Longest losing streak in college football history

The key to losing is learning from defeat and not allowing deficiencies to grow into larger problems. This attitude isn’t always easy to establish, especially in college football. Just ask Northwestern. The Wildcats lost a record 34 consecutive games between the 1979 and 1982 seasons.

Northwestern defeated Wyoming 27-22 at home on September 15, 1979, and did not win again until a 31-6 home victory over Northern Illinois on September 25, 1982. The Wildcats suffered a number of close losses during the historic slide, including a 20-20 loss. 16 loss at No. 16 Purdue on October 27, 1979 and a 17-10 loss at No. 11 Michigan on September 13, 1980. Northwestern lost 21-20 to Indiana in the 1981 season opener.

Here’s a look at the longest losing streaks in college football history.

34 games – Northwest (1979-82)

28 games -Virginia (1958-60)

28 games – Kansas State (1945-48)

27 games – New Mexico State (1988-90)

27 games – Eastern Michigan (1980-82)

26 games – Western Kentucky (2008-10)

26 games – Colorado State (1960-62)

24 games – Louisville (1931-33)

23 games – Southern Miss (2012–13)

23 games – Florida International (2006–07)

23 games – Duke (1999-2001)

23 games – Northern Illinois (1996-98)

22 games – Duke (2005–07)

21 games – Akron (2018-20)

21 games -Miami (Ohio) (2012–14)

21 games – Ball State (1998-2000)

21 games – South Carolina (1998-99)

21 games -Kent State (1981-83)

21 games – New Mexico (1967-69)

21 games – Temple (1957-59)

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