What Is 1987 Iowa State Cyclones football

Overview

The 1987 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State University during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. Competing in the Big Eight Conference, the team was led by head coach Jim Criner in his third year at the helm and struggled to find consistency on both offense and defense.

The Cyclones finished the season with a 4–7 overall record and a 2–5 mark in conference play, placing them near the bottom of the Big Eight standings. Despite flashes of strong individual performances, the team failed to qualify for a bowl game, continuing a long postseason drought for the program.

• Season record: The Cyclones finished 4–7 overall, their third consecutive losing season under Jim Criner.
• Conference performance: They went 2–5 in the Big Eight, tying for sixth place with Kansas.
• Scoring output: Iowa State scored 225 points across 11 games, averaging 20.5 points per game.
• Defensive struggles: The team allowed 30.2 points per game, one of the worst defensive marks in the conference.
• Home venue: All home games were played at Cyclone Stadium in Ames, Iowa, which had a capacity of approximately 56,000.

Season Performance Breakdown

The 1987 campaign featured a mix of narrow losses and lopsided defeats, with the Cyclones often battling close at halftime before fading in the second half. Key games included a 20–19 loss to Oklahoma State and a 34–7 blowout by Nebraska, highlighting both competitive spirit and persistent weaknesses.

• Opening game: The season began with a 31–21 loss to Colorado State in Fort Collins, setting a negative tone early.
• First win: Iowa State secured its first victory on September 19 with a 24–17 win over Northern Illinois.
• Big Eight opener: A 27–20 loss to Kansas on October 3 showed potential but ended in disappointment.
• Close call: The Cyclones nearly upset #13 Oklahoma State, falling 20–19 in a one-point heartbreaker.
• Season finale: They closed with a 31–14 loss to rival Iowa, extending their losing streak in the Cy-Hawk series to five games.
• Quarterback stats: Starter Jeff Quinn threw for 1,447 yards and 7 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.

Comparison at a Glance

The 1987 season compared poorly to both conference leaders and recent Cyclone teams, reflecting ongoing rebuilding challenges.

The table illustrates that Iowa State’s 1987 performance mirrored its 1986 campaign, showing little improvement. In contrast, powerhouses like Nebraska dominated both on the scoreboard and in conference standings. The Cyclones allowed more points per game than every Big Eight team except Kansas, underscoring defensive deficiencies. While offensive production was slightly above the previous year, it wasn’t enough to overcome late-game collapses. The lack of bowl eligibility continued a trend that would persist into the early 1990s.

Why It Matters

The 1987 season is a snapshot of Iowa State’s prolonged struggle in the competitive Big Eight era, offering context for future program reforms.

• Program trajectory: The 4–7 record marked the third straight losing season, deepening calls for coaching changes.
• Recruiting impact: Persistent losing made it harder to attract top-tier talent to Ames.
• Coaching pressure: Jim Criner was fired after the 1989 season, finishing with a 12–35 record over five years.
• Stadium legacy: Games at Cyclone Stadium contributed to the venue’s reputation as a tough but often quiet environment.
• Historical context: The 1987 team preceded the eventual turnaround under coach Dan McCarney in the late 1990s.
• Fandom resilience: Despite poor records, dedicated fans kept support alive during one of the program’s most challenging decades.

The 1987 Iowa State Cyclones football season may not stand out in national memory, but it remains a crucial piece of the program’s long-term narrative—highlighting the struggles that preceded eventual progress.