Iowa State vs. Clemson Recap: Welcome to the Future
It was the end of the third quarter at Camping World Stadium in Orlando when we heard the first notes.
At halftime, the stadium announcer had encouraged fans to text their team’s nickname to a 5-digit phone number. Whichever team had more texts would get to hear their team’s song between the third and fourth quarter. For Iowa State, it would be Redfoo’s “Juicy Wiggle.’ For Clemson, it would be Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” The winner was a mystery, until those first few notes came over the loudspeakers.
It was unmistakably the Juicy Wiggle. The 15,000 – 20,000 Iowa State fans in attendance started dancing and clapping, many of them waving their cell phone lights. Despite the fact the Cyclones were losing 20-6, we still danced, more than 1,300 miles away from Ames.
A few minutes later, Iowa State scored to make it a 20-13 game. Brock Purdy found Charlie Kolar over the middle for a touchdown in the endzone right in front of me. I let out my biggest cheer of the night as I saw Kolar’s fellow tight end Chase Allen run toward him and give the kind of fist pump that could knock someone out cold. After the extra point, the loudspeakers blared Timmy Trumpet's "Freak Show.” It had become a common song to be played at Jack Trice Stadium throughout the season, and fans tended to respond well to it. In Orlando, fans danced and clapped in excitement. The momentum had finally turned in Iowa State's favor, and we were going to enjoy every second of it. It’s a series of moments that will be etched in my mind for years.
A little while later, Iowa State had one more chance to complete the comeback. Quarterback Brock Purdy scrambled for a first down only to have the ball knocked out of his hands for a fumble. The comeback hopes ended when Purdy dove backwards to recover the ball behind the first down marker. It was another tough loss, and it capped a season in which the Cyclones played five games with a chance to tie or take the lead on their final offensive possession. Only once (against Texas Tech) were the Cyclones able to tie the game, and that resulted in a 3-point loss following a 62-yard field goal on the final play of the game. Iowa State finished the season 7-6, a disappointment for the fans who so passionately follow the team.
The Cheez-It Bowl was a microcosm of the entire season. High hopes. Exciting moments. Unexpected setbacks. A few plays that make you scratch your head. A never-give-up attitude. A few plays away from achieving special results.
They always kept it interesting. They always made me care. I'm not sure I could ask for much more.
When I think back on the Cheez-it Bowl loss, my first thoughts won't be about the loss. I'll think about watching Iowa State fans dance on a warm Florida evening. Those moments encapsulate the fun of fandom. Thousands of us made the trip. We soaked up the sun. We made new friends. We shared drinks and stories. We analyzed the team and the season and the future.
On its face, there's nothing that makes sense about being a fan to the level that so many of us are fans. There's nothing that makes sense about traveling across the country to watch what essentially amounts to an exhibition game, following a mediocre season.
After living it — heck, after figuratively living and dying with every play of the season — it makes all the sense in the world.
‐‐-----------------------‐‐---
In the days leading up to the Cheez-It Bowl, I began to get worried about the possibility of the game being canceled. One after another, teams across the country backed out of their games because of positive COVID-19 tests and possible exposures. A new, more transmissable variant had emerged and case numbers were on the rise. Thousands of commercial flights were canceled around the Christmas holiday.
I mentally prepared myself for the possibility of my flight or the game being canceled. Such was life during a pandemic.
The game was on Wednesday, Dec. 29. On the morning of Dec. 28, my wife Paige drove me from her parents' house in Fort Collins, Colorado to the Denver International Airport to fly out. I thanked her again for being an incredibly supportive wife, and the conversation even turned to possible road trips during the next football season. She dropped me off, and I made my way through security and to my gate without a hitch. The flight was on time.
I was flying Southwest Airlines, meaning our seats were not assigned. As I was putting my carry-on suitcase into the overhead compartment, someone saw my Iowa State pullover and said "Go Cyclones!"
"Yeah, go Cyclones!" I responded.
