1940 Iowa State Cyclones football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1940
| team = Iowa State Cyclones
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Big Six Conference
| short_conf = Big 6
| record = 4–5
| conf_record = 2–3
| head_coach = James J. Yeager
| hc_year = 4th
| captain = Tom Smith
| stadium = Clyde Williams Field
}}
{{1940 Big Six Conference football standings}}
The 1940 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts (later renamed Iowa State University) in the Big Six Conference during the 1940 college football season. In their fourth and final season under head coach James J. Yeager, the Cyclones compiled a 4–5 record (2–3 against conference opponents), finished in fourth place in the conference, and were outscored by opponents by a combined total of 132 to 118.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/iowa-state/1940-schedule.html|title=1940 Iowa State Cyclones Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=September 21, 2017}}{{cite web|title=2017 Iowa State Football Fact Book|publisher=Iowa State University|year=2017|page=136|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/isuni.sidearmsports.com/documents/2015/5/5/Media_Guide.pdf}}
Tom Smith was the team captain. No Iowa State player was selected as a first-team all-conference player.2017 Fact Book, p. 74.
Iowa State was ranked at No. 103 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.{{cite news|title=Final 1940 Litkenhous Ratings|newspaper=The Boston Globe|author=Dr. E. E. Litkenhous|date=December 19, 1940|page=22|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123126338/final-1940-litkenhous-ratings/|via=Newspapers.com}}
They played their home games at Clyde Williams Field in Ames, Iowa.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1940
| poll = AP
| timezone = Central
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 21
| time = 2:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1940|team=Luther Norse|title=Luther}}
| site_stadium = Clyde Williams Field
| site_cityst = Ames, IA
| score = 27–0
| attend = 7,249
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 27
| time = 9:15 p.m.
| w/l = l
| away = y
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Denver
| site_stadium = DU Stadium
| site_cityst = Denver, CO
| score = 7–14
| attend = 13,651
| source = {{cite news|title=Late Denver Score Spills I.S.C., 14 to 7|newspaper=The Des Moines Register|date=September 28, 1940|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115904813/late-denver-score-spills-isc-14-to-7/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 5
| time = 2:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| opponent = Kansas
| site_stadium = Clyde Williams Field
| site_cityst = Ames, IA
| score = 7–0
| attend = 7,491
| source = {{cite news|title=Stewart Saves 7-0 Victory for Cyclones: Backfield Ace Foils Kansas; Lohry Scores|newspaper=The Des Moines Register|author=Brad Wilson|date=October 6, 1940|pages=Sports 1, 3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115407127/stewart-saves-7-0-victory-for-cyclones/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 11
| time = 8:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Marquette
| site_stadium = Marquette Stadium
| site_cityst = Milwaukee, WI
| score = 25–41
| attend = 15,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Marquette Tramples Over Iowa State, 41-25|newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal|date=October 12, 1940|page=Sports 1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120342220/marquette-tramples-over-iowa-state/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 19
| time = 2:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Missouri
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Columbia, MO
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 14–30
| attend = 12,457
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 26
| time = 2:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Oklahoma
| site_stadium = Clyde Williams Field
| site_cityst = Ames, IA
| score = 7–20
| attend = 11,424
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 9
| time = 2:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Drake
| site_stadium = Clyde Williams Field
| site_cityst = Ames, IA
| score = 7–6
| attend = 5,444
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 16
| time = 2:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Kansas State
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Manhattan, KS
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 12–0
| attend = 7,936
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 23
| time = 2:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opprank = 8
| opponent = Nebraska
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Lincoln, NE
| score = 12–21
| attend = 17,541
| source = {{cite news|title=Raging Huskers stop Cyclones, 21-12|newspaper=Sunday Journal and Star|date=November 24, 1940|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120959935/raging-huskers-stop-cyclones-21-12/|via=Newspapers.com=}}
}}
}}