Best Games at JTS?

[shadow]

After the talk about how great the UCF game was, I thought I would try to rank my favorite games at JTS the last 20 or so years that I have been following the Cyclones primarily based upon the atmosphere.

I bolded my top 4 and underlined the next 5. It is hard me to rank them beyond tiers.

I'm sure others will have different takes.

• 2005 Iowa - we just dominated this game from the start and JTS was rocking. The Hicks Pick 6 was electric. Almost felt over at the half.
• 2005 Colorado - the Tornado game vs Joel Klatt. Epic atmosphere with the Curvey Pick 6.
• 2007 Iowa - How many TDs does it take to beat Iowa? 0.
• 2011 Iowa - Steele Jantz.
• 2011 OSU - Changed college football. LOL at OSU fans still mad about the missed FG.
• 2017 TCU - It wasn't a great game, but the crowd was in it the whole game. A Prove It game for the program.
• 2018 West Virginia - Choppy game, but it was fun. I think Juicy Wiggle became a thing at this one.
• 2018 K-State - Cathartic. Broke the losing streak and sent off Bill Snyder the right way. I was delirious dancing the Juicy Wiggle after the Mike Rose Pick(?)-6.
• 2019 Texas - a walk off field goal to win was fun. Fun fact: former Packers kicker Brayden Narveson missed a go ahead FG late, but Texas was offsides due to our long snapper.
• 2020 OU - crowd was pissed the whole night. It was great.
• 2020 Baylor - like this year's UCF where Purdy threw one pick 6 and almost another one before leading the Cyclones back from a 2 TD deficit in the 3rd quarter.
• 2021 OSU - great finish. Overcame some awful officiating.
• 2024 Baylor - the white out was super cool. Blocked punt TD was electric.

Honorable Mentions

• 2006 UNLV is an honorable mention due to their coach chasing the refs off the field, tripping on a cord, and falling flat on his face. LOL.
• 2006 Mizzou win to send off Coach Mac. It wasn't a great game and Shaggy missing a 28 FG made it very stressful, but Pinkel melting down afterwards about the holding call was also LOL.
• 2016 Texas Tech: 66-10 over Pat Mahomes.
• 2024 UCF was a great finish, but boy, was this game stressful and the crowd was out of it most of the game.

 

[JM4CY]

2024 UCF >>> 2020 Baylor

 

[JM4CY]

• 2006 Mizzou win to send off Coach Mac. It wasn't a great game and Shaggy missing a 28 FG made it very stressful, but Pinkel melting down afterwards about the holding call was also LOL.

Sneaky one. I was there in the student section as they carried him by. It was pretty damn cold if I remember right.

 

[3TrueFans]

For me it's 2011 OSU and may always be 2011 OSU.

 

[alarson]

After the talk about how great the UCF game was, I thought I would try to rank my favorite games at JTS the last 20 or so years that I have been following the Cyclones primarily based upon the atmosphere.

I bolded my top 4 and underlined the next 5. It is hard me to rank them beyond tiers.

I'm sure others will have different takes.

• 2005 Iowa - we just dominated this game from the start and JTS was rocking. The Hicks Pick 6 was electric. Almost felt over at the half.
• 2005 Colorado - the Tornado game vs Joel Klatt. Epic atmosphere with the Curvey Pick 6.
• 2007 Iowa - How many TDs does it take to beat Iowa? 0.
• 2011 Iowa - Steele Jantz.
• 2011 OSU - Changed college football. LOL at OSU fans still mad about the missed FG.
• 2017 TCU - It wasn't a great game, but the crowd was in it the whole game. A Prove It game for the program.
• 2018 West Virginia - Choppy game, but it was fun. I think Juicy Wiggle became a thing at this one.
• 2018 K-State - Cathartic. Broke the losing streak and sent off Bill Snyder the right way. I was delirious dancing the Juicy Wiggle after the Mike Rose Pick(?)-6.
• 2019 Texas - a walk off field goal to win was fun. Fun fact: former Packers kicker Brayden Narveson missed a go ahead FG late, but Texas was offsides due to our long snapper.
• 2020 OU - crowd was pissed the whole night. It was great.
• 2020 Baylor - like this year's UCF where Purdy threw one pick 6 and almost another one before leading the Cyclones back from a 2 TD deficit in the 3rd quarter.
• 2021 OSU - great finish. Overcame some awful officiating.
• 2024 Baylor - the white out was super cool. Blocked punt TD was electric.