She offered me the seat right next to her, which was open, and we struck up a conversation. Her name was Amy, and she was traveling with her son, Jack, to Orlando to watch the game. They were meeting her father, who was traveling from Iowa. Amy told me she was an Iowa State graduate who now lived in Denver but still followed the team. I told her about my project of attending every game, which kicked off multiple conversations about the team, Big 12 stadiums, trends in college football and much more. The conversation in and of itself was worth the cost of the trip.
We landed, said our goodbyes and I ordered a ride to my hotel, where I checked in and changed into shorts. When I had left Fort Collins in the morning, the weather was cold enough to wear a winter coat, stocking hat and gloves. I knew the forecast in Iowa a few days later called for multiple inches of snow and frigid below zero temperatures. Orlando was experiencing highs in the 80s. I figured I had better enjoy it while it lasted.
I headed to a different hotel to meet up with a friend. He had flown on the official travel charter through the university and Iowa State Alumni Association, and was staying at the same hotel as the Iowa State team. I met up with him in the hotel bar, which was already heavily populated by Cyclone fans.
After a drink, we went our separate ways. I walked to the convention center nearby where a Cyclones Unplugged event was taking place. I had missed the official Cheez-It Bowl pep rally due to the timing of my flight, but this served as its own pep rally of sorts. The Cyclone Marching Band played the fight song and a number of other songs. Iowa State radio announcer John Walters emceed a brief program. Coach Matt Campbell said a few words. He let the crowd know that come game time, the team was going to make us proud to be Cyclone fans. (Spoiler alert: Despite the final score, they did make us proud.) Then, ISU Alumni Association President Jeff Johnson led the crowd in a few cheers, as is his custom. The thousands in attendance obliged.
I had been to a number of these types of events through the years, and they always get me in the Cyclone spirit. This one was no different. I finally felt like it was all real. There was going to be a bowl game and I was going to go to it.
The crowd began to disperse, and I figured I would head back to my hotel. As I was getting ready to walk out, I recognized Barry, the head of the Dallas-Fort Worth Cyclone Club, walking in. I had met Barry at a few games throughout the season while tailgating with the DFW club.
I walked up to him and said hello. After talking for a minute, I asked, "Do you want a drink?"
He took me up on the offer. He was there with a few others who had traveled to the game, who were already in line for the bar. I recognized most of them from prior tailgates.
After a little while, they decided to go back to the bar at the team hotel, and kindly invited me to join them. We happened to walk into the lobby around the same time as a number of the players were walking through.
"I always forget how big they are," I said to one of my new friends.
We took seats in the open bar area. A little while later, I heard people at the bar begin to clap. I turned around to see Campbell walking through the lobby. He gave us a little wave as he continued on his way to the elevator. If he had stopped to talk, I have no doubt a few fans would have offered him a drink.
I am grateful I ran into Barry and friends, because part of the fun of going to a bowl game is hanging out with other fans and reveling in the shared community.
Around 10 p.m., the friend I had met up with prior was back, and I joined him in a patio area outside to enjoy fire pits and watch some other Big 12 games for awhile. Finally around 11:30 I headed back to my hotel, satisfied with the bowl experience so far.
On Wednesday morning, I woke up to the Florida sunshine and texted my brother.
"Gameday!"
I dressed in my red t-shirt with the Jack Trice stripes logo, shorts, and my red "walking Cy" hat. One more gameday!
News had begun to trickle out that senior linebacker Mike Rose, senior wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson and senior offensive lineman Collin Newell would not be playing due to injuries. Iowa State's chances of winning had taken a major hit.
My first stop was at a nearby bar and restaurant for a gathering hosted by the Cyclone Gridiron Club. I saw Barry at the bar and ordered a drink. The bar had an outdoor patio, and the windows to the patio were open, giving the entire place an airy feeling on a beautiful sunny day. I knew I was about to experience an Iowa winter beginning in just a few days; I reveled in the warmth while I could.
The event was a joint gathering of the Gridiron Club and the Letterwinners Club, which meant a number of former athletes were in attendance. One, a former basketball player who went to Iowa State around the same time I did, introduced himself to us. A few minutes later, I took a seat at a table with a number of former athletes. I listened as they reminisced about their time at school and as fans of multiple sports. I chimed in as we recalled old Ames restaurants and bars.
