34-point win: Rare

[cyclones500]

Some food for thought, if you’re in the mood for a snack.

I looked into this before the WIU game, following discussions on CF about the likelihood that Iowa State would cover the 38-point spread — whatever it was.

ISU won 37-3. Comfy enough, but does it qualify as a blowout?

Relatively speaking, yes. Historically, a 5-TD-cruise is a rarity for ISU football. Prior to Saturday’s game, wins of at least 34 points had occurred only eight times in the previous 35 seasons (1977-2011):
2011: 34 @TT 41-7
2002: 52 Tennessee Tech 58-6
2002: 42 KU 45-3
2001: 45 UNI 45-0
1998: 38 Ball State 38-0
1993: 44 NIU 54-10
1986: 55 Indiana State 64-9
1982: 37 Kent State 44-7
1980: 69 Colorado State 69-0
(If I omitted other examples, I know someone will alert me.)

Going back an extra year, in 1976 alone there were three(!)
44 Drake 58-14
40 Kent State 47-7
35 Air Force 41-6
We might assume last week's easy-W was an outlier, since it came vs. a I-AA/FCS team.

OK:
Non-FBS teams during that 35-year stretch that ISU defeated by fewer than 34 pts:
Eastern Illinois (29)
South Dakota State (27)
Indiana State (26)
North Dakota State (17)
Illinois State (11)
Dayton (4)
West Texas State (now West Texas A&M) (4)

I draw no meaningful conclusion from all this.

[LindenCy]

I know we beat NIU in 1993 by more than that and I believe the final was 54-10. That is one to add.

[cyclones500]

I know we beat NIU in 1993 by more than that and I believe the final was 54-10. That is one to add.

Good catch, thanks.

I think I got lazy during the '90s research ...

[00clone]

Good catch, thanks.

I think I got lazy during the '90s research ...

Ehh...fast forwarding thru the boring parts?

[cyclones500]

Ehh...fast forwarding thru the boring parts?

I plead guilty on that one ...

[BuffettClone]

Interesting to know the numbers, thanks

[State43]

I do find opposing teams logic that we were not impressive because our backups didn't hang 50+ on them. I bet western Ill coaches appreciated it. Besides, it was obvious Rhoads intent was to give the youngins as many plays as possible. That drains the clock

[VeloClone]

To get the full flavor of this you probably should also include the non-FBS teams Iowa State "defeated" by negative points during this time period. That shows that the blowouts - even against non-FBS teams - are even rarer. Could probably also include UConn 2002, as they were barely FBS having just promoted.

On second thought, nevermind; that is just too frickin' depressing.

[Cyclonetrombone]

Found several that you missed.

KU 2001 49-7
Baylor 2001 41-0
Louisiana Monroe 1980 42-7
Kansas 1977 41-3

For anyone seeking cfb info use cfbdatawarehouse.com


I'm bored so I'll put together the list all time... pretty sure there aren't many before 1970 as the game was different back then.

[Go2Guy]

Relatively speaking, yes. Historically, a 5-TD-cruise is a rarity for ISU football. Prior to Saturday’s game, wins of at least 34 points had occurred only eight times in the previous 35 seasons

Nice research! As a 37-year Cyclone fan, it would be embarrassing to lean how many times we've been blown out by 34-pts over the years.

[LindenCy]

Found several that you missed.

KU 2001 49-7
Baylor 2001 41-0
Louisiana Monroe 1980 42-7
Kansas 1977 41-3

For anyone seeking cfb info use cfbdatawarehouse.com


I'm bored so I'll put together the list all time... pretty sure there aren't many before 1970 as the game was different back then.

Nice work, I thought there was another more recent KU blowout that was missed.

[Cyclonetrombone]

Complete List from the beginning of Iowa State Football Wins of 34 or more. (probably missed something but oh well)
Comments:
1) 63 total wins with a net difference of 34 points or more
2) Just over 1/10 of those have come since the Big 12 was formed.
3) 29 of those came before the end of WWI and only two of those are teams that are currently FBS. Football was different back then but I still image that Eldora Iowa and Iowa State were on completely different levels.
4) For comparison, Iowa has 56 games where they scored at least 50 points and beat their opponent by 34+ in that same span... I'd gather they have a lot more but I don't want to look through their whole history and account for them winning while scoring between 34-49 points. (The have had 8 games where they won by at least 34 but scored less than 50 since 2005)
5) Not in this but still depressing: We have scored 50+ points ONLY 29 times in our history and only twice since 2000 (Tex Tech in 2010 and Tenn Tech in 2002)
6) Fact: We have lost every game where our opponents scored more points than us

