Iowa State football: Closing The Gap in ’99.

Iowa State football: The best 4-4 team in the free world.

Iowa State football: 14 points away from 7-1.

While none of these slogans would attract much attention in ISU’s marketing department, they do accurately capture the 1999 Cyclone football season.

After years of disappointment after disappointment, the 1999 Cyclones have given Iowa State something to be proud of. Quality wins over several quality teams have excited the Jack Trice crowd and kept ISU fans from just wishing for basketball season.

The season hasn’t been without its disappointments, though. After Saturday’s game, there have now been three heartbreakers this season that the Cyclones should have won.

But the loss Saturday was one of a different sort.

The other two heartbreakers (35-28 to Kansas State and 16-12 to Colorado) left a sickening feeling in the hearts of Cyclone fans across the state. ISU jumped out to early leads in those games but just could not hang on in the second half.

These were games where ISU was the better team that day, but the team just could not get the win.

This time, however, in the Homecoming game, it was the Cyclones who showed heart in coming back from a 41-27 deficit with nine minutes left to go in the game.

Although the team lost 44-41 in dramatic fashion, it gave the fans in the stadium a thrilling ending to a well-played game.

Clearly, this is a team that is exciting, fun to watch and one that deserves the support of the student body.

ISU has three games left, including the final home game of the superb running back Darren Davis Nov. 13 against Oklahoma.

The Cyclones have a chance at winning all three games, which would assure them a spot in the postseason. Even six wins would qualify them for a bowl bid, and a wining season would clearly send a message that this is the Cyclone State.

So for the next three weeks, root on the Cyclones as never before, because in spite of the .500 record and two-game losing streak, this team could still do great things.

Get out to Jack Trice. Heck, take a road trip to Kansas for the last game of the season Nov. 20.

Whatever you do, show this team the support it deserves.

Because even though the Cyclones lost Saturday, they won in the minds and hearts of many loyal Cyclone supporters.