Oklahoma State Football Flashback: Past Games Against Iowa State

The Cowboys and Cyclones take the field on Saturday desperate for a much-needed win.

Last week, both programs suffered embarrassing losses and are arguably at their lowest points in the last several years.

Since 2020, each of these teams has made an appearance in Arlington for the Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma St. fell to Baylor in 2021 and Iowa St. to OU in 2020.

The free-falling of each program, whether it be for failing to adjust to the current times or a gambling probe, makes this a pivotal game to open conference play for each team.

The Cowboys lead the all-time series 34-20-3 and own the longest win streak of 6 games from 2012-2017.

Here's a look back at some previous showdowns between the Cowboys and Cyclones.

2022: Oklahoma State 20 Iowa State 14

The home win for the Cowboys on Nov. 12, 2022, was the last of the season for Oklahoma State.

OSU entered the game 6-3 following back-to-back losses to the Kansas schools after a 5-0 start.

Quarterback Spencer Sanders came off the bench for Gunnar Gundy following an injury the previous week and put the game away for the Cowboys.

Gundy went 5/12 with 103 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Sanders was 9/13 for 84 yards and the go-ahead TD to Jaden Nixon.

OSU's defense left the door open for Sanders, picking off Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers 3 times while applying pressure with 4 sacks.

OSU would end the season 7-6 with three consecutive losses to Oklahoma, West Virginia and Wisconsin in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Image Provided By: Associated Press

2018: Oklahoma State 42 Iowa State 48

A home loss to then-unknown quarterback Brock Purdy, a third-stringer for the Cyclones who stepped in to replace Zeb Noland, may not look as bad now as it did back in 2018.

Purdy sparked a shootout in Stillwater that Taylor Cornelius and company were likely to win if it weren't for the NFL's 2022 Mr. Irrelevant.

Purdy went 18/23 for 318 yards and 4 touchdowns, with a 60-yard bomb to wide receiver Tarique Milton in the fourth quarter to essentially seal the upset.

On offense, Cornelius, Justice Hill and Tylan Wallace were no slouches. Each player reached the end zone that October Saturday, but it wasn't enough to stop a Cyclones offense led by the current quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers.

The win for ISU ended a six-game winning streak for Oklahoma State and was the first since 2011 for the Cyclones.

Image Provided By: Associated Press

2016: Oklahoma State 38 Iowa State 31

A shaky start to the 2016 season for Oklahoma State became a glaring issue midway through the third quarter against Iowa State in Stillwater.

Current New York Jets wide receiver and former Cyclone Allen Lazard has just pulled in an 18-yard touchdown pass and Iowa State extended its lead to 31-14.

Then, the season turned around.

OSU quarterback Mason Rudolph engineered a 17-point comeback the last 20 minutes of regulation, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 3:40 left to wide receiver James Washington.

Rudolph went 26/44 for 351 yards and 4 touchdowns. Washington had 8 catches for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns on the day.

The come-from-behind victory kept wins rolling in after a 2-2 start (losses to C. Michigan and Baylor) to the season.

OSU defeated Kansas, West Virginia, Kansas State, Texas Tech (by one point over Patrick Mahomes) and TCU to qualify for the de facto Big 12 Championship against the Sooners before the game was held in Arlington the next year.

OSU would go on to defeat Colorado 38-8 in the Valero Alamo Bowl and finish with a record of 10-3.

Image Provided By: Associated Press

2011: Oklahoma State 31 Iowa State 37 2OT

A spot in the national championship was on the line in Ames, Iowa, on Friday, Nov. 18, 2011.

A magical season for the Cowboys saw OSU enter the game a perfect 10-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation behind LSU, who had just beaten Alabama in the Game of the Century the week before.

The lowly Cyclones were not known as upset specialists in 2011, but this win put them on the map.

ISU entered the game 5-4 with just two wins in conference play that season. OSU's high-powered offense jumped out to a 24-7 lead, but began with a 70-yard interception returned for a defensive touchdown by Shaun Lewis.

Turnovers ended OSU's dream of a national title appearance and the BCS controversy that ensued is one of the many tipping points that led to the College Football Playoff we have today.

Brandon Weeden completed 42 passes for 476 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The last one opened the door for ISU to win it in 2OT.

Justin Blackmon had 10 catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.

OSU would go on to blow out the Sooners to advance to the Fiesta Bowl, where they knocked off the Andrew Luck-led Stanford Cardinal 41-38 in OT.

Image Provided By: Associated Press

2008: Oklahoma State 59 Iowa State 17

The 2008 season may have been the peak of the Big 12 conference.

A Cowboys team that finished 9-4 and featured Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter, Dez Bryant, Brandon Pettigrew, Perrish Cox and Dan Bailey would have wreaked havoc in that league if it were a different season.

The Big 12 South included an OU team that played in the National Championship, a Texas team that beat Oklahoma that year and a Texas Tech team with Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell.

Those teams may have finished higher in the standings, but OSU was not to be slept on in 2008.

Coming off a narrow loss to the undefeated Texas Longhorns a week prior, OSU hosted Iowa State and unleashed Dez Bryant on the Cyclones.

The 59-17 final saw Robinson toss 5 touchdowns for 395 yards. FOUR of those went to the future Dallas Cowboys star.

Bryant's 9-catch, 171-yard game on Nov. 1, 2008, was close in the beginning before 3-straight touchdown drives to Bryant.

The last one mid-way through the second quarter was an 80-yard TD pass on the first play of the possession. That made it 28-7 and the Cowboys never let off the gas.

The Cowboys would go on to fall to Texas Tech and Oklahoma before matching with Oregon in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.

Image Provided By: Associated Press

2005: Oklahoma State 10 Iowa State 37

Head Coach Mike Gundy is in his 19th season with Oklahoma State. He's 11-4 all-time against Iowa State but his first matchup with the Cyclones in 2005 was a blowout.

OSU scored all their points in the first quarter after going down 7-0 early. It was 10-7 entering the second and Iowa State never looked back.

Image Provided By: Associated Press

OSU's passing attack was demoralized by 4 interceptions on the day. Quarterback Al Pena completed 24 passes for 203 yards and no touchdowns.

Six rushers for the Cowboys combined for 141 yards and 1 touchdown, led by Gold Greg.

OSU would go on to win only one of its next four games, ending the season 4-7, marking the only year Mike Gundy failed to qualify for the postseason as head coach of the Cowboys.

The 58th matchup between the Cyclones and Cowboys takes place in Ames on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 3 p.m. on FS1.