Around 2 p.m., I called a Lyft to head to the stadium, which was about a 20-minute drive away. I had made plans to go to a tailgate hosted by one of the message board posters on the popular news and fan site Cyclone Fanatic. Free will donation proceeds went to support a retired Iowa high school teacher who was battling cancer for the second time. It was a great cause, and I figured a good way to meet up with fellow Cyclones. I arrived and looked for the group, which was stationed on the southeast side of the stadium, about as close to the stadium as someone could possibly park. This will work, I thought.
The DFW crew was already there, along with a number of fans who had traveled from Iowa. One of my new DFW friends offered me a beer (another reason why Cyclone fans are the best), and we enjoyed barbecue catered from a local restaurant (along with Cheez-Its, of course). I looked around; the tailgate lots had begun to fill up with Cyclone and Clemson Tiger fans. It was starting to truly feel like a gameday. I thought about the fact that for years I had dreamt of traveling to a warm-weather location to watch an Iowa State bowl game. However, a lack of historical success meant there hadn’t been that many opportunities to do so, and when there was an opportunity it seemed like life always got in the way. Two years prior, when it was announced Iowa State would play in Orlando against Notre Dame, I very much wanted to attend but didn’t make it happen. I pinched myself a little bit that I was about to watch the Cyclones in a Florida bowl game.
Speaking of that Notre Dame game, it hung over us a little bit like a cloud (even though there was hardly an actual cloud in the sky). Most people I was around seemed to have been at the game in 2019. The common refrain went something like this: “We were overmatched. I knew on the first play of the game it was going to be a long day.”
With so many key contributors missing for Iowa State, and Clemson’s recent history of success, I couldn’t shake the worry that this game would play out the same way.
About 45 minutes before kickoff, I decided to head into the stadium. I wanted to take in every moment, and of course, watch the marching band. I entered on what was predominantly the Clemson side of the stadium. It was the first time I had been around Tiger fans en masse. I made my way to my seat in the second level behind the north endzone, on the Iowa State half of the stadium.
As the stadium began to fill up, it didn’t quite get full but it was still a good showing for both schools. The final attendance was announced at just over 39,000 fans. There were a handful of neutral observers, but for the most part everyone was a Cyclone or a Tiger, and it was almost impossible to tell who actually brought more fans.
Unfortunately, a group of Clemson fans who appeared to be in their 20’s took seats in the two rows behind me just to the right of where I was sitting. One was wearing what I believe was a half Clemson, half Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence jersey. Lawrence was a national championship winner for the Tigers who was the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by Jacksonville.
I wonder if this group will figure out that there are plenty of empty seats on the Clemson side, I thought. No such luck. I had no idea how bad it would be.
The Clemson band took the field first as the Tiger fans enthusiastically cheered. Then it was Iowa State’s turn. Cyclone fans let out what I thought was an extra loud cheer, trying to exceed the enthusiasm of Clemson’s fans. I stood and clapped to the fight song, swelling with pride.
Some people say there are too many bowl games, but if there weren’t enough bowl games, we’d be robbed of some of the truly bizarre, and hilarious, and just plain fun aspects that make the games unique. And that bizarre, hilarious and just plain fun detail of the Cheez-It Bowl was… Prince Cheddward. Here come some words I never thought I’d write. Prince Cheddward was a mascot whose head was a wheel of cheese with a crown on top, and whose body was dressed in royal garb. He descended from a rope high above the stadium onto the field. If that doesn’t get someone ready for a game, I don’t know what does.
The teams came onto the field, and I cheered with my fellow Cyclones as the team took a knee, all together, for one last time this season in the endzone right in front of me.
