MAC schools
Lose a grinding defense game at Kinnick
Somehow lose to a crappy UNLV team in overtime
Take a big lead into halftime against ranked KU -- and pee it away
Four weeks of generally getting our teeth kicked in
Lose at Colorado... on the infamous option to the short side of the field... somehow could not score to win from 1st and goal on four tries...
Missouri kicks our butt, and Kansas State handles us

Then Chizik bailed -- somehow got a promotion after 5-19 to Auburn.

What an awful season to forget.

Not only were they bad, but they were boring. The Iowa, UNLV, Kansas, and Colorado games were there for a taking (for a record of 6-6 and a bowl game), but we just never seemed like we were really all that interested in actually winning games.

What about the Chiz’s first team?

Lost at home to Kent State and UNI. Lost at Toledo. Manhandled by Texas in a home game the AD hyped up.

But...managed to beat Iowa, gave OU a game, and beat KSU and Colorado (not good teams, but still). Kind of a weird year

 

[Aclone]

I’ve been a fan since the late Seventies. Please don’t make me go there.

It was like stepping off a cliff after Earle Bruce.

 

[Sigmapolis]

What about the Chiz’s first team?

Lost at home to Kent State and UNI. Lost at Toledo. Manhandled by Texas in a home game the AD hyped up.

But...managed to beat Iowa, gave OU a game, and beat KSU and Colorado (not good teams, but still). Kind of a weird year

I felt that team started showing some progress towards the end of the year. Winning those two Big 12 games, even if against mediocre teams, was something. The win against Colorado (with the "last second" field goal that was called too late) will always be memorable to me. There was a sense that year that Chizik was just restarting and rebuilding the program after it crashed late in the McD* era and maybe it could work out.

And beating Iowa with nothing but field goals still makes me laugh.

After 2008, I was like what the **** is going on here. They had regressed.

*Edit = You all know I meant McCarney.

 

[Messi]

That Baylor game in Waco still gives me nightmares

that was the beginning of the end for Rhoads

25-31 ISU record coming into that game. went 7-23 after that game

 

[Statefan10]

For me (25 y/o) the worst team I saw was the 2014 team. We went 2-10, and I know we beat Iowa (hilarious), but good lord.. Got smacked down by Wentz and NDSU 14-34 at JTS. We somehow competed but blew the lead against a good K-State team, almost won @ Texas, and then almost beat TTU. We also beat Campbell when he took his Toledo team to Ames, but besides that...

28-49 vs. Baylor

20-37 @ Okie State

14-59 vs. OU

13-34 @ KU (WTF)

24-37 vs. WVU

3-55 @ TCU

 

[CyGuy5]

Some of the last Rhodes teams were just awful, and I think 2014 is my pick for the worst I’ve seen. Got absolutely bodied by NDSU. I have better memory of those bad Rhodes teams than I do the Chizik teams so that probably plays into it as well

 

[Cyched]

I felt that team started showing some progress towards the end of the year. Winning those two Big 12 games, even if against mediocre teams, was something. The win against Colorado (with the "last second" field goal that was called too late) will always be memorable to me. There was a sense that year that Chizik was just restarting and rebuilding the program after it crashed late in the McD era and maybe it could work out.

After 2008, I was like what the **** is going on here. They had regressed.

McDermott tanked the football program too? Nice guy my ass

 

[VeloClone]

I was around and remember 1994. ISU lost at home to UNI, Rice and Western Michigan. There was a huge celebration after the Cyclones tied Okie State. 0-10-1.

'Nuff said.

At least the doughnut bowl was already scheduled. ISU got to play the other winless team in the first game of the season the next year. It was Troy Davis' coming out party.

 

[SolarGarlic]

Giving up 500+ rushing yards to Oklahoma in 2014 while losing 59-14 deserves mention as well. I went to way too many games from 2013-2016.

 

[cycloneworld]

2003 is the winner for me. Just seemed like they weren’t in any game after the first couple. Terrible line play. Went to a lot of games in the 90s prior to Mac, Sage and co. breaking through, but don’t remember those teams well outside of the Davis brothers.

Yep, 2003 for sure. Because there were some (very small) expectations after Mac crawled us out of the basement. We were done 30+ points by halftime of nearly every game.

And I just looked it up, we scored 24 total points in the last 5 games combined (and got shutout in two of those). Outside of a 48-20 win against a terrible Ohio team, we never scored more than 21 points in a game...

Gross way to finish out your career as an ISU student.

 

[intrepid27]

I can't recall the exact year or opponent but I attended a non-con game (not Iowa) in the 1990s where, late in the game, we were punting on 3rd down rather than take another sack. For some reason I was thinking it was a MAC opponent.

 

[Cyched]

For me (25 y/o) the worst team I saw was the 2014 team. We went 2-10, and I know we beat Iowa (hilarious), but good lord.. Got smacked down by Wentz and NDSU 14-34 at JTS. We somehow competed but blew the lead against a good K-State team, almost won @ Texas, and then almost beat TTU. We also beat Campbell when he took his Toledo team to Ames, but besides that...

28-49 vs. Baylor

20-37 @ Okie State

14-59 vs. OU

13-34 @ KU (WTF)

24-37 vs. WVU

3-55 @ TCU

That KU game should’ve been it for Paul. Atrocious.