2011: 34 @TT 41-7
2002: 52 Tennessee Tech 58-6
2002: 42 KU 45-3
2001: 45 UNI 45-0
2001: 42 KU 49-7
2001: 41 Baylor 41-0
1998: 38 Ball State 38-0
1993: 44 NIU 54-10
1986: 55 Indiana State 64-9
1982: 37 Kent State 44-7
1980: 35 Louisiana Monroe 42-7
1980: 69 Colorado State 69-0
1977: 38 KU 41-3
1976: 44 Drake 58-14
1976: 40 Kent State 47-7
1976: 35 Air Force 41-6
1962: 38 Colorado 57-19
1960: 46 Drake 46-0
1959: 41 Drake 41-0
1959: 35 South Dakota 41-6
1959: 55 San Jose State 55-0
1958: 53 South Dakota 53-0
1954: 35 Drake 35-0
1953: 35 South Dakota 35-0
1952: 48 Drake 55-7
1952: 38 South Dakota St 57-19
1949: 64 Dubuque 64-0
1945: 35 UNI 48-13
1944: 49 Gustavus Adolphus (MN) 49-0
1944: 59 Doane (NE) 59-0
1943: 48 KState 48-0
1936: 38 Cornell (IA) 38-0
1923: 47 Washington (MO) 54-7
1919: 46 KState 46-0
1917: 47 Simpson 47-0
1917: 47 Drake 47-0
1914: 69 Cornell (IA) 69-0
1914: 52 Drake 52-0
1908: 34 Coe 34-0
1908: 53 Grinnell 53-0
1907: 49 Grinnell 49-0
1906: 81 Cornell (IA) 81-0
1906: 36 Coe 36-0
1906: 45 Des Moines 45-0
1905: 63 Simpson 63-0
1905: 34 Grinnell 38-4
1904: 87 Simpson 87-0
1904: 40 Grinnell 40-0
1904: 35 Cornell (IA) 41-6
1903: 35 Grinnell 41-6
1903: 41 Cornell (IA) 41-0
1902: 35 Still (IA) 35-0
1902: 52 UNI 52-0
1902: 53 Coe 53-0
1902: 44 William Penn (IA) 44-0
1896: 46 Elsworth (IA) 46-0
1896: 50 Cornell (IA) 50-0
1896: 44 Simpson 44-0
1896: 40 Grinnell 40-0
1896: 62 Eldora (IA) 62-0
1895: 36 Northwestern 36-0
1894: 46 Camp Dodge (IA) 46-0
1894: 66 Panora (IA) 66-0

[Wesley]

So what was our greatest win for crushing a major foe?

Start with 1971 and Oklahoma State at 54-0.

That was the year we scored 337 points for Johnny Majors. In 1976, we scored 369 points for Earle Bruce. In the sixties, we had seasons under a hundred points scored. In 2002 and 2005, we scored 404 and 339 points respectively for Dan Mac. We have yet to score 300 points for CPR.

Iowa State Game by Game Results

[Cyclonetrombone]

More observations that make me sad.

1) We have been shut out 25 times in the last 50 years. (Counting a 0-0 tie in 1964 to Arizona)
2) We have shut out our opponents 22 times in the last 50 years. (Counting a 0-0 tie in 1964 to Arizona)
3) We have had 17 wins 34+ points in the last 50 years.
4) We have been beaten by 34+ points 58 times in the last 50 years

Which means we have had more shut outs than 34 Point wins over 50 years and we have been on the receiving end of 34+ losses MUCH more than 34+ wins.

[Cyclonetrombone]

So what was our greatest win for crushing a major foe?

Start with 1971 and Oklahoma State at 54-0.

That was the year we scored 337 points for Johnny Majors. In 1976, we scored 369 points for Earle Bruce. In the sixties, we had seasons under a hundred points scored. In 2002 and 2005, we scored 404 and 339 points respectively for Dan Mac. We have yet to score 300 points for CPR.

Iowa State Game by Game Results

Thats probably not as impressive as it looks today. They were awful that season although only Oklahoma scored more points on them than we did, and we were the only ones to shut them out that season. I think Gass got fired after that season...

But unfortunately that is likely the best win since 1971. We don't blow out major teams that are not having down years.