Honorable Mentions

• 2006 UNLV is an honorable mention due to their coach chasing the refs off the field, tripping on a cord, and falling flat on his face. LOL.
• 2006 Mizzou win to send off Coach Mac. It wasn't a great game and Shaggy missing a 28 FG made it very stressful, but Pinkel melting down afterwards about the holding call was also LOL.
• 2016 Texas Tech: 66-10 over Pat Mahomes.
• 2024 UCF was a great finish, but boy, was this game stressful and the crowd was out of it most of the game.

Those all came to mind for me, though i might rank my top 5 differently.

Another honorable mention might be vs Texas in 2015. Ultimately a completely meaningless game in a terrible year, but we shut out Texas 24-0 in what was the final good moment of the Rhoads era.

 

[JM4CY]

Honorable Mention - 2nd Team
2011 - UNI

 

[chuckd4735]

Sneaky one. I was there in the student section as they carried him by. It was pretty damn cold if I remember right.

Refs completely ignored a blatant hold on ISU as time expired that would have given Mizzou a shot to win. Pinkel was so mad.

 

[CyGuy5]

Just off the top of my head:

1. 2011 Okie State
2. 2017 TCU
3. 2018 WVU
4. 2018 K-State
5. 2024 UCF
6. 2011 Iowa

The top 2 are way above the rest of the list

 

[alarson]

For me it's 2011 OSU and may always be 2011 OSU.

Yeah, it'll be hard to top that one. First thoughts I think this would have to be my top 5:

2011 OSU
2018 West Virginia - This is when it felt like the new JTS environment had really arrived. It was a special night, and as has been noted, it was the night Juicy Wiggle became a thing.
2017 TCU- very much a statement win that showed Matt Campbell's huge win over OU a few weeks before wasn't a fluke
2011 Iowa- A triple OT thriller
2005 Colorado- Curvey into the endzone will always be a memory


The Baylor and UCF games this year were both special in their own ways and may move their way up this list with time.

 

[chuckd4735]

I know you said 20 years, but Nebraska and Tech in 2002 was great. Also, the Nebraska game in 2010 could have been an all timer if we complete that fake extra point. Texas 2015 should be an honorable mention.

 

[frackincygy]

Was in-person for four out of your top eight games. I must have a flair for the dramatics

 

[jsb]

My personal favorite:

2011 OSU-The first time I truly believed Iowa State could be good at football

2017 TCU-October 2017 was such a fun month for Iowa State sports and to cap it off with another Top 5 win was pretty amazing

2018 West Virginia-Magical. Every time they play Juicy Wiggle, I think of this night and the cell phones coming out

2020 Baylor-For reasons other than football, this was a really, really great day in my life. The football comeback just added to a perfect day

2024 UCF-Probably as close to a last second win as I've seen in person

Honorable Mention to one no one will mention, but 2020 West Virginia. It was a really, really nice December afternoon. Almost didn't need a coat for the game. I know people think that the 2020 season was not super enjoyable because of the crowd situation, but I enjoyed the hell of that year and have so many great memories from the 4 games I could attend.

 

[awd4cy]

Nothing tops 2011 OSU. Beating #2 and a 10-0 team. We completely shocked the college football world and it was a fantastic game to watch.

 

[ExCyment]

"The run" was petty good. Texas Tech maybe 01

 

[CyCrazy]

I wont argue with any of your picks, I got nothing.

 

[isucy86]

It's interesting the games that stick out for a person.

On your list:

• Victory over TT & Mahomes was memorable.
• Beating OSU in 2011 was biggest for me.
• The 3OT win over Iowa in 2011 was most enjoyable for me. But what sticks out to me is James White's run over everything Steele did.

The other games that tend to stick out for me other than w/l or score.

• KU game in 2013 which was coldest game in school history. Clones kicked a$$
• Playing OU in 1984? at night. Ended up a close game and it was a long day!
• The KU game in 2006 with all the talk about Mac needing a win to keep his job.
• 1996 loss to Wyoming is season opener. Really great environment for night game, but Clones blew big 4th quarter lead. I believe it was first season of current OT rule and MAC took the ball 1st after winning toss.
• 1997 game against the Gophers in the dome. Clones lost 53-29 and it looked like a HS team against a very average college team. We were so much smaller than the Gophers. At that point I wondered if ISU would ever have an average football team. Good new is Mac got it done.