When I was in middle school and high school, and went to significantly less games than I did as an adult, I would often watch as a broadcast began and showed the fans in the stadium, cheering, waving at the camera, looking like they were having a good time. I imagined those moments to be a culmination of a day of fun; getting to the tailgate lots early, walking to the stadium with thousands of people, counting down the moments toward kickoff. It felt like an insiders club, one that you can imagine but not fully experience watching through the television. That was exactly how I felt in the moments right before kickoff, like I was part of a secret handshake of sorts with the tens of thousands of others who had made the trip. I was at the popular kids’ table. Now the national television audience was joining us, many of them no doubt jealously wishing they were in the stadium, that they had taken in the 80 degree sunshiny day. I was there. Pinch me.
The game kicked off.
Clemson immediately faced a 3rd-and-4 as the Iowa State fans came to their feet, but quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei completed a pass to Will Swinney for 11 yards and a first down. The fan behind me, in the Lawrence jersey, yelled “YES SIR! YES SIR!”
Oh no.
Clemson continued to move the ball, picking up two more third down conversions (“YES SIR! YES SIR!”) in the process. Finally on 3rd-and-goal from the 11-yard line, the Cyclones forced a stop and held the Tigers to a field goal to make it 3-0.
Iowa State went three-and-out and was forced to punt on its first possession. Things weren’t looking great as Clemson converted another third down and then threw to Dacari Collins for a gain of 13 into Iowa State territory. This set off another run of “YES SIR!” (I think readers may now get the point. Nearly every good play Clemson had resulted in my new acquaintance yelling those words as loud as he could. I don’t think I’m being hyperbolic when I say he was the most annoying fan I’ve ever sat near.)
The Cyclones finally forced a fourth down, and Clemson punted to give Iowa State its second possession. On a crucial 3rd-and-1, Jirehl Brock, starting in place of NFL-bound Breece Hall, pushed ahead for a 3-yard gain. He then broke free for a 14-yard gain to end the first quarter. Iowa State finally had some momentum. (Right around this time, one of the Iowa State fans in front of me softly said “yes sir” to those in her group.)
As the second quarter began, Purdy threw a pass to Hutchinson. Throughout the day, Hutchinson’s status had been in doubt due to a thumb injury, but he decided to give it a go, and caught a 34-yard pass. Unfortunately, the injury forced him back to the sideline. Still, it illustrated his competitive spirit and showed me how much this team wanted to win.
Purdy found Kolar for 13 yards down to the Clemson 10-yard line. On 3rd-and-goal, Purdy missed an open Allen for what would have been a touchdown. It was an opportunity squandered, and the Cyclones settled for a field goal to make the score 3-3. Still, I felt confident for the first time all day that this Iowa State team could hang with Clemson.
That confidence built when the Cyclones held Clemson to a three-and-out, and picked up a pair of first downs highlighted by a 27-yard pass from Purdy to Jaylin Noel. The drive stalled, and the Cyclones sent Andrew Mevis in to attempt a 43-yard field goal. It looked good from where I was sitting, and I began to cheer… until the referees signaled “no good.” “YES SIR! YES SIR!” rang out behind me.
It felt like a turn of momentum, and it proved to be so. Clemson drove eight plays down to the Iowa State 34, and knocked in a 51-yard field goal of its own to go ahead 6-3. Iowa State was forced to punt after picking up one first down on its next drive, and Clemson began a march down the field right before halftime. It felt like a big moment; if Clemson scored a touchdown, it seemed it would be difficult for Iowa State to find a way back given how the game had played out so far. Luckily, it was Clemson’s turn to miss a field goal from 36 yards out. The teams ran to the locker rooms, and I felt good about the Cyclones’ chances in the second half.
A solid drive was just what Iowa State needed to begin the third quarter, and it looked promising when Jared Rus caught an 8-yard pass to give Iowa State a first down. That was all the momentum Iowa State could muster before punting back to Clemson.
That’s when the game got weird – seemingly a common theme in the 2021 season.
