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Classic Games in Cyclone Football History: 1926 at UCLA

Remember when Iowa State shutout UCLA at the Coliseum?

By Jared Larson

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An Iowa Cyclone Heads for Fleming
University of California, Southern Branch, Yearbook, Circa 1927

The year is 1926 and Iowa State is riding a two game win streak in the MVIAA with wins over Drake (13-7) and Kansas State (3-2). Noel Workman, in his first year of coaching at Iowa State, is coaching against William H. Spaulding.

Los Angeles Times | 11/27/1926

The two coaches coached for different schools for the 1923 season, for Simpson and Minnesota respectively, so they both got to know who Jack Trice was. I note this, as the Cyclones have the second black athlete in school history on their roster, Holloway Smith1.

Holloway is featured in the above preview from the LA Times.

Below is an LA Times preview from 11/24/1926.

After playing Kansas State, the team took a train off to El Paso, then towards Tucson (where they spent three days2) and then Los Angeles, as witnessed by page 107 of the 1927 Bomb below.

This Des Moines Register excerpt, from November 22, 1926, shares insight about the team’s journey west. This excerpt shares concerns of climate differences between Central Iowa and Southern California.

The Des Moines Register, 22 Nov 1926

The 23 Cyclone gridders would arrive around 10:25AM on November 26th, and were welcomed by UCLA students and a light drizzle3.

  • Los Angeles Times | November 25, 1926
  • Los Angeles Times | November 25, 1926

Joe Fleming, the aforementioned Bruin, was the first All-American in UCLA football (per the 1929 Southern Branch yearbook). The LA Times really hyped him up on the day of the game in their paper, and rightfully so seeing that he scored all 26 points in a win against Redlands just two weeks prior.

Fun UCLA trivia: Maurice Jones-Drew would score 30 points against Washington in 2004, which would break Fleming’s 78(!) year old school record.

Below are the projected lineups for the game from LA Times.

Game program

Two photos from the game, published in LA Times on 11/28/1926.

How the Cyclones Maltreated Our Bruins

Top photo shows Halfback Harry Lindbloom smashing over his own left tackle for the opening touchdown of the day. Bishop, No. 17, apparently tried hard to stop the Cyclone star but couldn’t make it. Fleming is No. 14 at the right. Note how the Bruins are scattered about.
F.M. Litchfield
Below Johnny Miller, the Iowa ground-gaining ace, is shown about to be stopped by Joe Fleming. Jim Hudson, on the ground, has just missed Miller.
F.M. Litchfield

Reactions from The San Bernardino County Sun, Chicago Tribune, The Des Moines Register and Quad-City Times:

Des Moines Tribune, 30 Nov 1926

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