 

[JM4CY]

My personal favorite:

2011 OSU-The first time I truly believed Iowa State could be good at football

2017 TCU-October 2017 was such a fun month for Iowa State sports and to cap it off with another Top 5 win was pretty amazing

2018 West Virginia-Magical. Every time they play Juicy Wiggle, I think of this night and the cell phones coming out

2020 Baylor-For reasons other than football, this was a really, really great day in my life. The football comeback just added to a perfect day

2024 UCF-Probably as close to a last second win as I've seen in person

Honorable Mention to one no one will mention, but 2020 West Virginia. It was a really, really nice December afternoon. Almost didn't need a coat for the game. I know people think that the 2020 season was not super enjoyable because of the crowd situation, but I enjoyed the hell of that year and have so many great memories from the 4 games I could attend.

That last one is so forgotten. There were grown men crying on the hill as the team took the field. Such a weird year obviously but the first regular season championship ever. It was surreal. Honestly makes this year sweeter because it feels like what that year should have felt like with out all the Covid stuff.

 

[CYdTracked]

For me it's 2011 OSU and may always be 2011 OSU.

Same, not only was the atmosphere awesome but just the magnitude of that game coming in that everyone thought we'd lose that thing by multiple scores.

This one maybe not a big win by any means but looking back just how impressive that we completely stomped Patrick Mahomes. Joel Lanning also ran it in for 5 TD that game too.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Iowa State beating Nebraska in 37-28 in 1976. Something that just didn't happen than. And we beat them in Lincoln the next year as a "prove it"

Honorable mention, a whole slew of Troy Davis games where he ran for crazy yards.

 

[ajspatio19]

After the talk about how great the UCF game was, I thought I would try to rank my favorite games at JTS the last 20 or so years that I have been following the Cyclones primarily based upon the atmosphere.

I bolded my top 4 and underlined the next 5. It is hard me to rank them beyond tiers.

I'm sure others will have different takes.

• 2005 Iowa - we just dominated this game from the start and JTS was rocking. The Hicks Pick 6 was electric. Almost felt over at the half.
• 2005 Colorado - the Tornado game vs Joel Klatt. Epic atmosphere with the Curvey Pick 6.
• 2007 Iowa - How many TDs does it take to beat Iowa? 0.
• 2011 Iowa - Steele Jantz.
• 2011 OSU - Changed college football. LOL at OSU fans still mad about the missed FG.
• 2017 TCU - It wasn't a great game, but the crowd was in it the whole game. A Prove It game for the program.
• 2018 West Virginia - Choppy game, but it was fun. I think Juicy Wiggle became a thing at this one.
• 2018 K-State - Cathartic. Broke the losing streak and sent off Bill Snyder the right way. I was delirious dancing the Juicy Wiggle after the Mike Rose Pick(?)-6.
• 2019 Texas - a walk off field goal to win was fun. Fun fact: former Packers kicker Brayden Narveson missed a go ahead FG late, but Texas was offsides due to our long snapper.
• 2020 OU - crowd was pissed the whole night. It was great.
• 2020 Baylor - like this year's UCF where Purdy threw one pick 6 and almost another one before leading the Cyclones back from a 2 TD deficit in the 3rd quarter.
• 2021 OSU - great finish. Overcame some awful officiating.
• 2024 Baylor - the white out was super cool. Blocked punt TD was electric.

Honorable Mentions

• 2006 UNLV is an honorable mention due to their coach chasing the refs off the field, tripping on a cord, and falling flat on his face. LOL.
• 2006 Mizzou win to send off Coach Mac. It wasn't a great game and Shaggy missing a 28 FG made it very stressful, but Pinkel melting down afterwards about the holding call was also LOL.
• 2016 Texas Tech: 66-10 over Pat Mahomes.
• 2024 UCF was a great finish, but boy, was this game stressful and the crowd was out of it most of the game.

I'm very happy that I was a student from 2015-2019. Just had to put up with one year of Rhoads my freshman year, then got to experience so many of these games from the student section (in the old location). My voice took over a week to come back after that 2017 TCU game.