On 3rd-and-4 from the Clemson 38, Iowa State’s Enyi Uwazurike broke through the line, broke through what appeared to be a holding penalty (not called), and had Clemson quarterback Uiagalelei in his grasp for a would-be sack. Uiagalelei somehow got rid of the ball, throwing it up for grabs. Iowa State’s Myles Purchase was positioned perfectly in front of receiver Beaux Collins, and Greg Eisworth was right behind the receiver. Somehow, the ball fluttered toward the receiver, just out of the reach of both defenders into the hands of a jumping Collins, who came down with it. It was the first really big cheer I felt like I had heard from the Clemson side of the stadium all evening. The Tigers deservingly received a standing ovation. It was the kind of play I felt like I’d seen way too many times in my life as a Cyclone fan and way too many times in the 2021 season. Everything about the play said it should have been a sack or turnover, or a third down stop at the very least. Instead it was first down Clemson with all the momentum.
“YES SIR! YES SIR!” the man behind me yelled.
“Some years just aren’t your year,” I said out loud to nobody in particular.
The Cyclone defense didn’t give in. After giving up another first down (“YES SIR!”), the Cyclones forced a 4th-and-1 from the 29. This time, instead of trying a field goal, Clemson lined up to go for it. Uiagalelei pushed forward, but… he’s short! Maybe. It would come down to a measurement. Please just be short. The referee extended the chain, and I groaned as the chain fell short of the length of the football, meaning it was a Clemson first down. (I watched the replay later, and saw just how close it was. It was about as close as it could possibly be, and I’m not entirely convinced it should have been called a first down. Nor am I convinced it shouldn’t have. It just would have been nice for that to go Iowa State’s way.)
Some years just aren’t your year, I thought to myself again. Iowa State had been agonizingly close to getting off the field without giving up any points on the possession. The inches had gone against them.
On 1st-and-10 from the 12, Will Shipley took a handoff and ran around the right side as the rest of the play pushed everything to the left. He calmly walked into the endzone. “YES SIR!’ Clemson had taken a two-possession lead at 13-3.
Iowa State took the ensuing kickoff, and for a brief moment wrestled some momentum back as Noel was able to return the kickoff near midfield. Just as the play was ending, the referee in the endzone behind the play pulled his flag out and threw it. It was holding on Iowa State. It was a 50-50 call, in my opinion, but given the lack of holding call when Uwazurike was being held in similar fashion, it spiked my anger.
“Where was that call on the last possession!?” I yelled toward the field. The referee didn’t seem to hear me. (This is another one that, when watching the replay, I felt could have gone either way, but it was a stretch when every 50-50 play went against Iowa State, making it all the more frustrating.)
Instead of starting near midfield, Iowa State began the drive from its own 10-yard line. An Iowa State offensive lineman jumped early, moving Iowa State back five more yards. Campbell appeared to be furious on the sidelines, and I think I understand why. The Clemson marching band was still playing as Iowa State lined up. Given the band was right behind the endzone on the end where the players were lined up, I’d imagine it was pretty distracting. It could have resulted in a penalty against Clemson, but instead Iowa State was penalized. It was another bad break that went against the Cyclones.
Iowa State lined up again, and was forced to call a timeout before running the play. Things seemed to be quickly unraveling. In the last few minutes, Iowa State had gone from a seeming third-down stop down just 6-3, to now facing a drive starting at its own 5-yard line down 13-3 against one of the best defenses in college football. In that span, I counted four 50-50 plays that went in Clemson’s favor. (After the game, Campbell noted his belief that teams create their own luck in football. That may be true, but in my mind there’s at least some external luck that could have gone differently that may have changed the complexion of the game.)
The Clemson crowd was loud, and the defense seemed to be licking its chops as Iowa State lined up for 1st-and-15 from its own 5. Purdy calmly completed a pass to Darren Wilson Jr. for 10 yards. Maybe this is where it turns.
Every now and then, you see something in this sport that you can never remember seeing before, and will never forget. In tailgates to come, we’ll talk about the 2nd-and-5 play before sighing and taking a swig of whatever we’re drinking. Purdy went back to pass, and the ball was tipped high into the air. It was coming right back to Purdy. Trying to make a play, he batted at the ball, I assume trying to spike it into the ground, end the threat of a turnover, and live to see third down. Instead, he somehow batted it right into the hands of Clemson’s Mario Goodrich, who ran it around the Iowa State players untouched into the endzone. Touchdown, Clemson.
