The 2015 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Playing as a member of the Big 12 Conference (Big 12), the team played its home games at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. They were led by seventh-year head coach Paul Rhoads. They finished the season 3–9, 2–7 in Big 12 play to finish in ninth place.
On October 26, 2015, Mark Mangino was replaced as offensive coordinator with Todd Sturdy, formerly the passing game coordinator, on an interim basis.[1][2][3][4][5] On November 23, Rhoads was fired.[6] He stayed on to coach the final game of the season on November 28. He finished at Iowa State with a seven-year record of 32–55.
The 2014 Iowa State Cyclones football team finished the regular season 2–10, with wins over only non conference play, Iowa and Toledo. The Cyclones became ineligible for a bowl game after losing its seventh game against Kansas on November 8.
Game weather: Temperature: 88° • Wind: S 5 • Weather: Hazy
Game attendance: 61,500
Referee: Referee: Cooper Castleberry • Umpire: Jim Adams • Linesman: Bill Scott • Line judge: Frank LeBlanc • Back judge: Joel Wetzel • Field judge: Randy Smith • Side judge: Fulton Carson • Center judge: Stacy Hardin
Game weather: Temperature: 67° • Wind: N 5 • Weather: Mostly Sunny
Game attendance: 61,500
Referee: Referee: Mike Cannon • Umpire: Ken Zelmanski • Linesman: Bruce Keeling • Line judge: Dan Gallagher • Back judge: Dennis Morris • Field judge: John Roggeman • Side judge: Grady Smith • Center judge: Mike Conlin
Referee: Referee: Reggie Smith • Umpire: Joel Bellinger • Linesman: Mike Moeller • Line judge: Mark Stewart • Back judge: Lyndon Nixon • Field judge: Matt Mills • Side judge: Tim Murray • Center judge: Dan Scanlan
Game weather: Temperature: 51° • Wind: E 5–10 • Weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 55,837
Referee: Referee: Brad Van Vark • Umpire: Michael Cooper • Linesman: George Gusman • Line judge: Jerod Phillips • Back judge: Brian Ernest • Field judge: Jason Ledet • Side judge: Gene Semko • Center judge: Brian Alos
TV announcers (FSN): Mark Followill (Play-by-play),[26]Brian Baldinger (Color)[26] & Lesley McCaslin (Sideline)[26]
Game information
First quarter
ISU – 01:54 Cole Netten 34 yd field goal good (ISU 3–0)
Second quarter
ISU – 05:40 Sam B. Richardson 4 yd run, Cole Netten XP good (ISU 10–0)
ISU – 00:27 Allen Lazard 9 yd pass from Sam B. Richardson, Cole Netten XP good (ISU 17–0)
Third quarter
ISU – 09:47 Mike Warren 62 yd run, Cole Netten XP good (ISU 24–0)
KU – 05:36 Tre' Parmalee 47 yd pass from Montell Cozart, Nick Bartolotta XP no good (ISU 24–6)
ISU – 02:15 D'Vario Montgomery 13 yd pass from Sam B. Richardson, Cole Netten XP good (ISU 31–6)
Fourth quarter
KU – 13:30 Marcquis Roberts 83 yd interception return, Nick Bartolotta XP good (ISU 31–13)
ISU – 11:34 Mike Warren 7 yd run, Cole Netten XP good (ISU 38–13)
Top passers
KU – Montell Cozart 15/21, 150 yards, 1 TD
ISU – Sam B. Richardson 27/37, 269 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Referee: Referee: Dan Romeo • Umpire: Scott Teifer • Linesman: Andy Warner • Line judge: Marc Bovos • Back judge: Chris Alston • Field judge: Ed Vinzant • Side judge: Craig Faulkner • Alternate: Ken Ray
TV announcers (FSN): Mark Followill (Play-by-play),[28]Brian Baldinger (Color)[28] & Lesley McCaslin (Sideline)[28]
Game information
First quarter
TTU – 11:27 Clayton Hatfield 24 yd field goal good (TTU 3–0)
TTU – 10:44 DeAndre Washington 7 yd run, Clayton Hatfield XP good (TTU 10–0)
ISU – 07:03 Quenton Bundrage 33 yd pass from Sam B. Richardson, Cole Netten XP good (TTU 10–7)
TTU – 06:48 Jakeem Grant 75 yd pass from Patrick Mahomes, Clayton Hatfield XP good (TTU 17–7)
Second quarter
ISU – 14:18 Joshua Thomas 1 yd run, Cole Netten XP good (TTU 17–14)
TTU – 12:02 Reginald Davis 33 yd pass from Patrick Mahomes, Clayton Hatfield XP good (TTU 24–14)
TTU – 08:21 DeAndre Washington 49 yd pass from Patrick Mahomes, Clayton Hatfield XP good (TTU 31–14)
TTU – 02:42 Jakeem Grant 37 yd pass from Patrick Mahomes, Clayton Hatfield XP good (TTU 38–14)
ISU – 01:30 Joshua Thomas 1 yd run, Cole Netten XP good (TTU 38–21)
Third quarter
ISU – 06:02 Cole Netten 20 yd field goal good (TTU 38–24)
TTU – 03:37 Justin Stockton 54 yd run, Clayton Hatfield XP good (TTU 45–24)
Fourth quarter
TTU – 14:54 Jonathan Giles 3 yd pass from Patrick Mahomes, Clayton Hatfield XP good (TTU 52–24)
TTU – 07:35 Jonathan Giles 21 yd pass from Davis Webb, Clayton Hatfield XP good (TTU 59–24)
TTU – 03:56 Demarcus Felton 53 yd run, Clayton Hatfield XP good (TTU 66–24)
ISU – 00:59 Cole Netten 20 yd field goal good (TTU 66–31)
Top passers
ISU – Sam B. Richardson 10/21, 139 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Game weather: Temperature: 54° • Wind: S 0–5 • Weather: Clear skies
Game attendance: 52,480
Referee: Referee: Mike Defee • Umpire: Robert Richeson • Linesman: Al Green • Line judge: Kelly Deterding • Back judge: Terry Jones • Field judge: Joe Blubaugh • Side judge: Lo Van Pham • Center judge: Mike Cuttone
Game weather: Temperature: 68° • Wind: NE 10 • Weather: Cloudy
