The1979 Iowa State Cyclones football team representedIowa State University as a member of theBig Eight Conference during the1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coachDonnie Duncan, the Cyclones compiled an overall record of 3–8 with a mark of 2–5 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for fifth in the Big 8. Iowa State played home games atCylcone Stadium inAmes, Iowa.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 15	1:30 pm	Bowling Green*	Cylcone Stadium Ames, IA		W 38–10	47,300	[1]
September 22	7:00 pm	at No. 4Texas*	Texas Memorial Stadium Austin, TX		L 9–17	73,652	[2]
September 29	1:05 pm	atIowa*	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (rivalry)	KWWL (delay)	L 14–30	60,100	[3]
October 6	1:30 pm	Pacific (CA)*	Cyclone Stadium Ames, IA		L 7–24	47,600	[4]
October 13	1:30 pm	atKansas State	KSU Stadium Manhattan, KS (rivalry)		W 7–3	23,400	[5]
October 20	1:30 pm	Kansas	Cyclone Stadium Ames, IA		L 7–24	47,064–48,100	[6]
October 27	1:30 pm	at No. 7Oklahoma	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		L 9–38	71,187	[7]
November 3	1:30 pm	Colorado	Cyclone Stadium Ames, IA		W 24–10	47,100	[8]
November 10	11:50 am	Missouri	Cyclone Stadium Ames, IA (rivalry)	ABC	L 9–18	46,800	[9]
November 17	1:30 pm	at No. 3Nebraska	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)		L 3–34	76,049	[10]
November 24	1:30 pm	Oklahoma State	Cyclone Stadium Ames, IA		L 10–13	36,000	[11]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings fromAP Poll released prior to the game All times are inCentral time

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• 1979 Big Eight Conference football season
• Iowa State Cyclones football seasons
• 1979 in sports in Iowa

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