I looked over at the Clemson side of the stadium. Their fans were (understandably) in a frenzy. Behind me, I heard “YES SIR! YES SIR!” I turned to see the man in the Trevor Lawrence jersey now had his jersey off, and was shirtlessly waving it as he ran around the empty seats in the row behind him. At one point, his jersey hit me in the back. I couldn’t help myself. I turned around and looked at him (he wasn’t looking at me), and a young woman sitting next to him made eye contact with me. I gave her an annoyed look as if to say, “Is he serious?”
She returned a somewhat embarrassed smile.
It was now 20-3 Clemson. How quickly the tide had changed. I contemplated for a minute trying to find new seats, but I had come this far. I was going to ride it out.
It was beginning to feel like the Notre Dame game two years ago, like Iowa State was about to get blown out in embarrassing fashion. I should have known this team better.
The Cyclones did, however, go three-and-out to begin the next possession, and punted the ball away to Clemson. On Clemson’s first play, Will McDonald tipped a pass and Jake Hummel dove to make a timely interception. I jumped up and cheered for one of the first times all night.
With a chance to flip the script, Iowa State began its next drive. On the first play, Purdy had Noel wide open down the sideline. It’s going to be a touchdown, I thought. Instead, Purdy overthrew the ball just a bit, and Noel had to jump to try to catch it. He landed a few inches out of bounds. No catch. Iowa State failed to move the ball a yard either of the next two plays, and sent Mevis out for a 45-yard field goal attempt, which he hit to make it 20-6.
On Clemson’s next possession, the Tigers faced a 3rd-and-3, and Craig McDonald knocked down a pass intended for a Clemson receiver. I knew it was incomplete before I saw it as I heard a jolt of noise come from the Iowa State fans. We had just a little bit of a reason to believe the Cyclones could win.
After the punt, the third quarter came to a close. Juicy Wiggle played, and we danced. There was hope in the air.
For the first time since the second quarter, Iowa State put together a strong drive. Finally, a 50-50 play went Iowa State’s way. Purdy threw a backwards pass to Noel, who lined up for a pass to Allen. The ball was tipped and intercepted, and then fumbled and recovered by Iowa State. The referees also called a roughing the passer penalty. After all that, Iowa State had a first down at the Clemson 28.
On 3rd-and-9, Purdy scrambled for a first down. A fan a few rows in front of me had apparently had enough of the “YES SIR” guy.
“Yes sir!” he said in mocking fashion.
Purdy found Wilson for 10, and then on 2nd-and-goal threw it to Allen in the back of the endzone for a touchdown.
“YES!!!” I yelled. (I did not say “sir.”)
This team never wins easy or loses easy, I thought.
The momentum was back on Iowa State’s side, and instinctively I knew the Cyclones were going to get the ball back with a chance to tie. It was how the script was supposed to go.
It became significantly more difficult when Shipley ran for nine yards on first down only to be dragged down by his horse collar, a 15-yard penalty. (As a completely irrelevant aside, I Google-searched how to correctly type “horse collar” and discovered there was a Wikipedia entry for the term “horse-collar tackle.” The picture used to illustrate the play was of an Iowa State defender tackling an Oklahoma State player in 2009. Of all the teams in football, Iowa State is used as the example. I suppose we’ll take recognition any way we can get it.)
The penalty moved Clemson all the way to the 49-yard line. The task had become more difficult, but the Iowa State defense forced a fourth down punt, which was downed at the 3-yard line. Iowa State would need to go 97 yards to tie the game.
With their backs against the wall, Iowa State picked up a first down, but the drive moved backwards from there. The Cyclones were forced to punt from their own 11-yard line, and a 31-yard punt gave Clemson the ball at the 42. With 4:15 left, Iowa State had only one timeout and a first down would nearly end the game for Clemson.
The defense stepped up again, forcing a 3rd-and-10. This time, Uwazurike did get a sack to force Clemson to punt. Iowa State took over again at its own 11 with 1:52 to play and a timeout.
I so badly wanted this team to have the perfect drive to tie the game, to give us a great moment to remember it by.