Game attendance: 45,512
Referee: Referee: Brad Van Vark • Umpire: Michael Cooper • Linesman: George Gusman • Line judge: Jerod Phillips • Back judge: Brian Ernest • Field judge: Jason Ledet • Side judge: Gene Semko • Center judge: Brian Alos
Game weather: Temperature: 51° • Wind: SE 0–5 • Weather: Partly cloudy
Game attendance: 53,616
Referee: Referee: Dan Romeo • Umpire: Scott Teifer • Linesman: Andy Warner • Line judge: Marc Bovos • Back judge: Chris Alston • Field judge: Ed Vinzant • Side judge: Craig Faulkner • Center judge: Ken Ray
Game weather: Temperature: 59° • Wind: NNE 12 • Weather: Clear
Game attendance: 85,595
Referee: Referee: Eddy Shelton • Umpire: Rick Podraza • Linesman: Rick Smith • Line judge: Kelly Detering • Back judge: Terry White • Field judge: Nick Lave • Side judge: Jim Murphy • Center judge: Steve Baron
Referee: Referee: Cooper Castleberry • Umpire: Jim Adams • Linesman: Bill Scott • Line judge: Frank LeBlanc • Back judge: Joel Wetzel • Field judge: Randy Smith • Side judge: Fulton Carson • Center judge: Stacy Hardin
Game weather: Temperature: 36° • Wind: N 11–15 • Weather: Mostly sunny
Game attendance: 53,297
Referee: Referee: Brad Van Vark • Umpire: Michael Cooper • Linesman: George Gusman • Line judge: Jerod Phillips • Back judge: Brian Ernest • Field judge: Jason Ledet • Side judge: Gene Semko • Center judge: Brian Alos
Game Twelve: Iowa State Cyclones at West Virginia Mountaineers – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Cyclones
0
6
0
0
6
Mountaineers
7
6
10
7
30
at Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV
Date: November 28
Game time: Noon EST
TV announcers (FS1): Steve Physioc (Play-by-play) & Petros Papadakis (Color)
Awards[]
National Team of the Week[]
Following the 24–0 shutout of Texas on the weekend of October 31, the 2015 Iowa State football team received the AutoNation National Team of the Week by the FWAA.[41]
This was its third shutout over a Big 12 opponent in school history, the previous against Kansas 34–0 on November 23, 2013. The Cyclones gained 426 yards in total offensive while the defense allowed only 204 yards, which is the third-lowest total an ISU defense has allowed vs. a Big 12 opponent in school history. Also, this was the fewest yards allowed vs. a FBS team in the Paul Rhoads era. The dominating ISU defense held Texas to nine plays in ISU territory with seven of these on Texas's final drive.[42]
This was Texas’s first shutout loss against an unranked team since November 18, 1961, when TCU shutout #1 ranked Texas 6–0.
For Iowa State, Mike Warren, the nation’s best freshman rusher, picked up 157 yards on the ground on 32 carries and added the first ISU touchdown, the fourth-best rookie rushing effort in school history. Joel Lanning got his first career start at quarterback, rushing for 64 yards and completing 19 of 37 passes for 188 yards with a touchdown pass to Dondre Daley and no interceptions. Freshman Joshua Thomas punched in the third ISU touchdown, his sixth of the season, tying a Cyclone freshman record set by Alexander Robinson in 2007.[43][44][45][46][47]
This was the Cyclones first home win over the Longhorns in six tries
Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week[]
Jordan Harris was honored as the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for games ending October 31, 2015. Harris's seven tackles and one interception led the Cyclones crushing shutout of Texas 24–0. Jordan is the third Cyclone to receive National Player of the Week honors: WR Todd Blythe on October 30, 2005, and LB Jesse Smith on October 25, 2009.[48][49]
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.[permanent dead link]
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.[permanent dead link]
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. September 19, 2015. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-12-08. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. October 3, 2015. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-10-07. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. October 10, 2015. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-12-09. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. October 17, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.[permanent dead link]
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. October 24, 2015. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-12-09. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. October 31, 2015. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-12-09. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. November 7, 2015. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-11-14. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. November 14, 2015. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-11-17. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
^"Scoring Summary"(PDF). Iowa State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. November 21, 2015. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-11-23. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
