Teams that have never beaten Clemson Football

Iowa State Cyclones

The Cyclones are not known as a juggernaut of college football but they do have a long history. Founded in 1892, the Iowa State football team does boast two Big 8 conference titles…in 1911 and 1912. Back then the conference was known as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the head coach was Clyde Williams, who was also the men’s basketball coach, the baseball coach and then served a stint as athletic director. They named their new football field after Williams in 1914 because it would have been a crime to name it for someone else.

The Tigers have faced off against the Cyclones once in history, and I am sure many of you remember it well. The game was in the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl. The Tigers needed a victory in the bowl game to keep their streak of consecutive 10-win seasons alive. Iowa State had been a favorite to challenge for the Big 12 title that season but had disappointed overall with a 7-5 record and a 4th-place finish in the conference. Nonetheless, the Cyclones were led by veteran quarterback Brock Purdy & tight end Charlie Kolar. The game was expected to be competitive.

Clemson took a 13-3 lead on a touchdown run by Will Shipley in the 3rd quarter. As Purdy began to drive the Cyclones out of their end of the field, his pass was batted into the air by Justin Mascoll. Instead of swatting the ball to the ground for the incompletion, Purdy inexplicably knocked it back into the air into the waiting arms of Mario Goodrich, who took it in for a Pick-6 touchdown, putting the Tigers ahead 20-3. A late touchdown wasn’t enough to bring ISU back and the Tigers won the accolades of Prince Cheddward, Goodrich was named the MVP and Tiger Nation celebrated another 10-win campaign.