It wasn’t meant to be. Iowa State picked up one first down, but then faced a 4th-and-2 from its own 36 with only 42 second left. Purdy went back to pass, and then scrambled. He had open grass in front of him, and picked up the first down. He began to move to his left, and I got excited. There was room in front of him, room to pick up a much-needed chunk of yardage, to give Iowa State a legitimate chance to make a few plays to tie the game. Instead, Clemson’s Mario Goodrich evaded a block and popped the ball out of Purdy’s hands. Purdy dove on it, but landed behind the first down marker. It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened, but the play was a turnover on downs. The game was over.
“YES SIR! YES SIR! YES SIR! YES SIR!”
I stood silently. The Iowa State fans in front of me said goodbye and headed out. I briefly contemplated turning around and starting a conversation with the “YES SIR” guy, but thought better of it. I made my way to the exit.
It was not the same level of disappointment I had felt after other losses during the season. Maybe that is a sign that the bowl game mattered slightly less, or maybe it was because I had seen this type of game play out multiple times and was, in my heart, expecting this outcome. Knowing that some of the key players for Iowa State were not playing, I was appreciative of the efforts of a number of young players and recognized the heart the team played with. Yeah, I was disappointed, but not devastated. The team had given me everything I could ask for.
I stopped back at the tailgate while waiting for a ride back to my hotel. We enjoyed some more food and dissected the game. A number of Clemson fans walked by and said “good game.” None of them were wearing a half Clemson, half Jacksonville Trevor Lawrence jersey.
“Only eight months until football season,” one person in our group remarked.
Over the next 24 hours, as I traveled home from Orlando, I read nearly everything there was to read about the game, and thought about my emotions.
There was no looking forward to next week. No chance for the team to redeem itself. The final meaningful moment of the season was a negative one, sowing up another loss. Rival fans on Twitter pointed out that Iowa State’s “best season ever” finished at 7-6.
In the post-game press conference, Eisworth told members of the media that “We earned our way here. That’s what I told those guys in (the locker room). And I’m proud of y’all. Be proud to wear the Iowa State logo. Because for awhile, some people weren’t that proud to wear the logo, and we’ve put ourselves in these situations, we’re going to be here for a long time.”
Campbell added “Greg’s right. There’s a lot of people when I got here that were embarrassed to wear an Iowa State shirt, an Iowa State hat around, and now, it’s a sense of pride. Now we’re comin’.”
Two strains of thoughts from those comments summarized nearly perfectly my thoughts on the season and being an Iowa State fan.
For one, even though the season didn’t live up to the lofty expectations, it was a moment in time. It was one season of six in the Campbell era, and there will be many more to come (hopefully with Campbell as coach). Six years ago, fans couldn’t have imagined Iowa State would go to five straight bowl games, have five straight winning seasons in the Big 12, defeat every single team in the conference at least twice, play in a Big 12 Championship Game, get matched up against national brand names like Notre Dame, Oregon and Clemson in bowl games, and win a Fiesta Bowl. We would have all signed up for it.
To some, this season felt like the “most Iowa State thing ever.” To finally have deservedly high expectations and come up well short, with bizarre plays going against the team and heartbreaking losses defining much of the season. But the only reason it felt that way is because we weren’t used to having a team like this in the first place. This was the first time the team had ever been considered a true contender for the highest prizes in college football. There’s a fear that this was it, this was our one chance, and now we’ll go back to being the same old Iowa State. If you read this book five or 10 or 15 years from now, you’ll know whether that’s true or not. For me today, the future is bright. The program is going in the right direction and one 7-6 season won’t change that.
The other strain of thought is around my fandom. Eisworth and Campbell were right; it hasn’t always been easy or fun to be an Iowa State fan. We have often been an afterthought nationally and in our own state. That’s no longer true. Even more than that, though, it has become more and more clear to me in my journey through the 2021 season that being an Iowa State fan is special.
In eight more months, I’ll be back in Jack Trice Stadium to cheer on the 2022 team.
Yes. Sir. I can’t wait.
