The key to losing is learning from defeat and not allowing shortcomings to snowball into extended issues. That mindset isn't always easy to establish, particularly in college football. Just ask Northwestern. The Wildcats lost a record 34 straight games between the 1979 and 1982 seasons.
Northwestern defeated Wyoming 27-22 at home on Sept. 15, 1979, and didn't win again until a 31-6 victory at home over Northern Illinois on Sept. 25, 1982. The Wildcats had a few narrow losses during the historic slide, including a 20-16 defeat at No. 16 Purdue on Oct. 27, 1979, and a 17-10 loss at No. 11 Michigan on Sept. 13, 1980. Northwestern fell to Indiana 21-20 in its 1981 season opener.
Here's a look at the longest losing streaks in college football history.
34 games - Northwestern (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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